Alphecca

Fabrique Nationale Five-SeveN

Another gun they want to ban:

Gun grabbers think that by labeling a firearm a "cop killing gun" it necessarily makes it so and that lawmakers will rush to ban it from civilian ownership. From an apparently not-proofread story in Crosswalk.com:

Democrats in Congress have introduced a bill to outlaw a specific gun, which a leading gun control group describes as "a clear and present threat to police officers" and "a tragedy waiting to happen."

The bills introduced in the House and Senate on Thursday (H.R. 800/S. 397) would make it illegal for anyone except a police officer or military official to possess a Fabrique Nationale (FN) Five-seveN pistol, which can shoot armor-piercing bullets.

Gun control activists call the Five-seveN a "cop-killing gun," and they have enlisted the support of several law enforcement organizations in their effort to outlaw it. Steve Lenkart, the legislative director of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, a labor union, has called the handgun "an assault weapon that fits in your pocket."

"We are very grateful to Senators [Frank] Lautenberg (D-N.J.), [Jon] Corzine (D-N.J.) and [Chuck] Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Congressman Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) for introducing legislation in the Senate and the House of Representatives to outlaw this weapon," said Michael Barnes, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence united with the Million Mom March.

As you can see, it's the usual suspects supporting the measure. I'm sure DiFi is on it too. You know, if they can't get their AWB reinstated, they go after guns one at a time, first with the .50 caliber Barretts and now the FN Five-SeveN. Trust me, if they have their way, they will eventually work their way down the list to the common .22 long rifle and ammo.

Then there's this:

The Brady Campaign says it bought a Five-seveN from a Virginia gun dealer in January, and it says ammunition purchased with the gun was able to penetrate a protective vest. (Virtually all rifle ammunition will penetrate the most common types of body armor worn by police.)

I found the parenthetical remark interesting because while not entirely true, it showed a presumed attempt by the writer of the story to provide some balance or to at least highlight the hypocrisy of the Brady Bunch.

I might also point out that if the ammo for the five7 did as claimed, then an ordinary law-abiding citizen SHOULD be encouraged to own it. Think of the hero Mark Wilson in Tyler, Texas. If he had had one he might still be alive and been able to stop the mutant Arroyo in his tracks. Arroyo was wearing body armor.

Also to the article writer's (Susan Jones) credit, she included a reply from the gun maker itself:

-- The Five-seveN handgun is a full-size pistol and is not easily concealable. In fact, it is larger than most current-issue sidearms carried by law enforcement agencies throughout the U.S.

-- The maximum effective range of the Five-seveN handgun is 35 to 50 meters, which is comparable to other commercially available sporting pistols in its range and effectiveness.

-- The only ammunition available to the public are the cartridges defined by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms Explosives (BATFE) as suitable for sporting use.
http://www.atf.gov/firearms/firearmstech/fabriquen.htm

-- All 5.7 x 28 restricted ammunition (armor piercing) is sold only to law enforcement and military agencies. This ammunition is released and shipped from a U.S. Customs controlled custom bonded warehouse, only with approval from the BATFE and U.S. Customs.

I have to say that on the whole I found this story balanced and that's all I can ask of a journalist. Me? I'm a pajama wearing blogger and I don't have to be fair...

By the way, my comment about proofreading referred to a couple quotes near the end of the article that were switched so it appeared that the NRA supported the bill and the Brady Bunch didn't. Heh, what a strange alternate world THAT would be.

Little by little the gun grabbers keep trying to nibble away at our freedoms.

Posted by Jeff Soyer at March 5, 2005 06:54 AM