Senator Feinstein Seeks Tougher Regulation of .50 Caliber Weapons
Senator Feinstein Seeks Tougher Regulation of .50 Caliber Weapons
-- Would make it harder for terrorists to get these military weapons --
April 29, 2005
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today announced the introduction of legislation that would put dangerous and destructive .50 caliber military sniper rifles in the same category as weapons such as machine guns and sawed-off shotguns.
"Designed to kill people, destroy machinery, and pierce armor from a great distance, powerful .50 caliber weapons are a serious threat to our national security," Senator Feinstein said. "A single gunman can destroy enemy aircraft, humvees, bunkers, fuel stations, and communications centers, as well as target and kill other people with this weapon. For instance, a sniper atop the Washington Monument could target anybody or anything within a four mile radius - including the White House, the Capitol, every building on or around the Mall, and aircraft flying in and out of Reagan National Airport.
"Despite their deadly power, these weapons are widely available to civilians and subject to less regulation than machine guns, shotguns, and handguns. This is a weapon that should not be so readily available to terrorists and criminals, and that should be responsibly controlled with carefully crafted regulation."
Senators Jon Corzine (D-N.J.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) are cosponsors of this bill, which does not ban any weapons and does not affect current owners of .50 caliber guns. It would require future .50 caliber gun sales to go through a licensed gun dealer with an accompanying background check, and the weapon transfer would be registered with the Internal Revenue Service under the National Firearms Act.
Current law classifies .50 caliber guns as "long guns," subject to the least stringent government regulation of any firearm, which makes no distinction between a .50 caliber gun, a .22 caliber target rifle or a .30-06 caliber hunter's weapon.
http://feinstein.senate.gov/05releases/r-50caliber.htm