[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 10 (Thursday, February 3, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S970]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               AN ASSAULT RIFLE THAT FITS IN YOUR POCKET

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I call the attention of my colleagues to a 
warning from several major police organizations that a new high powered 
and easily concealable handgun, known as the Five-Seven, is easily 
available to potential criminals and poses a significant threat to our 
Nation's law enforcement officers. The International Association of 
Chiefs of Police, the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, and 
the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives issued 
the warning late last week.
  Belgian firearm manufacturer FN Herstal specializes in military and 
law enforcement weaponry but has also made its Five-Seven handgun 
available to private buyers in the United States. The Five-Seven 
includes a 20-round clip and is capable of firing ammunition that 
penetrates the body armor commonly worn by law enforcement officials. 
The FN Herstal Web site boasts that with the Five-Seven handgun, 
``Enemy personnel, even wearing body armor can be effectively engaged 
up to 200 meters. Kevlar helmets and vests as well as the CRISAT 
protection will be penetrated.''
  These new guns clearly have no sporting purpose and no place on our 
streets. We should not ignore the concerns of our law enforcement 
officers with regard to these dangerous weapons.
  The law enforcement community is most concerned about the Five-
Seven's ability to kill police officers, even while wearing protective 
body armor. Bernard Thompson, director of the National Organization of 
Black Law Enforcement Executives, commented on the Five-Seven, ``No one 
is safe from a weapon like this. Police body armor won't offer 
protection if a criminal has this pistol.''
  The legislative director of the International Brotherhood of Police 
Officers Steve Lenkhart called the Five-Seven ``an assault rifle that 
fits in your pocket.'' A recent memo by the Florida Department of Law 
Enforcement supports this assertion. The memo reportedly states that 
the Five-Seven has the capabilities of a carbine or rifle but weighs 
less than 2 pounds when fully loaded. The FN Herstal Web site lists the 
overall length of the handgun as only 8.2 inches, making it small 
enough and light enough to be easily concealed by criminals.
  Common sense should tell us that there is no reason for civilians to 
have access to easily concealable handguns with the capability to shoot 
through body armor. It is important for our elected officials to listen 
to the warnings of those who put their lives on the line to help keep 
violent criminals off of our streets. Unfortunately, the Congress also 
continues its failure to pass commonsense gun safety legislation that, 
among other things, would reauthorize the 1994 assault weapons ban, 
close the gun show loophole, and regulate high-powered .50 caliber 
sniper rifles. I again urge my colleagues to work to pass sensible gun-
safety legislation that will help protect our law enforcement officers, 
families, and communities from military style firearms like the Five-
Seven handgun.

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