Countdown: BOHICA FAR-50 MkII .50 BMG on its way

[Michael Bane]

Anzio Ironworks in St. Pete also builds a superb .50:

http://www.anzioironworks.com/

You've seen Anzio on SHOOTING GALLERY.

You know, what got me off top-dead-center on getting a .50 BMG — always mean to; never follow through — was flipping through the revised version of
BOSTON'S GUN BIBLE

I worked with the author a few years back, and while we certainly don't agree on everything, he and I are pretty much in the same book if not on the same page. I came across this in the .50 BMG chapter:

.50BMGs are the 20mm Solothurns of today."

A .50 owner told me that at a gun show, and hte analogy really hit home. Until the GCA68, there was no restriction on the private, unlicensed ownership of cannons and mortars! Such were affordable and could be shipped right to your door through mail order. The 14.5mm Soviet PTRS anti=tank rifle could be had for just $99.95 and through a 994-grain bullet at 3200 fps, for 22,607 fpe — about twice that of the .50BMG. Gee.

When you read UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, did you also groan when you learned of pre-GCA68 $189.50 Swiss 20mm Solothurns and $99.95 Finish Lahtis? How about 20mm ammo for 75-99 cents a round?
[...]
Having a .50BMG today is like having a 20mm Solothurn back in the 1960s. No special license is currently required, and if you can find a private sale gun (rare, though not unheard of) the government will never know you own one...
[...]
Moral: buy now or cry later.

That quote struck me hard because a few months ago I was in St. Louis hanging around with my pal John Ross, author of UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, pondering a Solothurn 20mm...of course, I had to tell John my story, about how in 1967 I had all the money saved up for a mail-order Boys Mk-1 British anti-tank rifle, about $150 bucks if I remember correctly, and how my father had talked me into getting a Lafayette 6-meter ham radio rig instead. The Lafayette was AM only and was so sloppy it practically blacked out television reception in my whole neighborhood.

I think .50s will be on the endangered species list in 2009, especially if the election runs 100% against us. My biggest fear is that we will throw .50s to the wolves to save us from another more general AWB. That's why I'm strongly ramping up .50 BMG coverage on both SHOOTING GALLERY and DRTV...the more visible the big blasters are, the harder they'll be to step on!

Michael B

[Hazcat]

Well, if you come to St Pete to do a show on Anzio or the guys in Safety Harbor let me know.  I know a little dive that makes some great hamburgers.

[kilopaparomeo]

I think .50s will be on the endangered species list in 2009, especially if the election runs 100% against us. My biggest fear is that we will throw .50s to the wolves to save us from another more general AWB.

Yup, that's why I call this purchase "Flipping' the bird at .gov"  (Also known as FTBAdotG = trademark pending on that one)

It's also why I ordered an **upper** that can be on an AR lower or not...the upper doesn't have any 4473 attached to it...as far as anyone is concerned "Why yes, Agent Schmuckatelly, that AR lower is for my hunting/varmit rig.  Jim Zumbo himself recommended it to me".

[DDMac]

Well, if Hazcat gets his long awaited check from the exiled President of Namibia, Cuba will be nothing but berm !

Mac.