The National Rifle Association will feature a custom made AR-15 produced in honor of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.
(NEWSCOM/FILE)Photos (1 of 1)
Palin to be honored by NRA with special M4-like assault rifle
By Jimmy Orr | 05.04.09
With Mother’s Day right around the corner, nothing quite says “I love you” like a military-styled assault weapon.
Luckily for Sarah Palin’s family, they won’t have to spend that type of money for such a gift. They can just get Alaska’s First Mom some wimpy flowers or something. The NRA is taking care of the rest.
Special gift
According to American Rifleman, the National Rifle Association will feature a custom made AR-15 made specifically for Governor Palin at its upcoming annual banquet.
The all-white “Alaskan Hunter” is modeled after an M-4 and its .50 caliber Beowulf chamber leaves one former Special Forces veteran impressed.
“Wow, that’s sweet,” US military weapons specialist Jack Hancock told The Vote. “The fact that they actually got a .50 caliber on an AR-15 frame is remarkable.”
Huh?
What does that mean for people who don’t know anything about guns or calibers (like us)?
A few years ago on 60 Minutes, an NYPD sharpshooter using a Barrett .50 caliber rifle pierced a half-inch steel target from 300 yards away.
“Went right through [the target],” said New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly on the program. “It is clearly a weapon of war, a round to be used in a wartime situation. It’s appropriate for the military. The effective range is about 2,000 yards. It’s a very formidable weapon.”
Difference
Hancock was quick to caution, however, that there is a difference between the one used on 60 minutes and the one being presented to Palin.
“The NYPD was using a military weapon whereas this version is a civilian model,” he said. “Although they look very similar the M-4 is considered an automatic weapon whereas this one is considered a semi-automatic.”
“I would disagree that is clearly a weapon of war though because you can purchase the same caliber weapon in black powder and also in handguns. There are semi-automatic handguns that fire a .50 caliber round and every day citizens can purchase them.
“It is not the round or the gun that is dangerous it is the person that has control of both at the same time that is dangerous,” he added.
Bring it on
So that’s great news for Palin but not so much for Alaskan wildlife, right?
Although we can see a rambo-esque Palin stalking her prey with the amped up semi-automatic, it’s probably not going to happen. Hancock says an AR-15 is a lightweight weapon and adding the 50 caliber firepower to it makes it difficult to use.
“I don’t think anyone will shoot it because of the recoil,” Hancock said. “It would bruise you pretty bad.”
Reindeer games
But if she took it out hunting anyway?
It would “easily take down” an elephant or a polar bear he said. And despite the abundance of caribous in Alaska, Hancock advised against it.
“I wouldn’t hunt caribou with it,” he advised. “There really wouldn’t be a lot left to eat off of it but then again you wouldn’t have to worry about gutting it either.”
Hallmark moment
Although Palin isn’t scheduled to attend the banquet, it’s the thought that counts.
“I feel like the NRA has done a lot for my rights and I felt the governor has too,” said gun-maker Bob Reynolds. “I just wanted to give something back.”
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2. Warre | 05.04.09
Correction necessary,
You may want to learn about weapons before you write about them. There are MAJOR differences between the .50 BMG (Browning Machine Gun)round and the .50 Beowulf given to Gov. Palin. .50 Caliber refers to bullet diameter not the type of round. The .50 BMG round used by your sniper and probably your reference uses a larger bullet and much more powder making it unsuitable for anything aside from extreme sharpshooting and military applications. On the other hand your .50 Beowulf is far more comparable to large pistol calibers like .44 Magnum and .50 Action Express (Desert Eagle) that are useful in the hunting context. .50 Beowulf would be far more suitable to hunting large game than the .223 the AR-15 is normally chambered in or the .50 BMG you mistook it for. For reference .50 BMG is around twice the size of .50 Beowulf
3. Tom | 05.04.09
I will not go into the tired debate about the mis-use of the term “assault weapon”. The author seems to have an issue with this gesture & the weapon itself. Many weapons have been made to honor famous individuals or events. John Wayne comes to mind. Should we stop now? What about all the other people honored with other trinkets? Or is it Sarah you do not like? As for the caliber, I am pretty sure that the .50 that was used in the 60 minutes propaganda piece was a Browning, that is not the same as the .50 Beowulf- not all Chevy’s are Corvettes. A little research goes along way.
