I've mentioned before (and also here) that the Illinois Politburo legislature is hell-bent on passing Senate Bill 1471, under the theory that public safety demands limiting law-abiding citizens (as this law, like all others, would have no effect on criminals, who would simply ignore it) to bullets of .499 caliber, rather than .50 caliber (it's that last 1/1000th of an inch that causes the problems, apparently). The Brady Bunch, predictably, is enthusiastically on board with the idea.
My friends at IllinoisCarry are fighting this abomination with everything we can muster, but the other side is powerful and well-funded (I've mentioned the Joyce Foundation before). Frankly, I don't know how this is going to end up.
I have decided, though, to give them a little taste of unintended consequences. I have decided that their efforts to rid Illinois of .50 caliber firearms are going to lead directly to at least one more coming to Illinois. As much as I like the rifles chambered in .50 BMG, I can't really carry one around in a wheelchair, or easily fire one (and I certainly can't pay for one)--and that's before you consider ammunition costs and the difficulty of finding a range that will permit them--so I have something else in mind.
Enter the .50 Beowulf, and the Bohica Tool pistol upper receiver chambered for it (scroll down on the page in the link). I have pretty much made up my mind that, although I can't easily afford this, either, I am going to have my own AR pistol in .50 Beowulf.
To anyone who wishes that I not have this firearm, I would like to offer a free lesson in ancient Greek.
Molon labe.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
My own little .50 caliber protest
Stumble it!
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I don't suppose that you could print a translation for those of us that do not speak greek?
I can however, guess.
From Wikipedia (good enough for this purpose): Molon labe refers to an ancient Greek expression for "Come and take them!", in reference to unilateral disarmament. Molôn Labé! was the reply of Sparta's King Leonidas to the Persian's demand for surrender at the battle of Thermopylae. The phrase is becoming a modern-day Second Amendment cry of resolve never to disarm in the face of tyranny.
California has a .50 cal ban. The way it's drafted is pretty funny - it basically outlaws the .50 BMG by precise cartridge dimensions. So companies like Barrett and Serbu now offer... the .416 Barrett and the .50 DTC, essentially the same thing with slightly different dimensions. The whole situation is just so ridiculous, like something out of Kafka.
Yeah, the way I read Illinois SB 1471, I get the impression that the .50 BMG would be the only caliber banned.
New Jersey's proposed ban was a bit more cleverly drafted--I believe it would ban every pistol or rifle cartridge with a bullet of .5" or greater diameter. Still wouldn't touch the .416 Barrett, and if someone comes along with a cartridge that uses .50 BMG brass (or even something bigger) necked down to .499 caliber, the law wouldn't touch it.
Just shows how out of touch with reality the civilian disarmament lobby is.
pistol? just make sure your parking brake is applied.
pistol? just make sure your parking brake is applied
What? And throw away my dream of setting the wheelchair backward speed record? ;-)
Sweet rifle
Take a few minutes and go through the Wikipedia entry, for starters.
First, Leonidas pronounced the second word 'la-Be': the 'v' for 'b' thing is much more modern.
Second, and most importantly the actual verb tense is one that doesn't exist in English. I forget the proper name for it, but the actual translation for Molon Labe is that you can have my weapons AFTER I'm done with them, IE, when I'm dead. It fits with "my cold dead fingers" even better than I first thought!
Wow, you guys sure are scared of stuff. I love hunting and enjoy guns, but really, lighten up.
Tell me, Mr. Bravely Anonymous--what "stuff" are you saying we're "scared of"? If you mean that I'm concerned that the government will pass laws that will make me a "criminal," despite my peaceable nature, you're right, I suppose. If you mean that I'm concerned, because such action on the part of the government can only be construed, as far as I'm concerned, as nothing less than a declaration of war by the government on the citizenry, then you're right.
If you mean anything else, you don't have a goddamned clue.
Oh--enjoy your "hunting and stuff."
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