[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 90 (Thursday, June 30, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7804-S7805]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


               FIFTY CALIBER SNIPER RIFLES AND TERRORISTS

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, the .50 caliber sniper rifle is employed by 
militaries around the world because of its powerful and destructive 
capabilities. Fifty caliber sniper rifles in the hands of terrorists 
pose a significant threat to our homeland security. Unfortunately we 
have not done enough to help keep terrorists from acquiring these 
dangerous weapons.
  Published reports indicate that .50 caliber sniper rifles are capable 
of accurately hitting a target more than 1,500-yards away with a bullet 
measuring a half-inch in diameter. In addition, these thumb-size 
bullets come in armor-piercing, incendiary, and explosive varieties 
that can easily punch through aircraft fuselages, fuel tanks, and 
engines.
  One leading manufacturer of the .50 caliber sniper rifle, Barrett 
Firearms, posts a variety of news and magazine articles to promote the 
capabilities of its product on its website. One such article, titled 
``Practical to Tactical'' originally appeared in the April 2004 issue 
of American Rifleman, a publication of the National Rifle Association. 
The article details how Ronnie Barrett, founder of Barrett Firearms, 
originally designed his .50 caliber rifle to be a ``long-range target 
gun'' but was later able to sell it to the U.S. military for use during 
the first Iraq war to ``destroy hard targets, such as radar sites, 
bunkers, and light armored vehicles.'' The U.S. military has also used 
the Barrett .50 caliber sniper rifle during the current war in Iraq. 
According to the article, a U.S. Army report regarding operations in 
Iraq said: ``The Barrett .50-cal Sniper Rifle may have been the most 
useful piece of equipment in

[[Page S7805]]

the urban fight'' and ``was used to engage both vehicular and personnel 
targets out to 1,400 meters.'' It continued, ``Soldiers not only 
appreciated the range and accuracy but also the target effect. Leaders 
and scouts viewed the effect of the .50-cal. round as a combat 
multiplier due to the psychological impact on other combatants that 
viewed the destruction of the target.''
  Fifty caliber sniper rifles are sold not only to military buyers, 
they are also available to private individuals in the United States. 
Under current law, .50 caliber sniper rifles nearly identical to those 
described in the Army's report can be purchased by private individuals 
with only minimal Federal regulation. In fact, these dangerous weapons 
are treated the same as other long rifles including shotguns, hunting 
rifles, and smaller target rifles.
  I am a cosponsor of the Fifty-Caliber Sniper Weapon Regulation Act 
introduced by Senator Feinstein, D-CA. This bill would reclassify .50 
caliber rifles under the National Firearms Act, NFA, treating them the 
same as other high powered or especially lethal firearms like machine 
guns and sawed off shotguns. Among other things, reclassification of 
.50 caliber sniper rifles under the NFA would subject them to new 
registration requirements. Future transfers or sales of .50 caliber 
sniper rifles would have to be conducted through a licensed dealer with 
an accompanying background check. In addition, the rifle being sold 
would have to be registered with Federal authorities.
  Adoption of the common sense Fifty-Caliber Sniper Weapon Regulation 
Act would help to ensure that these dangerous weapons are not obtained 
by terrorists and used against innocent Americans. We can, and must, do 
more to help keep military style firearms out of the hands of potential 
terrorists.

                          ____________________