[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 26, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S566]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         COMMON SENSE REGULATION OF FIFTY CALIBER SNIPER RIFLES

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, the CBS news program ``60 Minutes'' 
recently aired a segment regarding the dangers that .50 caliber sniper 
rifles pose to the security of our Nation. In previous Congresses, I 
have cosponsored legislation to enact common sense regulation of these 
dangerous weapons. Unfortunately, the Congress has thus far failed to 
act. I am hopeful that the 109th Congress will address this issue for 
the safety of all Americans.
  The .50 caliber sniper rifle is a favorite weapon of militaries 
around the world and is also among the most powerful weapons legally 
available to private individuals in the United States. According to a 
report released by the Violence Policy Center last year, a .50 caliber 
sniper rifle is capable of accurately hitting a target over 1,500 yards 
away, and the ammunition available for the rifle includes armor-
piercing, incendiary, and explosive bullets. The report also cites the 
U.S. Army's manual on urban combat, which states that .50 caliber 
sniper rifles are designed to attack bulk fuel tanks and other high-
value targets from a distance using ``their ability to break through 
all but the thickest shielding material.''
  The previously mentioned ``60 Minutes'' program highlighted various 
threats that military style .50 caliber sniper rifles pose to 
civilians. One serious threat reported on the program is the 
vulnerability of commercial aircraft to terrorists with .50 caliber 
sniper rifles. This threat was previously addressed in a 1999 report by 
the minority staff of the House Government Reform Committee, which 
noted that the thumb-sized bullets fired by .50 caliber rifles can 
easily punch through aircraft fuselages, fuel tanks, and engines. 
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly of New York City referred to these 
potential threats by saying, ``Clearly, with the range that it has, and 
the impact capability that it has, it would put an airliner or an 
airplane at risk if it hit that plane.''
  So the easy availability of the .50 caliber sniper rifle poses a 
danger to airline safety, as well as our overall security. Last 
September, California became the first and so far only State in the 
country to ban the manufacture, sale, distribution, or importation of 
.50 caliber sniper rifles. Unfortunately, there are few Federal 
regulations to protect the rest of the Nation from these dangerous 
weapons. Buyers need only be 18 years old, rather than the 21 years of 
age required for handgun purchases. And there is no minimum age 
requirement for possession of a .50 caliber weapon and no regulation on 
second hand sales.
  In an interview which became part of the ``60 minutes'' report, the 
inventor and current manufacturer of the .50 caliber sniper rifle, 
Ronnie Barrett, described his product as ``a high-end adult 
recreational toy.'' When asked how he came up with the idea for the 
rifle, Mr. Barrett replied, ``I was just a 26 year-old kid, and didn't 
know any better.''
  Mr. President, we should know better. The time has come to classify 
these weapons in the same common sense manner that we classify other 
weapons of war, including machine guns. The 109th Congress should 
follow California's good example and pass reasonable legislation that 
changes the way .50 caliber guns are regulated.

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