Video time

Embedded, too. So, first things first - copyright issues. Before we start posting (and thus freely distributing) copyrighted material obtained from acquaintances who assure you they hold copyright of whatever they're allowing you to use freely for as long as you credit them, setting you ripe for theyir rightful owner to righteously sue, this is already freely distributed by the prefered means of Times magazine person of the year (2006), i.e., YouTube. And, in case you're wondering about the above little tail of copyright and other legal travails, yes, I'm one of the people to whom that never happened. Onwards, then.

Right off the bat:


How about that? Readily avilable to anyone who can afford it (or acquire it any other way). And since it's classified as a sports weapon, you need only a run of the mill permit for it. (I'm not positive on this point. Could someone elaborate?) Even Homer Simpson could own up to three of them. But wait, let's watch some more:


Wicked awesome, eh?
Sure, you would need some crazy marksmanship skills to shoot eight randomly thrown clay birds in as many shots holding the gun upside down above your head with minimal if any bracing at all, but I invite you to imagine what some disgruntled common mortal could do with one of those things in a crowded place. It doesn't take years of practice to wreak some serious havoc with a gun that can shoot 12 shells in less than 2 seconds. Even I reckon I could poke someone's eye out with one of those things - and I systematically make a fool - nay, a noob - out of myself everytime I dabble in Counter Strike or Unreal Tournment. I mean, you can easily conceal one of those things under a trench coat (suppose you strap it to your back, off to one side. It might not be very comfortable, but it could work) and smuggle it to a myriad of places. Heck, in most banks I've ever been to, you could smuggle it in, no problem.

I'm sure that any argument along the lines of "We make the gun for sporting ends only and it's not our fault someone ends up using it the wrong way" lets the good folks at Beretta sleep comfortaby at night, knowing that they've spent quite the considerable ammount developing a likely implement of death and suffering whereas there is still no cure for cancer, and likely recieved their investment back tenfold - and cancer research might still be underfunded. Good job, lads.

Pax vobiscum atque vale.

ArabianShark really has nothing against Beretta or professional sports marksmen or marksmen of any sort per se, but isn't it a fair point that where weapons are concerned we've done quite enough and perhaps it would be best to focus our energies in towards less destructive ends?
This post goes out with a Bang!