So many misconceptions surround the .50caliber rifle. LOL.
They cannot be used to shoot down jet aircraft from the ground. The bullets simply do not move fast enough, or far enough to do that.
Im unaware of one ever being used in a crime in the US, yet thousands of people own them. They are expensive to own, expensive to shoot, and only certain rifle ranges will even allow them because of the noise and blast that they make when fired.
No rifle is more "deadly" than another. You cannot kill something deader than dead, any any rifle in the hands of a trained user is just as deadly as another.
My Country keeps crime rates (especially gun crime) down very well by keeping all guns illegal, even the police don't carry guns as standard.
Might I suggest taking another look at your countries crime statistics? The UK has a pretty high crime rate, assaults and burlaries are at an all time high. And saddest of all, if somone breaks into your home in the UK, and you try to forcefully stop them, you're a criminal too. Isnt your life worth protecting?
Also, weapons != cars. If there is no civilian use for a surprisingly destructive weapon, yes, it should be banned.
The civilian use for 50MG is simple. Its called "shooting for fun" and thats all the reason anyone needs. It is the same reason that some folks own a Ferrari. They can afford it, they enjoy it, so they buy it. A ferari is more dangerous to innocent bystanders than a rifle anyway. Look at the number of people killed by cars each year, and then look at the number of people killed by guns each year. Now keep in mind, in America, guns far outnumber cars. We could save so many more lives by banning cars, could we not?
Besides, its not a very smart thing to ban a weapon that to my knowledge has never been used in a crime in the US. To do so, shows that we are making choices based on fear and emotion, and not on logic, data, and facts. Any reasonable person can see that this is a poor choice to make.