Originally appeared in Newsletter Vol. x, No. y, December 1999

In the Spring and Summer of 2003, (Vol. 9 Nos. 2 and 3) CAGV’s newsletter included articles about the lethality and threat to public safety of .50-Caliber rifles.  We reported that backed by the firm support of Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton, the Los Angeles City Council banned the sale of these weapons in June of 2003.

Here on the South Coast, the CAGV hopes our community will join a groundswell of opinion that deems this firearm inappropriate for civilian use.  Our local law enforcement officials have stated that this is strictly a military-type weapon and should not be in civilian hands as it could cause unintended consequences. 

Currently several localities are considering the ban following the lead of Los Angeles City and now Contra Costa County:  San Francisco City and County, Los Angeles County, Cities of Long Beach and Santa Cruz.

“I believe it’s our responsibility in terms of health, safety and welfare to move ahead with this ordinance,” said Contra Costa Supervisor Gayle Uilkema of Lafayette, who sponsored a measure to ban firearms dealers from selling and distributing .50-Caliber sniper rifles in Contra Costa County’s unincorporated areas.

To highlight the weapon’s destructive power, Contra Costa County supervisors showed a Marine training video of a .50-Caliber rifle blowing holes in a 3 ½ inch think manhole cover and a stack of 8-inch thick cinder blocks.

The Contra Costa County board voted 4-0 to ban this military-type weapon.  The ban will go into effect 30-days after a scheduled second reading April 6, 2003.  The board plans to magnify the ordinance’s impact by imploring cities throughout the county to adopt similar measures.

The usual irrational comments came from about 20 gun advocates who blasted the supervisors for passing a meaningless ordinance that they said violates their 2^nd Amendment rights.  The legislation hurts gun owners, but does nothing to combat terrorism, said Al Di Prima, a Concord resident.  “After 9/11, we didn’t ban airplanes or tall buildings because we were afraid of terrorism, he said.  After the Oaklahoma City bombing we didn’t ban Chevy vans and fertilizer.”

The California Rifle and Pistol Association intends to file a complaint.  Responding to accusations that adoption of the ordinance was fiscally irresponsible when the county faced budget problems, Juliet Leftwich, managing attorney for the nonprofit Legal Community Against Gun Violence, offered to help the board find pro bono legal help to defend against lawsuits from gun lobbyists.

Assemblyman Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood) has introduced a state ban on selling .50-Caliber rifles in California.  The Senate Public Safety Committee is reviewing the bill.

This bill did not pass in committee last session, which is why localities are now taking up the cause to ban the sale of a weapon that is deemed even unsafe for use by law enforcement.

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