4. Avery St. Clair | 05.04.09
“The NRA is taking care of the rest.” What the NRA is really taking care of, is ensuring that fewer and fewer sane citizens will vote Republican, in the future.
I don’t quibble about the constitutional right to own firearms. But glorifying in civilian ownership of a weapon whose only conceivable role is in warfare is plainly nonsense. Reasoning gun-owning Americans realize that they are less safe, not more, while such weapons are generally available.
5. greg | 05.04.09
Palin deserves recognition for her life membership in the NRA and her defense of the 2nd amendment. The gun will make a good addition to her office that has a bearskin rug.
The round fired by this particular version of the AR15 is .50 caliber, but nothing like the .50 machinegun round. The recoil of this .50 cal is not that heavy, something like a 16 GA shotgun, which anyone familiar with firearms, including a small woman would be able to handle.
6. Tony | 05.04.09
Come on, you need a rewrite. 50 Cal is the diameter of the projectile. There is a huge difference between 50 beowolf, the 50 BMG and the 50 calibers offered by IMI and S&W. To liken any of them to one another shows a poor understanding.
8. Richard Karel | 05.04.09
Dear NRA:
Nice try but still no bulls eye. Instead, you NRA guys get the other kind of bull award. THE 2nd AMENDMENT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HUNTING!!! The right to bear arms has application to a situation where a government becomes tyrannical and the rights of sovereign citizens become privileges subject to fees charged and revocation. THE NRA would have a lot more members if it came out of the woods long enough to see the trees that make up the forest. Sarah & Todd Palin ( not necessarily in that order) know the difference. Kopeesh?
9. Steve B. | 05.04.09
Its not the weapon but the person behind it. HOW TRUE!! I think we should be able to purchase grenades, bazookas, flame throwers and missiles. For the private home with a big front lawn, land mines should be installed. They are all safe as long as people do not abuse it. The NRA should consider all of the above. BTW, I do believe in bearing firearms for normal usage. My normal usage definition might be different than the NRA’s.
10. AdamG | 05.04.09
So the NRA is giving Sarah Palin at gun that looks great, packs a big punch on a small frame, and is totally useless? Sounds about right.
11. James Morgan | 05.04.09
Your article misses the other main difference between the .50 Beowulf shell and the shell fired from the Barrett “…with a range of 2000 yards…”, which is the .50 BMG. They don’t even remotely have the same ballistics. A .50 Beowulf shell despite sharing the .50 caliber designation, is less than half the length and has a tremendously smaller casing for its powder, resulting in a much lower velocity and therefore range. With research like this, it wouldn’t surprise me to find that the author thinks a .50 black powder rifle can be used for sniping operations as well. I personally find it distasteful that pro-gun sources trumpet their self righteous propaganda and paint an us versus them mural of their relationship with the anti-gun forces but if we can’t be bothered to notice distinctions and want to lump everything together, then who is to blame when the paranoia of both groups reaches a dogmatic frenzy. Do some research for (insert deity/deity substitute)’s sake. I found it online in under 5 minutes, surely it can’t be that hard to fact find. Admittedly your expert, Hancock, made some misleading comments as then only difference is not just military versus civilian models of weaponry, but again, verification is a valid tool, yes?
12. Warren | 05.04.09
Please Correct,
You have mistaken .50 BMG (the sniper reference) with .50 Beowulf a much smaller round based on the .50 desert eagle pistol round. What she was given is reasonable for hunting big game. Keep in mind .50 is a caliber not the cubed size of the round. In this case BMG (12.7 x 138mm) is over twice the size of Beowulf (12.7 X 54mm) and much more powerful.
