www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/51722.htm

August 26, 2005 -- The NYPD has added two of the military's most powerful sniper rifles to its arsenal in a bid to stop terrorists from using boats or small aircraft to attack the city, sources told The Post yesterday.
The .50-caliber rifles — each selling for $10,000 and using 6-inch bullets that cost $4 a pop — were bought several weeks ago after months of tactical wrangling by Commissioner Ray Kelly and his top brass over whether the controversial weapon was needed in the Big Apple.

The rifles can be fired from a police helicopter and pierce the hull of a boat to stop it from a distance of 1,000 yards, sources said.

Sources said Kelly — who recently appeared on a CBS "60 Minutes" segment that was critical of the sale of the weapon to the public — was initially reluctant to obtain the 37-pound, 5-foot-long guns for the NYPD.

But he gave the green light, sources say, after several of his counterterrorism and special-operations personnel laid out scenarios in which the armor-piercing rifle could help stop terrorists in boats or planes.

Mayor Bloomberg yesterday said the purchase was yet another "sad" reality in post-9/11 New York.

"We have bought a lot of equipment since 9/11 that we would not have thought about buying before 9/11," Bloomberg said.



"It's sad we live in a world where you have to think about having other kinds of armaments," the mayor continued. "It would be better if we could spend our money on more schools but, unfortunately, we know we live in a dangerous world."

Several states are trying to ban the sale of the weapons to gun-lovers who use them for target practice.

The NYPD weapons will be kept virtually under lock and key, but will be quickly dispatched in the event of an emergency.

The weapon has a bipod to hold up its 3-foot-long muzzle and a sharpshooter lies prone to fire it.

Experts say the kick is immense — any cop firing it more than a few times would suffer a bruised shoulder.

A police spokesman declined comment on the purchase of the weapons, which was first reported on CBS/Channel 2 news.

But Kelly, on "60 Minutes" last May, had cops demonstrate how the .50-caliber gun could hit a target at 1,000 yards and pierce a half-inch steel plate that .30-caliber rifles could only dent.

"It is clearly a weapon of war, a round to be used in a wartime situation," Kelly said at the time. "It's appropriate for the military. Clearly, it is a very powerful weapon."

Could you imagine carrying it up stairs.  God.  I want one,  I wanna go be an NYPD sniper just to shoot it for free.  .50s make me wet...

... Anything worth killing is worth overkilling

... Inside Manhattan, there's almost no job that couldn't be finished with a .338 Lapua Magnum - the AR30 is half its weight as well.

Quoted: ... Anything worth killing is worth overkilling ... Inside Manhattan, there's almost no job that couldn't be finished with a .338 Lapua Magnum - the AR30 is half its weight as well. www.gunblast.com/images/ArmaLite_AR-30/energy[1].gif

Come now, man!

If they published this:

"Attention all bad guys!  The NYPD now has .338 Lapua Magnum's!!!"

The bad guy's response would be -->  "Okay? In engrish prease??"

Quoted: www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/51722.htm August 26, 2005 -- The NYPD has added two of the military's most powerful sniper rifles to its arsenal in a bid to stop terrorists from using boats or small aircraft to attack the city, sources told The Post yesterday. ... "It's sad we live in a world where you have to think about having other kinds of armaments," the mayor continued. "It would be better if we could spend our money on more schools but, unfortunately, we know we live in a dangerous world." .... "It is clearly a weapon of war, a round to be used in a wartime situation," Kelly said at the time. "It's appropriate for the military. Clearly, it is a very powerful weapon."

Actually Mr. Mayor, what's sad is that your city restrict's it's citizens their basic Second Amendment rights to arm and protect themselves. I'm sure you may be an okay manager, but you wouldn't know leadership if it bit you in your liberal ass.

Commissioner, you and the mayor have much in common.

All that said, it's hard not to want the City of New York to have the best tools available for their LEO's to protect that city, which is arguably number one of all the targets in the world for terrorism.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: ... Anything worth killing is worth overkilling ... Inside Manhattan, there's almost no job that couldn't be finished with a .338 Lapua Magnum - the AR30 is half its weight as well. .gif]www.gunblast.com/images/ArmaLite_AR-30/energy[1].gif Come now, man! If they published this: "Attention all bad guys!  The NYPD now has .338 Lapua Magnum's!!!" The bad guy's response would be -->  "Word Son??,  Dem Po-Po be using those six shooter gats again?" Fixed it for ya.

