In California today, the Senate hurriedly approved a slightly amended version of AB 50, which will ban .50 caliber rifles in the state.

DIGEST : This bill, effective January 1, 2005, prohibits the sale of .50 caliber BMG rifles. This bill authorizes the State Department of Justice to register legally-possessed BMG rifles until April 30, 2006, to assess a $25 registration fee, and to issue dangerous weapons permits for their possession, sale, manufacture and transportation. This bill makes it a misdemeanor to possess a BMG rifle that is not registered after April 30, 2007. This bill expands existing law to make assault with a BMG rifle a felony punishable by four, eight or 12 years in state prison.

This is a nonsense ‘feel good’ bill. Just how many .50 BMGs have been used to commit crimes anyway? And why just this caliber? Why not, say, the equally lethal Weatherby .460?