14. Ed | 05.04.09
Hats off to Gov. Palin, she is a great lady and would get my vote should she run for President in the future. As for the gun, it will never
be used for any type of hunting, and it’s doubtful if it would ever be fired at all, it is a symbol of appreciation and would be displayed much as any
plack or award given in appreciation.
15. marcmarti | 05.04.09
Beowulf .50 and .50 bmg are different rounds. They are both the same caliber, but they are way different. It’s like saying a Ferrari and a Nissan are the same because they have the same tires.
16. Sapwolf | 05.04.09
The first thing I thought of when I hurt the stats on the gift to Sarah, was that firing that thing with that large a cartridge, etc. would really kick hard.
I was wondering if we could take a collection to mod it with a nice butt on the stock to cushion the kick on the Cuda’s shoulder.
That thing is powerful and could take big game down…like maybe some…RINO’s. 
17. Ron Devito | 05.04.09
There is a little bit of confusion here regarding this rifle.
The .50 caliber round with a 2,000-yard effective range is the .50 BMG (Browning Machine Gun). That entire cartridge is nearly half a foot long. The .50 Beowulf Governor Palin’s new rifle fires is an Alexander Arms product. It is designed to fit in the same space as a standard .223 (5.56 x 45 mm) round as fired in the M-4. Her rifle can hold up to 10 rounds. The .50 Beowulf is devastating out to 200 yards, after which the round’s ballistics drop off. This is NOT a long-range round. It’s comparable to the .45-70. There are few different .50 caliber rounds used in pistols — not to be confused with the .50s discussed here.
The Alaskan Hunter has approximately the recoil of a 12-gauge shotgun. Governor Palin is proficient with 12-gauges as well as rifles in the .30 caliber range, as she is an accomplished moose hunter. She can handle the recoil of this rifle just fine — probably better than some men.
For military use, the .50 Beowulf is used to hit targets behind brick walls and cars. For hunting, it is a fine big game/dangerous game round. Might be a bit much for carbibou as Hancock said, but for moose, bear and other large animals at close range, will do the job.
Because of all the inscription and customization, this rifle is more likely to be a wall hanger than a shooter anyway.
18. Kris | 05.05.09
ALL 50 CALIBER CARTRIDGES ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL. THE 50 BEOWULF OF MS. PALIN’S RIFLE WILL CERTAINLY NOT PENETRATE THE 1/2 INCH STEEL THAT THE 50 CAL. BROWNING MACHINE GUN CARTRIDGE DID.
REGARDLESS OF PRESS REPORTS, THE AR-15 FAMILY OF RIFLES REALLY ARE CHAMBERED FOR WIMPY ROUNDS. FAR FROM LEAVING NO CARIBOU LEFT, THE 50 BEOWULF WOULD BE CONSIDERED INHUMANELY UNDERPOWERED FOR THEM.
19. Rich-D | 05.05.09
Comparing a 50 caliber Beowulf to a 50 BMG (Browning Machine Gun) round, is simular to comparing a Tennis Ball to a Bocce Ball. Which in turn taints the entire article.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.50_Beowulf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_BMG
20. Daniel | 05.05.09
twitter.com/AKGovSarahPalin/status/1687939687
She is going to new york on friday to some fishery event.. She might stop by and pick up the gun from the NRA. She is also attending a party at the white house this sat.
21. ernie | 05.05.09
Sounds good Mom and Guns. America has come a long way.Protect your freedom and sleep with a AR-15 not as good as AK,but will do.Thank you Palin for bring guns into the household.I can sleep in peace.I guess if Moms can have guns why not all Amerecan who feel unsafe,or been abuse.AR-15 will make you feel better just like MOM.
