So yeah, depending on what it hit (windows and interiors walls, primarily), a .50 cal could indeed punch through several buildings with ease.

That’s why I’m building my house out of watermelons.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KcaDYsAudo

But the sentence as read makes it sound like a round can go through dozens of buildings, as you would expect to find in “several city blocks.”

It does sound odd, but it really depends on what it hits. Don’t know if they’re still around, but “The Box of Truth” (or somesuch) used to post pics and videos of different calibers being put through different tests in their Box.

A .50 cal went through… uh, 20ish? don’t remember, but a LOT of pieces of drywall, then it punched a hole in a brick wall (that they had constructed behind)… that was the end of it (IIRC), as the bullet was found in the hole (but the hole was still all the way through – it had chattered the brick it hit).

So yeah, depending on what it hit (windows and interiors walls, primarily), a .50 cal could indeed punch through several buildings with ease.

I understand the .50 is a powerful round, which does indeed make it risky for police to be using in civilian populated areas. But the sentence as read makes it sound like a round can go through dozens of buildings, as you would expect to find in “several city blocks.” Several commenters on Huffpo also questioned this.

I wonder if the FBI’s crime statistics (released today) showing yet another drop in violent crime has anything to do with it? I mean, you can’t exactly argue the need for police to have a bazooka and a tank and a flame-thrower when all people are doing is smoking pot and jaywalking, can you?

http://www.wtop.com/289/2898285/FBI-violent-crime-down-for-fifth-straight-year

“I said no pictures, prole…..or BURN!!”
“Keep off the grass, proles….or DIE!!”

By God, THAT’d bring back respect for the badge! They take an _oath_ after all, you know.

Seriously. They just take it to different places and park it there as a token deterrent, like some Maginot Line fortress in the war against street crime.

You just know that one day, some kid who eats a lot of yogurt is gonna climb in and take that sucker for a joy ride.

Man I’ve had a tough time commenting here lately.

That’s why I keep my Bearcat undre the camo net. If they knew what I was planning…

but because too many police agencies haven’t been keeping track of the weapons.

I just had a thought from underneath my tin foil hat: what if they are purposely “losing” these military-grade, high-powered weapons so that they can justify additional militarization of the state’s fist? “Bad guys now have tanks! All police must acquire a few billion $$ in weapons!”?

Even if that reason is a bit down on our list of complaints, it’s still a pretty good thing, right?

Cops don’t lose anything, just like they never EVER tell a lie.