You may recall that Senators Feinstein, Schumer and Whitehouse released a pro-gun control report ahead of the Congressional hearings on the ATF Gunwalker scandal. It was easily the most reprehensible spin-mongery of recent times. One thing that caught our attention: the words “high caliber.” I don’t know any firearms-savvy person who uses that term. There are small caliber and large caliber guns (the dividing line is usually about .30 cal.). Re-reading the VPC report on the “militarization” of the American firearms industry, I came across this: “In the scramble for market, the gun industry has introduced a plethora of high-capacity, high-caliber semiautomatic pistol designs since the mid-1980s.” Now here’s an excerpt from the Senators’ agit-prop . . .
Military-style weapons, such as high-caliber and high-powered semiautomatic assault rifles, are readily available for civilian purchase in the United States . . . Many of these firearms are high-caliber and high-powered, such as AK-type semi-automatic rifles and AKtype pistols that are becoming increasingly popular with traffickers.
High-powered happenstance? Perhaps. It’s also another clue that the gun control industry’s launched a carefully-coordinated PR campaign to blunt the force of the ATF Gunwalker scandal, circle the wagons and get “ahead” of the issue. IMHO, it’s not working.