23. Jack Hancock | 05.05.09
This is for clarification of the misleading statements. When the author contacted me he was asking me to put the information in to a format that the average everyday reader could understand. While I pointed out the obvious differences the actual intent was to provide average people that would view this as an “Assault Rifle” a more clear understanding that there is a major difference between the two. While I and others on here know or may know the differences when it comes to the ballistics the average lay person generally has no such knowledge. Therefore the intent was strictly to voice my opinion that this is very impressive and while not stated I would love to add one to my collection. I would not hunt with it but it be nice to have as a collectors piece.
I have shot and qualified with many types of weapons over the years both military and civilian. Everything from the 25mm to the .22 cal handguns. I can and say openly there is a major difference between the military weapons and civilian firearms. Many civilian firearms are modeled on the military weapons systems. Does this make them “Assault Rifles”? NO. Does my comments state that there are differences between the military weapons and this firearm? Yes. Did I go into great detail about the differences? No. Again the intent is to let the average reader that is not a gun enthusiast a general understanding of the differences without boring them.
24. RobertG | 05.05.09
From #4’s comment:
“I don’t quibble about the constitutional right to own firearms. But glorifying in civilian ownership of a weapon whose only conceivable role is in warfare is plainly nonsense. Reasoning gun-owning Americans realize that they are less safe, not more, while such weapons are generally available.”
I respectfully beg to differ: The constitutional right has everything to do with owning firearms who’s only conceivable role is in warfare. In the end, might makes right. The founding fathers knew that on a first-hand basis. Tyranny can take root ANYWHERE, even here. And while I agree that there will be accidents and intentional murders, that’s the bloody cost we have to pay to ensure political freedom.
25. Barry Schmidt | 05.05.09
Avery St. Clair: “The NRA is taking care of the rest.” What the NRA is really taking care of, is ensuring that fewer and fewer sane citizens will vote Republican, in the future.
I don’t quibble about the constitutional right to own firearms. But glorifying in civilian ownership of a weapon whose only conceivable role is in warfare is plainly nonsense. Reasoning gun-owning Americans realize that they are less safe, not more, while such weapons are generally available.”
Mr. St. Clair, there are those who enjoy long-range precision shooting, albeit quite few in comparison to those who use more “conventional” weapons. This also applies to so-called “assault rifles.” The .50 calibers are not exactly widely-owned and are certainly no favorite of street-punks who (1) can’t afford them, (2) could not conceal them, and (3) certainly would find these weapons too heavy to easily carry. As such, civilian ownership of these weapons has no bearing on their being “less safe, not more,” as you point out.
26. basementfrog | 05.05.09
Thank God, we have the massive lobbying efforts of the NRA and corrupt Supreme Court headed by Roberts, who answers to money interest. It is wonderful to live in a country with an annual murder rate higher than the total number of deaths in the current war we are engaged in. How much murderous fun can we have? It’s limitless.
We can continue, thanks to the NRA, sending our children to school wondering if we will ever see them again. How great it is to leave for work with the knowledge that any random wacko having a bad day might just walk up to you and openfire with a high-powered rifle. Or some ghetto kid with an attitude trying to prove himself to his gang leaders just might chose you to blow away as part of his initiation into a gang. It’s so nice to know you can die helping your fellow man increase his lot in life. Is this what Jesus meant when he said “the greatest thing a man can do is die for his friends.”
And how wonderful the loggyist and gun traders are providing weapons to people who have an influence on our laws. Isn’t that like bribary? Oh, that’s right, Judge Renhquist said bribing a politican is free speech. Gosh what a great land I live in. M16s to hunt animals from helicopters, just sends shivers up my spine.
Well, at least she is Prolife. Now she can kill to prove it.
27. Tony Schaffer | 05.05.09
I live in Ohio, plenty of hunters here, and most of them use shotguns or small rifles. All of the other “toys”, no matter what the size or caliber is, (handguns, rifles, etc.) are usually used to shoot beer cans and cardboard cutouts of deer. Hunting isn’t even a question here folks, it’s about gun-control, what does any civilian need a gun for?
28. Hauer | 05.05.09
Many other people have commented on the difference between the .50 Beuwulf and the .50 Browning Machine Gun. I would also like to note that the author talks about .50 caliber handguns which is a third completely different size and class of bullet. (This class includes the .50 AE and the .500 S&W).
