The Brandeis Finance Board voted last Wednesday to give the Brandeis Traps and Targets Club (Kinda Like Duck Hunt) $3,250 of their requested $5,000 to purchase military-spec M16A2 assault rifles with M203 grenade launcher attachments. This is a huge step forward for our group, said club president Michelle Junger 05 in an exclusive interview with The Hoot. With a cyclic firing rate of up to 800 rounds per minute and 30-round 5.56mm cartridges, we will be a force to be reckoned with.
Added Junger, on the trap-shooting range, of course, being sure to always observe proper safety practices and wear eye and ear protection.
While the Colt-manufactured rifles are prohibitively expensive for most civilians, Junger was able to negotiate purchase of the rifles at under the $586 per unit US Army replacement cost.
Its amazing the kinds of discounts being a non-profit organization can get you, not to mention exemptions from Massachusetts gun-control legislation, marveled Junger.
Similarly, the M203 40mm high-explosive grenade launchers were made available at just under the $601 military cost. The club plans to purchase three of the highly-accurate, muzzle-compensated burst-firing guns and two grenade-launcher attachments to best utilize the funding, according to Junger. The remainder of the F-Board allocation will be used to purchase ammunition, grenades, Kevlar vests, and some absolutely adorable matching camouflaged shorts and miniskirts for the club, she said.
Brandeis Paintball Club president and F-Board member Alexander Asen 05 applauded the clubs efforts. We go out there every other weekend or so and shoot at each other, but what do we get? A few paint splotches, complained Asen. Finally, someone has a chance to do some real damage. He quickly added, to those clay pigeons, I mean.
When reached for comment, Sam Vaghar 08, president of Students For Peace, seemed taken aback. While we firmly support any efforts to teach students safety and responsibility around these awesomely powerful weapons, I must say I am a bit worried about putting them in the hands of Brandeis students. I mean, what do they really need with these incredibly deadly implements of warfare, anyways?
F-Board chairman Andrei Khots 05, however, seemed more optimistic. This is a great opportunity for Brandeis marksmen and markswomen to prove that we can hold our own, he said. Just one look at one of these meter-long, 9-pound marvels of modern destructive capabilities and all those naysayers will run for cover! cackled Khots. Um… did I say naysayers? I meant paper targets on the highly-safe firing range, of course, he hastily retracted.
The weaponrys final purchasing negotiations should be finished by early next week, and the weapons will be stored under my bed in the Village, according to Junger. Students interested in joining the club are invited to sign up for the mailing list at https://lists.brandeis.edu/wws/info/trapsandtargets.