NYPD has added two of the military's most powerful sniper rifles to its arsenal in a bid to stop terrorists from using boats or small aircraft to attack the city, sources told The Post yesterday.

Umm.. when did they plan to use these rifles to counter who again?

I may not be a sniper or even an exceptional rifle shot.  But I don't think I'd want to try to hit a plane or a moving boat with any sniper rifle.

I love the 'six inch bullets' line.  DAMN they must be handloading some special rounds!

Quoted: I love the 'six inch bullets' line.  DAMN they must be handloading some special rounds!

Maybe they've modified their .50's to shoot down loaded 20mm.

Quoted: ... Anything worth killing is worth overkilling ... Inside Manhattan, there's almost no job that couldn't be finished with a .338 Lapua Magnum - the AR30 is half its weight as well. www.gunblast.com/images/ArmaLite_AR-30/energy[1].gif

They gotta be ready in case NJ gets out of line..............................

Quoted: Quoted: ... Anything worth killing is worth overkilling ... Inside Manhattan, there's almost no job that couldn't be finished with a .338 Lapua Magnum - the AR30 is half its weight as well. .gif]www.gunblast.com/images/ArmaLite_AR-30/energy[1].gif They gotta be ready in case NJ gets out of line..............................

Yup. We're preparing to take Liberty Island back by force!!

Quoted: I love the 'six inch bullets' line.  DAMN they must be handloading some special rounds!

I don't know, does Lost River Ballistics make a .50 cal bullet?  That's the only thing I can think of that would come close.  MJD

depleted uranium on planes or boats?  Ah fuck it, why the hell not?

...  The NYPD has added two of the military's most powerful sniper rifles to its arsenal in a bid to stop terrorists from using boats or small aircraft to attack the city ...

I would love to see that done ...  How do you train for something like that?


As for boats, if you are going to do it, do it right ...

They only get the bruised shoulder because they took the recoil arrester off of the muzzle because it makes the rifle look like an Assault weapon.

Quoted: I may not be a sniper or even an exceptional rifle shot.  But I don't think I'd want to try to hit a plane or a moving boat with any sniper rifle.

... and FROM a moving helicopter!




But, hey!  Whatever  floats  sinks  your  THEIR boat!  

Just a couple of comments:

It's appropriate for the military

Is it just me, or does the use of that quote imply that the author sees the NYPD as falling under "military"?

And second comment:

They should be banned. For the children.  What if a rogue cop decided to take down Air Force One?

That being said, I have no problem withthe NYPD getting some new toys, but it irritates me how excited a journalist can be about the police getting some new rifles, but then we see hit pieces on .50 as a "weapon of mass destruction". Fucking journalists.

Probably for the Anti-terrorist units or the ESU's, can just envision a .338 boring a drilled hole through about 10 apartments, NYPD will use it if SHTF....

[Yup. We're preparing to take Liberty Island back by force!!]

knock ur self out take it just dont try to take anything south of 80 or west of 287 then the real NJ will be there to stop you!

Quoted: hy

I'm confused.  Isn't the General Assembly already in New York?

Quoted: Actually Mr. Mayor, what's sad is that your city restrict's it's citizens their basic Second Amendment rights to arm and protect themselves. I'm sure you may be an okay manager, but you wouldn't know leadership if it bit you in your liberal ass.

Um, you do know that he's a Republican, right?  And that he runs the executive, not legislative, branch of city government.  

Are you calling him liberal because he thinks its sad the NYPD needs to buy this? Or because he wishes he could spend the money on schools.

I don't think its particularly liberal to bemoan a world where a city needs to increase its police budget by tens of millions of dollars a year because fanatics want to make a point.

I also don't think its particularly liberal to wish the City could afford to build more schools.  Its a school system with over 1,200 schools and over a million students.  (Think about what that means the average number of students in a school is.)