Your newspaper’s liberal bias is showing. It’s clear that the CS Monitor only employs liberal, non-hunters at your newspaper; I object to this because at least one person on staff familiar with guns would have made this a better article. Diversity at your newspaper should include former military and current sportsmen.
How about writing that the NRA is promoting a specialty gun that they are painting white? That was your story, not all the nonsense about the different calibers that you clearly don’t understand. The tone of disapproval would be inappropriate in any newspaper article, and a discussion with a staff-member with a slightly differing political viewpoint on guns may have helped you realize this before publishing the article.
Now that you’ve read these comments, you do realize that Sara Palin is not going to be shooting Moose at 2,000 yards with her new compact semi-auto, don’t you?
30. captain stupendousness! | 05.05.09
@24: “In the end, might makes right. The founding fathers knew that on a first-hand basis. The founding fathers knew that on a first-hand basis. Tyranny can take root ANYWHERE, even here.”
Nope, sorry dude, might does not make right. By that logic, if someone is mightier than you, it is right for them to rule you. In other words, as soon as one becomes the mightiest, their rule ceases to become tyranny.
The right-wing rhetoric of “guns are a check against government power” is delusional at best. First of all, they aren’t. Even if the Michigan Militia, the Klan, Xe and the Benevolent & Protective order of the Elks all joined forces, they’d be a joke compared to what the government could do if they really took a notion to do so… unless I’m mistaken, you can’t buy a satellite or hire a cryptographer at a gun show. More telling though, is that the harder the right wing bangs the pulpit about checking government power, the less they seem interested in the protections that the citizenry really needs: universal health care, safe streets and banks that don’t collapse. Basically, the right wing of this country is more interested in their ability to do violence than they are in “the blessings of liberty”.
31. Jack Hancock | 05.05.09
It would be the projectile that makes a .50 caliber not the casing, powder, primer or neck. The federal government has limitations on sizes of cartridges that can be produced for everyday people to purchase. When Smith and Wesson developed the .500 they developed the bullet first then the weapon around the bullet. I understand each and everyones thoughts on this article but you must forgive me. Each .50 caliber round (projectile) as measured across the projectile at the widest point and will be approximately.510 inches. The actual bore size will be .50 as measured from the lands. Each projectile is designed in this manner so that it forms a tight seal inside the muzzle.
Again the intent was to show a lay person that there is a difference not to get in to the technical differences of the firearms and the casings themselves. I agree powder charges make a world of difference when factoring in distance and maximum effective ranges. Also there are a number of other conditions that must be factored in also, weather, wind the weight of projectile itself and so forth. Now the firearm is a .50 caliber and fires a .50 caliber PROJECTILE just as the .500 S&W fires a .50 caliber PROJECTILE. The casings are different and the shape of the PROJECTILE are different but it is still measured at it’s widest point and will measure roughly .510 inches.
32. All of Canada | 05.05.09
If american’s were as educated about how to communicate with humans as they are about gun specs the world would be a much better place. Hell, the US would be a much better place.
When will the US get their priorities straight?
Guns, war, oil and greed seem to be the priorities when it should be education, health care and poverty.
The first amendment should be changed.
This is stupid!
34. Jack Hancock | 05.05.09
Mr. Morgan,
You wrote “Your article misses the other main difference between the .50 Beowulf shell and the shell fired from the Barrett “…with a range of 2000 yards…”, which is the .50 BMG.”
Actually the weapon does not fire a shell, it fires a projectile. The projectile is afixed to the SHELL CASING by seating and crimping. I am an avid gun owner and a very avid supporter of the Second Amendment. I was raised around guns and taught as a small child to always respect them. I in turn have made sure to teach my children the same life lessons.
