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Non Gaming Discussions => Off-Topic => Topic started by: lionken07 on February 15, 2003, 08:07:00 AM
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http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2...4927798266.html
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More gun than anyone needs
February 15 2003
Gun buyers in the US can\'t wait to get their hands on the latest revolver. Ralph Frammolino reports from Los Angeles.
Even the most ardent firearm lovers admit that Smith & Wesson\'s new .50-calibre Magnum revolver is more gun than anyone needs.
It has double the power of most assault rifles in the US. Its kick can send a grown man reeling while a single bullet can drop a raging grizzly. It is so heavy and long that police say no criminal would dare try to hide it in his waistband. It will cost up to $US989 ($A1660). And gun buyers across the United States can\'t wait to get their hands on it.
Speaking at the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show in Orlando, Florida, Smith & Wesson Corporation chairman Bob Scott said: "The initial reaction has been even stronger than we had anticipated, so we\'re ramping up production to meet the demand."
The creators of the .44 Magnum of Dirty Harry fame, unveiled its offering on Thursday as the world\'s most powerful commercially produced revolver.
Executives of the country\'s second-largest firearms manufacturer said they hoped the gun would help regain lost market share by generating excitement among an important, albeit "niche", market of big-game hunters, collectors and recreational target-shooters. But even before the gun\'s wide distribution, scheduled for next month, forces on both sides of the firearms debate are taking aim at its social impact.
Gun control groups condemned the Model 500 as an example of the industry\'s "deadlier-is-better" mentality, predicting the model would soon find its way to the streets.
"A hunting weapon? That\'s a joke," said Luis Tolley, director of state legislation for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "What we have here is a weapon that\'s designed to appeal to people who just want to make a bigger hole in whatever they\'re shooting at and, hopefully, they\'re not living next door to me."
Violence Policy Centre executive director Josh Sugarmann said: "This gun is not being made for hunters in Africa. It\'s being made for bored white gun owners in America. Why are they putting so much fire power into people\'s hands?"
The real question, say some gun experts, is why are people demanding it?
Adam Firestone, editor of cruffler.com, a gun collector website, said he viewed demand for Smith & Wesson\'s new product as more of an outgrowth of America\'s obsession with size and status, rather than an indicator of growing paranoia over crime or security.
"We are phenomenal at buying beyond our needs," he said. "And with regard to the firearm industry, if it is bigger, if it is more expensive we will line up around the corner to buy the darned thing, regardless of the fact that there may be six other guns that cost half as much and do the job just as well."
Smith & Wesson officials hope the new offering, one of nine new models introduced at the Florida gun show this week, will put it back in the good graces of a gun-buying constituency that is angry over the company\'s decision in 2000 to sign agreements with the Federal Government promising locks on all firearms it sold. That backlash served as a double whammy, taking away sales from Smith & Wesson even as the entire industry was in decline.
Mr Scott, of Smith & Wesson, said: "We\'re in the process of winning back market share or business that was lost as a result of negative reaction by consumers to the decisions by the previous ownership."
Smith & Wesson has built its reputation by building bigger guns. The .357 Magnum, introduced in 1935, was considered a breakthrough because of its muzzle energy that delivered impact at 535 foot-pounds, said Roy Jinks, the company\'s historian. Developed at the behest of hunters, the weapon gained favour with police during the mobster era because it could shoot through a car\'s engine block, he said.
In 1956, Smith & Wesson introduced the even more powerful .44 Magnum, the gun made famous years later by Clint Eastwood in his movies as San Francisco cop Harry Callahan. With Thursday\'s unveiling, the company leapfrogs ahead of its competitors, who had surpassed the .44 Magnum with more potent weapons.
The Model 500 uses a bigger frame, takes a new .50 calibre Smith & Wesson bullet and packs a muzzle force of 2600 foot-pounds. While there are single-shot, custom pistols that use larger ammunition, the new gun is the largest production firearm with a multi-bullet chamber.
According to Garen Wintemute, a gun expert and director of the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California, Davis, at .50-calibre, the bullet is about a centimetre wide but is more powerful than other such ammunition because it is longer and can pack more powder.
He said the gun\'s cartridge had about twice the muzzle energy of most rounds for common semi-automatic assault weapons used in the US, such as the military style AR-15. He predicted it would be a smash with gun enthusiasts, who could order one with a barrel as long as 25 centimetres.
Marc Halcon, owner of American Shooting Centre in San Diego, said the allure of the weapon "has something to do with the artistry of creating a mechanism that will do something that no other will do. It\'s another step in science and engineering."
- Los Angeles Times
Copyright ?2003 The Age Company Ltd
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so basically if you fire this thing, the barrel will hit your forehead full force...
:eyemouth:
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:D I was reading about this just yesterday. I dont think I would ever buy a 50 cal. unless I had money to burn. While they are pretty fun to shoot and se what they can do to different materials, its not very practical.
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did anyone read the whole post? :eek:
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^yes
boy i would love to have this
(https://psx5central.com/community/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smith-wesson.com%2Fproducts%2Ffirearms%2Fimages%2Fstandard%2F163500.jpg&hash=a9c350e7cd250b63b3e3811866ef2168cb5de021)
it would be really useful against all the theives and carjackers running around lately. :evil grin:
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Man that packs some power. Probably too powerful for me.
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yeah...imagine about twice the recoil of a .454... I don\'t think I can handle this even with both hands...
by the way, did you all see how big the bullet is?? its huge!!:nut:
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No one needs something like this unless you are after big game.
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That\'s gotta hurt!