Quoted: Um, you do know that he's a Republican, right?  And that he runs the executive, not legislative, branch of city government.   Are you calling him liberal because he thinks its sad the NYPD needs to buy this? Or because he wishes he could spend the money on schools. I don't think its particularly liberal to bemoan a world where a city needs to increase its police budget by tens of millions of dollars a year because fanatics want to make a point. I also don't think its particularly liberal to wish the City could afford to build more schools.  Its a school system with over 1,200 schools and over a million students.  (Think about what that means the average number of students in a school is.)

He was a Dem up until the day he ran for Mayor. I guess he wanted to be differernt (actually, it was a politically expedient move at the time... kept him out of the miserable Democratic primary). He's liberal everywhere but financially.

He was a registered Democrat (never ran for anything as a Democrat, big difference), in a city where the only contested primaries are generally Democratic ones and the Democratic candidate usually wins. If you want to influence who wins elections in New York, you vote in the Democratic primary.

He supported W in the election.

And geegee specifically highlighted the "spend money on schools, not upgraded weaponry" section, as though that's what makes him so bad.

Oh, and another thing I think should be pointed out ... a guy who builds a multi-billion dollar business from scratch is most certainly not a bad leader.  You may disagree with his policies, but I still don't see which policy is so ridiculously liberal that the insults are necessary.

Quoted: Oh, and another thing I think should be pointed out ... a guy who builds a multi-billion dollar business from scratch is most certainly not a bad leader.  You may disagree with his policies, but I still don't see which policy is so ridiculously liberal that the insults are necessary.

The smoking ban?

The constant snide comments about guns?

He's a competent mayor, thank god... we could do far worse. But a sniveling liberal nonetheless.

Anyone who thinks the "Kick is immense" hasn't done much waterfowl
hunting.
The Barrett I've shot several times has no more recoil than a 12 gauge goose load.

Quoted: Quoted: Experts say the kick is immense — any cop firing it more than a few times would suffer a bruised shoulde You better be caraeful Wave, you wouldn't want to bruise your shoulder. Don't worry the fat I'm building up from the donuts will protect me! Edited to add - I'm not ESU anyhow, them "boys with the toys" have all the fun!

Nah, hire gunbearers to hump the .50!

Quoted: ...  The NYPD has added two of the military's most powerful sniper rifles to its arsenal in a bid to stop terrorists from using boats or small aircraft to attack the city ... I would love to see that done ...  How do you train for something like that? As for boats, if you are going to do it, do it right ...

crop duster loaded with anthrax?

What's the lead in mils on an agcar flying at 2500ft at 120kts and spraying the city with (insert nasty spray stuff here...i'm not NBC)

-Roth

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Experts say the kick is immense — any cop firing it more than a few times would suffer a bruised shoulde You better be caraeful Wave, you wouldn't want to bruise your shoulder. Don't worry the fat I'm building up from the donuts will protect me! Edited to add - I'm not ESU anyhow, them "boys with the toys" have all the fun! Nah, hire gunbearers to hump the .50!

How many Mexicans do you think would be needed?The U.S. definitely has a surplus of them.

U.S. Coast Gaurd hits boats from moving helicoptors all the time. A few feet left or right on somthing thats 40 feet long probably doas not decrease the .50's effectivness.

Quoted: Quoted: www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/51722.htm August 26, 2005 -- The NYPD has added two of the military's most powerful sniper rifles to its arsenal in a bid to stop terrorists from using boats or small aircraft to attack the city, sources told The Post yesterday. ... "It's sad we live in a world where you have to think about having other kinds of armaments," the mayor continued. "It would be better if we could spend our money on more schools but, unfortunately, we know we live in a dangerous world." .... "It is clearly a weapon of war, a round to be used in a wartime situation," Kelly said at the time. "It's appropriate for the military. Clearly, it is a very powerful weapon." Actually Mr. Mayor, what's sad is that your city restrict's it's citizens their basic Second Amendment rights to arm and protect themselves. I'm sure you may be an okay manager, but you wouldn't know leadership if it bit you in your liberal ass. Commissioner, you and the mayor have much in common. All that said, it's hard not to want the City of New York to have the best tools available for their LEO's to protect that city, which is arguably number one of all the targets in the world for terrorism.