This is not a back and fourth argument but a point that must be made. There is a difference between “Assault Weapons” and civilian firearms. Although civilian firearms are often mirrored after or made to resemble it’s military counterpart there is still a difference. For example the M-16 and M-16A1 were fully automatic. The M-16A2 came with a three round burst. The Bushmaster,Colt AR-15 and others are modeled after the M-16, M-16A1 and M-16A2 and M-4. The civilian version of these weapons fire a .223 caliber round where as the military version fires a 5.56mm round. There is a difference between the two rounds although not readily visible. Thus the military weapon would be the Assualt Rifle and the AR-15 civilian would be Varmit or small game firearm.
35. bill j | 05.05.09
Some day this country will ban guns and we’ll all be better off. Like banning slavery or child labor or segregation. NRA have your say, but some day you will go away
36. Brian Dear | 05.05.09
The hunger for some on the left to ban guns is comical. Perhaps we should repeal the First Amendment too. That would be equally insane. The First AND Second Amendments are crucial to protecting the freedom of the Republic. Those amendments are the only things keeping us from becoming the Soviet Union part II.
37. Noodles | 05.05.09
Having seen the rifle in question, it’s certainly nothing like what any police I’ve ever seen carries. It’s equipped with a muzzle brake to reduce recoil, not a flash hider. It has an adjustable ergonomic stock and grip, not the same telescoping stock and pistol grip as the M4. It has a ornamental ventilated free-floating handguard, not at all like the standard grips, or the rail forends found on many police rifles. It’s chambered for the .50 Beowolf, a modified version of a popular pistol cartridge, which is designed for hunting, and can only be used in low capacity magazines. A standard-sized 30 round magazine for 5.56 can hold about seven rounds. Instead of being black and scary, it’s been painted an Alaskan White, with the likeness of Alaska on it’s stock, and tribute to Palin on the side.
As far as function goes, it’s semi-auto. That means that you pull the trigger, and the rifle will fire once, and only once, until you pull the trigger again. On a round like the Beowulf, a fully auto rifle would not be preferable, as the kick on there with a lightweight rifle without much of a muzzle brake would be pretty severe, probably nearly as bad as my Marlin 1895 GS, which despite being an old-looking lever action, has more firepower than any of my AR-15s or AK-47s, or any other semi-auto rifle I own for that matter.
It’s essentially a very nice hunting rifle, nothing more. On the flip side, though, many police are using modified hunting rifles, like the Remington 700, Winchester 70(and its FN derivatives), Savage 10s and 110s, and others.
38. Joe Ski | 05.05.09
bill j, to say that your comment is the most asinine excuse for wasting bandwidth, isn’t sufficient. to group firearms ownership with slavery, child labor and segregation belies your lack of anything resembling rudimentary intelligence. Perhaps you are among the overly idealistic nimrods who believe that all will be fine and dandy when only the government can maintain firearms. That’s known as a police state. Police states disarm the populace in an effort to better control their citizens by removing the last means of preserving their freedom against totalitarianism.
39. Eric H | 05.05.09
AMEN Bill J!!!!! I love it when people quote the 2nd amendment as if the exact language had the same meaning when written as it does today. If one reads the history of the 2nd amendment, understands it in the context of a post revolutionary society, and interprets it in the context of the time it was written one immediately see the idiocy in stating, “I believe in my 2nd amendment rights.”
The contextual application of the amendment when it was written had nothing to do with an “individual” right to own firearms. It had everything to do with preventing tyranny, supporting law enforcement, and providing food. I am afraid we will never learn to stop behaving like greedy, frightened children.
40. Olivia | 05.05.09
Thank you #30 for answering #24’s ridiculous notion that “might makes right.” I couldn’t have said it any better.
Thank you #26 (”Well, at least she is Prolife. Now she can kill to prove it”) and #35 (”Some day this country will ban guns and we’ll all be better off. Like banning slavery or child labor or segregation. NRA have your say, but some day you will go away.”) for speaking out against bloodlust, whether it takes the form of knocking off people or animals … individuals or entire governments.