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yeah we might not "NEED" it, but then again there are way too many things we don\'t need
we don\'t need a nice car
we don\'t need a fast computer
we don\'t need a nice chick
we always get things that we don\'t need, its all part of FREEDOM:p
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Originally posted by lionken07
we don\'t need a nice car
we don\'t need a fast computer
we don\'t need a nice chick
Yes we do.
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Now that\'s just sick.
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Whats next? IMI releases a .100 caliber handgun?
"New and improved Desert Eagle, now blow an even bigger barrel sized hole in someone\'s chest!"
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^^ i\'d buy two of those ;).
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You\'d also break both your wrists ;)
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Imho it should be prohibited, by law, for civilians to have/use fireweapons of any kind.
Still, videogames are blamed for murders and not stuff like this. Ridiculous I\'d say. But that\'s just my silly opinion :rolleyes:
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You cant blame the gun either. Wanna blame and ban large metal and wood objects as well? How about knives and axes...what about pool cues..etc..etcc... rediculous.
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well, a fireweapon.... as it\'s name implies, is specified a \'weapon\';
A device to use against another person. It\'s design has been specialised to do just that. While an axe, kitchen knife are designed to chop wood blocks and cut food. Of course even a piece of paper could be used to kill someone in some way. Laws
are there to draw a line between \'weapons\' and \'tools\'. So...
all I\'m saying is, there should also be a law then, which prohibits
the possesion/use of fireweapons by civilians. Here in the Netherlands civilians can\'t have em. Heck, policemen who failed their periodical shooting test, are forced to hand over their pistol, redo the test and meanwhile do office work (at the police station of course ).
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Wow, thats pretty cool.
Anyone have a picture of the bullet?
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Originally posted by lionken07
we don\'t need a nice chick
What the hell are you smoking?
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Originally posted by lionken07
yeah we might not "NEED" it, but then again there are way too many things we don\'t need
we don\'t need a nice chick
Yeah, maybe If you like DUDES!
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Originally posted by Solid Snake 88
Whats next? IMI releases a .100 caliber handgun?
Pardon any ignorance, but wouldn\'t a .100 caliber bullet be small than a .50 caliber bullet?
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Rofl... yeah, I suppose. 1.00 caliber then ;)
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Originally posted by Solid Snake 88
Rofl... yeah, I suppose. 1.00 caliber then ;)
Hey, just checking because I know next-to-nothing about guns, but I do know decimals :)
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you can always go to your gunstore to see if they have any. They cost about 1.50 for EACH:shy:
And yes no one need a nice chick!
but everyone want one:laughing:
Guns are just like any other things you have. Videogames, computer, books, music they all can be bad influence.
another reason why we have it is to protect, cops here are useless, they cannot save you when something happen. My house was broken in 3 times in the past 7 years and I reported each time! I swear if I catch them come in next time I won\'t let them leave alive. The world today isn\'t safe anymore, don\'t trust anyone other than yourself!
I guess we\'re all entitle to our own believe but "an arm sociality is a safe sociality"! remember that.
and yes I will buy a .50 if the city of NY lets me.:rolleyes:
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Originally posted by Knotter8
well, a fireweapon.... as it\'s name implies, is specified a \'weapon\';
A device to use against another person. It\'s design has been specialised to do just that. While an axe, kitchen knife are designed to chop wood blocks and cut food. Of course even a piece of paper could be used to kill someone in some way. Laws
are there to draw a line between \'weapons\' and \'tools\'. So...
all I\'m saying is, there should also be a law then, which prohibits
the possesion/use of fireweapons by civilians. Here in the Netherlands civilians can\'t have em. Heck, policemen who failed their periodical shooting test, are forced to hand over their pistol, redo the test and meanwhile do office work (at the police station of course ).
All that does is take firearms out of the hands of law abiding citizens like lionken, myself and many others. MOst ppl commiting crimes with firearms aren\'t aquiring them leaglly anyway, so legislation to ban firearms is pretty useless no?
I do like that idea of cops periodically being tested. More cities in the US should do that.
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Have any of you guys seen "Bowling for Columbine"? It has really changed my view on America and guns. Its premise is why America feels the need to protect itself in fear by owning guns. I was just reminded of it cuz the director was on 60 minutes tonight.
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Ive heard good things, but didnt watch it.
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I"ve heard a little about it too...what exactly is it about?
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I think people buy guns for the same reason you buy a PS2. For fun. I enjoy shooting a rifle or a shotgun. I\'d never use it to rob a store or kill anything besides a deer or other game animals. I do, however, agree with some of the gun laws but the safety locks I don\'t. If a person is responsible, they\'d put a gun away safely and not keep it loaded and lock it so kids can\'t get to it. When I get a rifle of my own, I\'ll take the action out so my kids can\'t get to it and lock everything up and hide the key. However, there are some real dumbasses that leave their guns loaded and cabinets unlocked and thats how kids get killed (especially morons who put it in their sock drawer). I don\'t really agree with the safety locks either. Even the safety on a gun does fail. Although you should use it but making all of these complex locks will only complicate things. If you want a safety, the standard safety does the trick, but like I said, if you are concerned about kids, lock the damn thing up and not have it loaded.
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not a bad post titan, it only furthers my thoughts that laws dont make up for the lack of intelligence and common sense the general public has and/or uses.
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I only have one thing to say...the bigger the gun...the smaller the penis :laughing:
P.S. To all you gun enthusiasts out there, I was only joking. Please don\'t shoot me. :eek:
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you expect us to just walk away after you make a comment like that?:nut:
come here boy, two in the chest and one in the head...:p