How much longer will the 50 BMG be legal?

I'm considering building a version of the Bill Holmes 50 cal. bmg rifle. It is arguably the largest, most powerful long range rifle available today. I'm starting this thread knowing we have some knowledgable shooters and reloaders on ATS.

1) What are the chances that the Obama, Pelosi, Reid regime will come after the big boomers?

2) Does anyone have any shooting experience with this caliber they would like to share?

3) Does anyone have any experience building 50 mbg rifles and can you share any references? I do have material I can dig up if anyone is interested.

Ahhh,to buy a Barrett M107...my dream gun...and probably would be a wise investment if the swine have their way....ok...sorry about my dream...the old 50 hopefully will not go but is probably on the top of the list after "the scarry black rifles"...ak 47 and ar 15's...I do not have any exp. shooting the behemoths but would give my left foot for one....but good luck in your build!!

I saw the list somewhere most of the guns are on it. I know AK, AR, various hunting rifles, shotguns and pistols are also mentioned and yes I believe the wonderful .50 cals will be listed there too!

BFG-50 History

Here's a website/ blog by Mr. Serbu describing the development of his rifle. A lot of interesting stuff!

Brady campaign has a page dedicated to it.

Brady loves the .50 thread

reply to post by hotrodturbo7


The 50 bmg represents the rifle most of would like to own or at least shoot once in our lives. We see it set up at the gun shows or the better gun shops and admire. Such power, such range, such accuracy! More or less unabtainable to most shooters but oh well!

If you have ever seen one of those videos of the Canadian sniper team picking off Talabans at unbeleavable ranges like 2700 meters it just makes you want to have one of these babies!

Dream on, your wife won't let you have one, never, too expensive!


However, if you want to make one, I can give some handy advise. It is possible.

reply to post by plumranch


They have made it clear they plan to bring back the assault
weapons ban, and with the addition of the blair holt law will
go after additional guns and give local judiciary the "at will"
right to ban a type of gun without legislative oversight.

So hold on to your hat dorothy, its gonna be a bumpy ride.

They have made it clear they plan to bring back the assault

reply to post by Ex_MislTech


Oh please, GOD, let us unite against these mindless LIBERALS!!!!!

reply to post by plumranch

From Wiki:

Since the adoption of .50 BMG rifles by military sniper units, there has been a growing gun control movement in some states, including California, New York, Massachusetts, Hawaii, and Illinois, to ban civilian possession of .50 BMG rifles and ammunition. Bill AB50 in California, passed in 2004, known as the .50 Caliber BMG Regulation Act of 2004 classifies all .50 BMG rifles of any action type as assault weapons, which are illegal to import into the state or transfer to any but a state agency or dealer licensed to purchase them. The bill's sponsor, California Assemblyman Paul Koretz, claimed that the .50 BMG "would be an ideal choice for use in an act of terrorism."

And also from Wiki:

However, .50 BMG caliber rifles have lengths usually between four and five feet (1.2-1.5 meters) and weights from 20 to 40 pounds (10-20 kg), making a large .50 caliber rifle similar in weight to an olympic sized barbell, sized similar to a pair of skis. This makes them unwieldy and difficult to conceal, and are a rarity in crime statistics. For example, the Violence Policy Center is only able to document 4 actual uses of .50 BMG rifles by criminals,[10] and only accounts for a total of 18 additional cases in which a .50 caliber rifle was recovered from the possession of a criminal without the gun having been used in a crime. The General Accounting Office prepared a report in 1999, in which it stated that the ATF had only received a total of 18 "traces" for 50 BMG rifles related to criminal activity for rifles made by the largest of 50 BMG manufacturers, Barrett.[11] Of these only one "trace" related to claimed actual use of a rifle, and deals with a highly controversial event itself, the Waco siege of the Branch Davidian ranch by the ATF and FBI

So to call the 50 MBG an assault rifle is silly indeed! But that won't stop Pelosi.

I wonder if Marky Mark making that damn movie raised liberal awareness of the 50 cal?

wonder if Marky Mark making that damn movie raised liberal awareness of the 50 cal?

reply to post by hotrodturbo7


No it's that sniper YouTube on the Canadian team in Afganistan. 50 caliber sniper

It goes around in email circuits a lot.



[edit on 18/2/09 by plumranch]

The .50 is a gun that all gun lovers like my self would give damn near anything to just shoot once, its is a thing of legend seek it out but only a lucky few ever attain one. Anyways now, as for it being banned i think that by the end of the year it will be banned across the board.