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Conclusion
The development and introduction of the .500 S&W Magnum handgun and
round recklessly endangers the lives of law enforcement officers everywhere. At least
one law enforcement officer has been slain with a lesser-powered 50 caliber handgun
round, the 50 Action Express. Given the history of the modern gun industry—and in
particular its demonstrated record of quickly following Smith & Wesson’s lead in
innovation—there is every reason to believe that revolvers chambered in the .500
S&W Magnum caliber will, within a few years, join the ranks of other cop-killing Smith
& Wesson handgun innovations.
This is the predictable and inevitable result of an industry out of control. The
firearms industry is the only consumer product industry in America that is free of even
the most basic health and safety regulation. Until the firearms industry is subjected
to that oversight, we can only look forward to round after round of unscrupulous
companies seeking, developing, and marketing ever greater firepower in pursuit of
profit. Moreover, the current federal ban on armor-piercing handgun ammunition does
not affect the .500 S&W because the law only restricts ammunition consisting of
certain specified component metals. Although proposals have been made to update
the armor-piercing ammo ban to incorporate a performance-based standard (i.e. any
round that in fact can penetrate a vest), such efforts have been stymied by gun lobby
opposition.
The development and introduction of the .500 S&W Magnum handgun and
round recklessly endangers the lives of law enforcement officers everywhere. At least
one law enforcement officer has been slain with a lesser-powered 50 caliber handgun
round, the 50 Action Express. Given the history of the modern gun industry—and in
particular its demonstrated record of quickly following Smith & Wesson’s lead in
innovation—there is every reason to believe that revolvers chambered in the .500
S&W Magnum caliber will, within a few years, join the ranks of other cop-killing Smith
& Wesson handgun innovations.
This is the predictable and inevitable result of an industry out of control. The
firearms industry is the only consumer product industry in America that is free of even
the most basic health and safety regulation. Until the firearms industry is subjected
to that oversight, we can only look forward to round after round of unscrupulous
companies seeking, developing, and marketing ever greater firepower in pursuit of
profit. Moreover, the current federal ban on armor-piercing handgun ammunition does
not affect the .500 S&W because the law only restricts ammunition consisting of
certain specified component metals. Although proposals have been made to update
the armor-piercing ammo ban to incorporate a performance-based standard (i.e. any
round that in fact can penetrate a vest), such efforts have been stymied by gun lobby
opposition.
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