[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 6317]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               THE DANGERS OF FIFTY CALIBER SNIPER RIFLES

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, two weeks ago, the Violence Policy Center 
released a report rebutting a number of assertions made by the Fifty 
Caliber Institute about the civilian sale of .50 caliber anti-armor 
sniper rifles.
  The .50 caliber sniper rifle is among the most powerful weapons 
legally available. According to the Violence Policy Center's report, a 
.50 caliber sniper rifle is capable of accurately hitting a target over 
1,500 yards away, and the ammunition available for the .50 caliber 
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.''
  One of the most disturbing parts of the report quotes a brochure from 
the leading manufacturer, Barrett Firearms, advertising the .50 caliber 
sniper rifle.

       The Model 82A1 is designed to provide extreme accuracy at 
     extended ranges with standard military ammunition. . . . The 
     accuracy of the Model 82A1 makes possible the placement of 
     the shot in the most vulnerable area of the target. The 
     compressor sections of jet engines or the transmissions of 
     helicopters are likely targets for the weapon, making it 
     capable of destroying multi-million dollar aircraft with a 
     single hit delivered to a vital area. The cost-effectiveness 
     of the Model 82A1 cannot be overemphasized when a round of 
     ammunition purchased for less than 10 USD [U.S. Dollars] can 
     be used to destroy or disable a modern jet aircraft.

  I believe that information detailing the potential destruction these 
weapons can cause should alert us to the dangers to airline safety, as 
well as homeland security. That is why I cosponsored Senator 
Feinstein's Military Sniper Weapon Regulation Act, S. 429. This bill 
would change the way .50 caliber guns are regulated by placing them 
under the requirements of the National Firearms Act. This would subject 
these weapons to the same regimen of registration and background checks 
as those weapons regulated under the National Firearms Act. This is a 
necessary and commonsense step towards assuring the safety of all 
Americans.
  The .50 caliber sniper rifle is among the most powerful firearms 
legally available. Senator Feinstein's bill presents us with a simple 
solution to improving their regulation, and I urge my colleagues to 
support it.

                          ____________________