Media Gun Ignorance Alert
Mariel Garza of DailyNews, discussing LA’s attempts to ban .50 calibers, writes:
– .50-caliber rifles, sometimes called sniper rifles, and .50-caliber handguns, which can pierce body armor and hit targets from as much as a mile away.
In combination with CNN’s recent incident about the differences between assault weapons and other weapons, automatic weapons vs. semiautomatic weapons (no links because hostingmatters is down), people should realize that journalists don’t know much about guns. If you’re going to write about something, at least take the time to learn about it.
First, a sniper rifle is a rifle that has long range capabilities and is typically used by stealthy individuals to eliminate a target. Most sniper rifles are actually .30 Caliber, not .50 caliber (as if .2 inches is really that much bigger). Plus, .50 caliber rifles are huge and weigh a great deal. This makes them none too stealthy. The media of course labeled the Bushmaster (a .22 caliber) a sniper rifle during the DC shootings.
Second, I’m not absolutely certain, but I don’t think a .50 caliber hand gun cartridge would pierce body armor. The .50 handgun cartridge may project a bullet a mile, but not with any accuracy. In fact, handguns are typically only effective up to about 25 yards (and that’s if you’re a decent shot), most firefights involving handguns occur at less than seven yards. Also, the .50 caliber handgun cartridge isn’t new. Israeli Industries has made one since the early 90s (the Desert Eagle). The S&W and the DE have price tags of about $1,000 (usually more) so I doubt any criminals will use them, unless stolen.
At the end of the article, it is noted that .50 caliber rounds have never been used in crime.
The ignorant media keeps the public ignorant. Mariel Garza, you need to do some research.
