1.

Dear Respected Assembly Member,

I am writing you to express my extreme concern that the movement to pass
AB2222 will do absolutely nothing to make California a safer place to live. This bill labels The .50Caliber Bolt action rifle and cartridge as a danger to us all.
It most certainly is not. It is a rifle- nothing more nothing less.

It is not a common rifle, it is a very specialized sporting rifle used primarily for competition match shooting. It is not a weapon that is popular with gangs. I personally am not aware that this specific class or caliber rifle has ever been used to commit crime with any regularity. Most people will never come in contact with, or even see one outside of a movie theater.

There are many reasons this rifle and caliber will never become the weapon of choice for gangs, criminal element, or the typical gun related homicide. There is a very limited number available, or will it ever be widely produced.

1. The average weight of this type of rifle is between 30 and 45 pounds-unloaded.
2. It is a bolt operated rifle- not automatic.
3. Most available types of rife in this caliber are very long rifles, some measuring longer than four feet.
4. They are very difficult to carry and are practically impossible to conceal.
5. Most of the available rifles in this class are single shot and have to be cleared and loaded one bullet at a time.
6. Of the type that have a magazine, they only hold three shots on the
average. Again, bolt action operation.
7. The ammunition is extremely expensive, with a market price of
$1.25-$2.50 for each bullet.
8. The ammunition is very heavy making it difficult to carry a large
amount on your person.
9. To become proficient with this caliber rifle it takes many hours of
practice and commitment at considerable expense.
10. The cost of this type and class of rifle is very high. (prices range between $3,000.00 - $20,000.00) this alone puts it beyond the reach of most people - even if they would like to own one, and very few criminals would ever consider paying the cost.
11. Those who choose to own them as a rule keep them extremely secure as it requires a major commitment and considerable investment to own one.
12. Very few sporting goods, outfitter's, or even gun stores stock them
due to their expense and limited market.

AB2222 makes about as much sense as telling General Motors they can no
longer sell the HUMM -VEE in California, because it is expensive, could hurt someone if not used lawfully, has no practical use to most people, and that there are similar types produced for military applications. Why not tell all owners of G.M. Hummer's that they have been declared an unlawful status symbol & that those who own one now need to scrap it- or face prosecution..

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration on this matter, I urge you to
not pass yet another bill that will limit the rights of law abiding Citizens who are taxpayers, voters, and contributing sportsman to their State and Communities, while changing nothing that will impact crime or our safety as Citizens of California.

Respectfully Yours,

"Joe Citizen"

2.

California Assembly Public Safety Committee

RE: AB2222

Our elected officials, in an attempt to show the residents of California that we are being looked out for are attempting to pass another useless law. They are being told numerous myths regarding .50 Caliber Rifles such as:

1. Myth: .50s are the favorite weapon of terrorist

Fact: Statistically speaking, the majority of terrorist attacks are in the form of bombings (90%), kidnappings (6%), armed attacks (2%), arson (1%0, and other methods (2%).

Fact: Given that a commercial .50 caliber cost upwards of $6,000 each and that terrorist can buy the favored AK-47 in Pakistan for less than $200, it is unlikely they will opt for the larger rifle

Fact: .50 caliber rifles are heavy (20-35 pounds), expensive (upwards of $6,000 each) as is the ammunition ($2-5 per each round for military quality), and impossible to conceal (typically four feet long); most are single shot (slower to reload than a hunting rifle) and impractical for terrorist activities.

Fact: .50 caliber rifles have only been used in 18 crimes in the history of the United States.

2. Myth: .50 caliber shooters are terrorist in training

Fact: The average .50-caliber enthusiast is a successful businessman with an annual income of $50,000 or more - hardly a terrorist profile.

3. Myth: .50s are capable of piercing airline fuel tanks from a mile away

Fact: Even the most expert long distance shooters cannot hit a stationary target under perfect, windless weather conditions at such distances. An ill trained terrorist shooting a high-recoil .50 caliber rifle at a fast moving target - such as a 600 mph airplane - has no chance.

We already have enough laws on the books that only law abiding follow, we don't need any more.

"Joe Citizen"

3.

I OPPOSE AB2222

I am opposed to making 50 caliber rifles illegal.

FACT: When terrorists attack us again, law abiding citizens who own and
have experience in using their 50 caliber rifles may be the first to put
their lives in harm's way to protect the freedoms we enjoy in the United
States of America.

FACT: Now that we have passed a law making guns illegal, we will now for
the first time in history live in a peaceful world. Quote from Adolph
Hitler before he invaded Poland and exterminated 6 million innocent
people.

FACT: The ownership of guns in the United States including 50 caliber
rifles make the United States a strong nation from the grass roots up.

FACT: Citizens of the United States will never need their guns more
until their government tried to take them away. George Washington, first
President of the United States.

FACT: AB222 does not promote public safety

FACT: The public can not be safe when they can not protect themselves.

4.

Dear Public Safety Committee Member:

I am strongly opposed to AB2222. The last thing we need in this State and Country for that matter is more so called "gun control" laws. What problem is this bill trying to solve? I am not aware of any and you should be able to identify a problem before trying to pass laws to affect a non-problem. I believe if you and your team members would get a reputable firm to guide you thru a process called "Root Cause" analysis and analyze the cause of violent behavior in our society, you would immediately stop your efforts on "gun control" legislation and possibly repeal most of the existing laws. Then take the money saved; then develop and implement solutions to solving the real problem.

I am going to assume we are trying to reduce violent behavior in our society (THE REAL PROBLEM) so I would like you to answer a simple question.

Cite three "gun control" laws on California books or for that matter this Nations books that reduce violent behavior.

I look forward to your answers, thank you.