Protect the city, who cares about a bunch of buildings, what about it's sheeple.  Oh wait, the PD is not there to protect it's citizens.  I forgot.

anyone notice the guns are to be under lock and key? WTF are they gonna do if shit happens? and if they really wanna hit moving targets from a moving platform they need full auto, WTF? dont they know shit! I see the .50 as the most useless weapon for NYPD

Well one thing is for sure. They won't be hitting moving aircraft and they won't be hitting moving boats at 1000 yds either, 2-300yds OK, the coasties do it.  

Quoted: anyone notice the guns are to be under lock and key? WTF are they gonna do if shit happens? and if they really wanna hit moving targets from a moving platform they need full auto, WTF? dont they know shit! I see the .50 as the most useless weapon for NYPD

Yep, you have LEO in a  helecopter with a shouldered .50 fflying along trying to hit a moving boat at 1,000 yards?  RIGHT!!!!

At least our Sherrif has a , and a tank.

Quoted: Quoted: I may not be a sniper or even an exceptional rifle shot.  But I don't think I'd want to try to hit a plane or a moving boat with any sniper rifle. ... and FROM a moving helicopter! But, hey!  Whatever  floats  sinks  your  THEIR boat!

At 1000 yards, no less...

How would they expect to deploy something like that in time and with a clear line of sight on a potential attack boat?  

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: ... Anything worth killing is worth overkilling ... Inside Manhattan, there's almost no job that couldn't be finished with a .338 Lapua Magnum - the AR30 is half its weight as well. .gif]www.gunblast.com/images/ArmaLite_AR-30/energy[1].gif They gotta be ready in case NJ gets out of line.............................. Yup. We're preparing to take Liberty Island back by force!!

Finally someone is doing something about the theft of the SOL by NJ. Does this mean New Yorker's will be able to put Lady Liberty back on their license plates?

"The NYPD weapons will be kept virtually under lock and key, but will be quickly dispatched in the event of an emergency."

Is this the "lock" box Gore was referring to?

"Experts say the kick is immense — any cop firing it more than a few times would suffer a bruised shoulder."

My shoulder started to hurt reading this article. Where do they come up with this crap.

Quoted: Quoted: Um, you do know that he's a Republican, right?  And that he runs the executive, not legislative, branch of city government.   Are you calling him liberal because he thinks its sad the NYPD needs to buy this? Or because he wishes he could spend the money on schools. I don't think its particularly liberal to bemoan a world where a city needs to increase its police budget by tens of millions of dollars a year because fanatics want to make a point. I also don't think its particularly liberal to wish the City could afford to build more schools.  Its a school system with over 1,200 schools and over a million students.  (Think about what that means the average number of students in a school is.) He was a Dem up until the day he ran for Mayor. I guess he wanted to be differernt (actually, it was a politically expedient move at the time... kept him out of the miserable Democratic primary). He's liberal everywhere but financially.

New York City - Where even the Republicans are liberal Democrats. Why would Bloomberg spend $100 million dollars of his own money to be the Mayor of NYC? Bloomberg is so vehemently  anti-gun he would ban all gun ownership by civilians in NYC if he could get away with it.

How do you keep something VIRTUALLY under lock and key?  Do we only have to keep Class III items virtually under lock and key?

Quoted: Just a couple of comments: It's appropriate for the military Is it just me, or does the use of that quote imply that the author sees the NYPD as falling under "military"? And second comment: They should be banned. For the children.  What if a rogue cop decided to take down Air Force One? That being said, I have no problem withthe NYPD getting some new toys, but it irritates me how excited a journalist can be about the police getting some new rifles, but then we see hit pieces on .50 as a "weapon of mass destruction". Fucking journalists.

I have no problem with it either, but seeing that the NYPD guy was involved in on of the 50 hit pieces, I'm intersted in what they got, Barrets? If so, where is Ronnie Barret saying screw you you don't think people should be able to own my gun, then screw you we don't want your money, ya know like he did to cali when they banned the 50. Granted NY hasn't banned them, but if the LE brass are taking part in hit pieces on the 50 it would suprise me if we didn't see something from him about it.