Within days of Smith & Wesson (S&W) introducing its new 500 Magnum revolver at the 2003 Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show earlier this month in Orlando, Florida, an Illinois anti-gun Democrat promised to seek a nationwide ban on the handgun.
Democratic Rep. Danny Davis says it's hard for him to rationalize a purpose for the 500 Magnum and that he believes the guns are made "to kill people."
Billed as the "most powerful production revolver in the world today," S&W says its new 500 Magnum cartridge produces nearly three times the muzzle velocity of a .44 Magnum round, one of the most powerful sidearm cartridges available.
But Davis says the .50 caliber revolver has no purpose in society except to cause injury and death to humans, and dismisses S&W's claim that it's intended for hunting wild game. He believes handguns in general are specifically designed to kill fellow human beings, whereas rifles and shotguns are typically relegated to hunting animals.
Davis says the 500 Magnum has a greater potential for becoming a lethal inner-city status symbol than an effective hunting tool, at least in his congressional district. He added that its high power combined with its concealability could make it the "weapon of choice for urban gangs."
For more on this story, visit www.cnsnews.com/Culture/archive/200302/CUL20030217b.html.

Story courtesy of CNSNews.com.



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