Respectfully Yours,

5.

I am writing to you today concerning the recently introduced bill AB 2222 (Kortez) which would ban .50 caliber rifles. While the intentions of this bill are admirable, they are also completely misguided. .50 caliber rifles are not the choice of criminals and are never used in the commission of crimes. They are quite large and heavy and are not easily concealed or transported. The price of these rifles is a prohibiting factor in itself, with basic models starting around $2,000 going up to $8,000 or more for sophisticated models. The only use for these rifles are for shooting enthusiasts that participate in long-range shooting competitions. By outlawing these weapons, this bill will be creating criminals out of law-abiding citizens and will do nothing to prevent crime or terrorism.

I strongly urge you to vote NO on AB 2222 and I appreciate your support.

6.

Dear Member of the Assembly Public Safety Committee,

I am writing with concern to the proposed AB 2222 (Kortez) that intends to classify and ban .50 BMG caliber rifles as dangerous weapons. This bill attempts to categorize legitimate sporting rifles and the ownership thereof as deviant and reckless behavior that threatens the citizens of the state of California. Furthermore the assumption that any rifle constructed in this caliber is a sniper weapon underscores the misunderstanding that the authors of this bill have made.

A sniper is a skilled military shooter detailed to spot and pick off enemy soldiers from a concealed place. A sniper rifle is ANY rifle used in the course of this action. There is NO caliber designation for such an activity. The most common caliber rifle used for such a purpose by our military services is the .308 Winchester / 7.62mm NATO center-fire cartridge. This also happens to be one of the most popular hunting rifle calibers in our nation. These rifles are portable, magazine-fed, and of semi-automatic or bolt-action construction. They are lightweight, easily transported, and require no special training or major expense to properly maintain or discharge. Most of all there is no public safety concern for the ownership or use of these rifles.

In sharp contrast, .50 BMG caliber rifles currently allowed for sale in the state of California are used by a small community of precision target shooters in pursuit of one goal: a paper target. These rifles are not used for hunting, self-defense, or criminal activities of any kind. The construction of these rifles and the costs incurred to build them is self-regulating in such a way that the Public Safety Committee should welcome ownership in the state of California. These rifles are at the very minimum 350% more costly to purchase, 500% heavier, and the ammunition is 200% more expensive to shoot than the .308 Winchester / 7.62mm NATO center-fire rifle cartridge. Thus the small community of .50 BMG caliber rifle owners in California will be without exception firearm enthusiasts who are exemplary in their respect of, use of, and storage of this family of firearms.

Therefore it is easy to surmise that the cost of ownership, operation, and maintenance of .50 BMG caliber rifles demands respect and prohibits careless, casual, or criminal relationships under which the AB 2222 text assumes that these rifles may be obtained and operated.

My gravest concern is that once passed AB2222 will provide precedent for and hence pave the way for any center-fire rifle to be classified as a sniper rifle and subsequently banned. This un-American and anti-constitutional campaign hidden under a veil of misrepresentation and unfounded fear must be stopped. Please support America and its founded beliefs in these incredibly challenging and emotional times. We owe it to our children and ourselves to continue to make this country the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Sincerely,

xyz consitituent

7.

I am writing to express my opposition to AB 2222 (Kortez) that intends to classify and ban the .50 caliber "sniper weapon" (sic), and any such variants, as dangerous weapons.

The mere fact that the .50 caliber firearm would be coupled with existing laws regulating the manufacture, possession, transport, and sale of machineguns, as defined, is absurd. Most .50 caliber firearms are of a bolt action, single-shot design. Very few of these are magazine fed, and only one .50 caliber firearm manufactured, that I know of, is designed to shoot in a semi-automatic action. Whereas machineguns can accept detachable magazines capable of holding 20-, 30- or even 100-rounds of ammunition, magazine capacity for a .50 caliber is limited to only 5 cartridges at most. Machineguns are lightweight, close-quarter combat weapons fired from an off-hand position; the .50 caliber firearm weighs six-times as much as an M16 (machinegun) and must be shot either off a bench rest or in the prone position. I could site numerous other distinctions between these two classes of firearms, but I think you understand my point.

The term "sniper weapon" is also misleading. Any high-quality hunting rifle equipped with a scope could just as easily be classified as such. Some such hunting rifles are marketed with camouflage stocks and folding bipods; many are chambered to fire the .308 Winchester or .30-'06 Springfield cartridges - both of which are of military origin. Hunting rifles are lightweight, accurate, easily carried and simple to operate and maintain. There are probably 1-million hunting rifles for every one .50 caliber rifle owned in this country. To my knowledge, there has never been a single incident of criminal misuse involving the .50 caliber firearm. I wish I could say the same for all firearms, including hunting rifles. Again, if public safety were our primary focus, then I would argue that the owners of .50 caliber firearms are among the most safety-conscious citizens in this country.

AB 2222 amends Sections 12020, 12200, 12201, 12230, 12250, 12251, and 12288 and adds an additional Section 12221 to the Penal Code relating to firearms. How many more Sections in the Penal Code will it take to add before the State legislators realize that criminals do not obey laws, no matter how many Sections are amended or added. It appears this act is just another veiled attempt at regulating all types of firearms, irrespective of their impact on public safety or consideration of sportsmen and sportswomen.

In light of the attacks on our country by terrorists who despise our personal freedoms and way of life, cooler heads must prevail and our Constitutional freedom must be preserved. As a native Californian who has sadly witnessed years of restrictive "gun control" laws passed in the State legislature, I urge you to join me in opposition to this bill.

Most sincerely,

consitituent

If you would like to contribute your ideas, please email to guns@ARMUSA.com. I'll put up as many samples as I have time for.

Thank you,
Jolynne