To believe that killing answers anything is so, well, pre-J.C./A.D. (I’m not talking about true military defense of one’s country here, though someday that, too, will be outmoded.)
Thanks for your sane slant, Jimmy! I hope the Monitor does indeed have NO creature-killers on staff.
41. Barb | 05.05.09
Oh my God, is this for real???
Who or what is she going to use it on?
Guns are for one purpose: to kill.
They are hardly ever effective statistically in DEFENDING oneself — it’s usually a surprise attack.
And one certainly does not need an assault weapon to ‘defend oneself.’
This is NRA extremity to the extreme!
DOWN WITH NRA!
Insecre gun totin’ white guys who worship Ted Nugent, Rush Limbaugh, and Sean Hannity!
Eck!!!!!!!!!!!!
42. Tom Murray | 05.05.09
This is for Olivia,
If you are so adamant that life will be better without gun rights in this country, then go to eastern Europe where there is no gun rights at all and see how those people live. Then you’ll find what your communist ideals creates.
43. Dick Thomas | 05.05.09
guns are great. i just don’t want my wife to have one.
most people who are killed with guns are killed by someone they know.
44. Nick | 05.06.09
And to think this woman could be president one day. Never mind the gun. Knowing that she has real influence with a sizable portion of the American public is the scariest thing that could ever happen to any one of us.
45. ericmiami | 05.06.09
If the moose were lined up just right, she could kill an entire herd with one shot. Cool.
46. History Chaser | 05.06.09
Ed wrote:
Hats off to Gov. Palin, she is a great lady and would get my vote should she run for President in the future. As for the gun, it will never
be used for any type of hunting, and it’s doubtful if it would ever be fired at all, it is a symbol of appreciation and would be displayed much as any
plaque or award given in appreciation.
Ed; Thanks for a voice of reason in a sea of nonsense.
Sarah Palin in 2012
47. littlekim | 05.07.09
To those who think that taking guns away from civilians is a good thing, I have three words for you—-MOVE TO CUBA!
I had a hand in making this gun for Sarah, and I am very proud of the hard work and dedication everyone had in it.
This tribute was to honor a woman who speeks her mind and is not affraid to voice her convictions.
I have a great respect for her and am upset that this counrty had gotten so “up in arms” about us giving her a “gift”. Please stop being so disrespectful to her. I don’t like OBAMA, but I don’t down him or belittle him. I think all elected officials need to be prayed for and respected.
48. Canadian. | 06.03.09
In respct to number 35 I believe we canadians have a fond saying,”when guns are outlawed, only the outlaws will have guns.”I believe in this statement,and the NRA.
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
1. Race42012: Palin to be honored by NRA with special M4-like assault rifle | The Kansas Progress | 05.05.09
2. Twitter Trackbacks for Palin to be honored by NRA with special M4-like assault rifle | csmonitor.com [csmonitor.com] on Topsy.com | 08.30.09
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Jimmy Orr has worked in politics for the majority of his professional career working for two U.S. Senators, two Governors and one President. Most recently, Orr served as White House Spokesman and Internet Director for President George W. Bush and Special Advisor to Governor Schwarzenegger for Internet Communications.
David Cook is Washington bureau chief of The Christian Science Monitor and host of the Monitor's newsmaker breakfasts. He was the Monitor's editor from 1994 to 2001. Cook is a graduate of Principia College, served in the U.S. Army, was a Bagehot Fellow at Columbia University, and is a member of the Gridiron Club, Washington's oldest journalistic organization.
1. Darren | 05.04.09
The .50 Beowulf is a low pressure round and duplicates the ballistics of the 45-70 government cartridge.
In simple terms, it’s exactly like another rifle round we had almost 100 years ago.
Also I’d like to point out that .50 caliber refers to the width of the bullet not the cartridge itself. a .50 BMG round is no where near the same as a .50 AE round even if they are both “50 caliber”. The NYC police commissioner is speaking about the .50 BMG round, not the .50 beowulf which was given to Ms. Palin. They are no where near the same in performance or even size.