Feinstein's, S. 1331

[Lambo]

If you haven't already heard,

Sen. Dianne Feinstein [D-CA]: [Introducing S. 1331]
"Mr. President, I am pleased to join with Senators KENNEDY, LEVIN, MENENDEZ, MIKULSKI, CLINTON, DURBIN, BOXER and LAUTENBERG in introducing the Long-Range Sniper Rifle Safety Act of 2007, which would regulate a single type of firearm, 50 BMG caliber sniper rifles.

Mr. President, 50 BMG caliber sniper rifles are among the most dangerous firearms in the world. These sniper rifles are capable of bringing down airplanes and helicopters that are taking off or landing, and they can pierce light armored personnel vehicles. They have extraordinary range, up to a mile with accuracy, with a maximum distance of up to 4 miles. Under President Clinton, the State Department suspended all export of these weapons for civilian use in foreign countries. The Bush administration initially changed this rule to allow such sales, but after 9/11 it decided to reinstate this ban.

Yet here in the United States, our laws continue to classify these weapons as "long guns", subject to the least government regulation of any firearms. Current Federal law makes no distinction between a .22 caliber target rifle, a .30-06 caliber hunting weapon, and this large-caliber .50 BMG combat weapon. In some States, youngsters who are 14 years old can get .50 BMG caliber sniper rifles, with no limitation on second- hand sales. In fact, anyone who can own a rifle can buy a .50 BMG caliber sniper rifle. No permits. No licenses. No wait.

That is why I am introducing this legislation today, just as I have introduced similar legislation in the last 3 sessions of Congress. The bill would:

Add these uniquely powerful sniper rifles to the list of firearms classified as "destructive devices", which would mean they must be registered when purchased or sold; require the same registration for any "copycat" sniper rifles that might be developed in the future with destructive power that is equivalent to the .50 BMG caliber sniper rifle; and

allow people who already possess .50 BMG caliber sniper weapons up to 7 years to register their existing firearms, by implementing a registration process similar to what was used when "street sweeper" and other firearms were reclassified as "destructive devices" in 1994.

This bill would not ban any firearms, including .50 BMG caliber sniper rifles. Instead, it would change the law by treating .50 BMG caliber sniper rifles in the same way we now treat "street sweeper" shotguns, silencers, and any rifle with a dimension larger than .50 caliber. It would regulate these weapons, making it harder for terrorists and others to buy these combat weapons for illegitimate use.

This is not your classic hunting rifle. These weapons weigh up to 28 pounds, and have a price tag of between $2,200 and $6,750. And they fire the most powerful commonly available cartridges, the massive BMG, Browning Machine Gun, bullet, which has a diameter of 1/2 inch and a length of 3-6 inches.

These rounds are almost as big as my hand. The Congressional Research Service says that a .50 BMG caliber cartridge weighs four and a half times more, and has five times more propellant, than the cartridges used in similar midsize rifles, like the .308 Winchester.

This is a weapon designed to kill people efficiently, and destroy machinery, at a great distance. And the distances are frankly astonishing. In fact, this weapon was able to kill a person from a greater distance than any other sniper rifle with a world-record confirmed distance of 2,430 meters, a mile and a half away.

These weapons are "accurate" up to 2,000 yards, a distance that means it will strike a standard target within this range more than a mile away. To illustrate what this means, a shooter standing on Alcatraz Island off of San Francisco could sight and kill a person at Pier 39.

And the gun has a maximum range of up to 7,500 yards, meaning that while accuracy cannot be guaranteed, the round can strike a target at this distance. Imagine 75 football fields lined up end to end, a distance of over 4 miles. This means a shooter at the Sausalito marina could send bullets crashing into the San Francisco marina.

In short, these are military combat-style weapons. The .50 BMG cartridge has been used by our forces in machine guns since World War I, and our military has utilized .50 BMG caliber sniper rifles in the gulf war, and now in Afghanistan and Iraq. They can shoot through almost anything, a bunker, bulletproof glass, a 3 1/2 inch thick manhole cover, a 600-pound safe.

But as the GAO noted in 1999, many of these guns also wind up in the hands of domestic and international terrorists, religious cults, international and domestic drug traffickers, and violent criminals.

In 1998, Federal law enforcement apprehended three men belonging to a radical Michigan militia group. The three were charged with plotting to bomb Federal office buildings, destroy highways and utilities. They were also charged with plotting to assassinate a Governor, and other high-ranking political and judicial officers. A .50-caliber sniper rifle was found in their possession along with a cache of weapons that included three illegal machine guns.

One doomsday cult headquartered in Montana purchased 10 of these guns and stockpiled them in an underground bunker, along with thousands of rounds of ammunition and other guns.

At least one .50-caliber gun was recovered by Mexican authorities after a shoot-out with an international drug cartel in that country. The gun was originally purchased in Wyoming.

Since the GAO report, it was also revealed in a federal trial in Manhattan that al-Qaida received .50-caliber sniper rifles, rifles manufactured right here in the United States. Essam al Ridi, an al-Qaida associate, testified that he acquired 25 Barrett .50-caliber sniper rifles and shipped them to al-Qaida members in Afghanistan.

What sort of damage could these weapons do in the wrong hands? The U.S. Air Force conducted a study, and determined that planes parked on a fully protected U.S. airbase would be as vulnerable as "ducks on a pond" against a sniper with a .50-caliber weapon, because the weapons can shoot from beyond most airbase perimeters.

The RAND Corporation confirmed this, releasing a report which identified 11 potential terrorist scenarios at Los Angeles International Airport. In one scenario, "a sniper, using a .50 caliber rifle, fires at parked and taxiing aircraft." The report concludes: "we were unable to identify any truly satisfactory solutions" for such an attack.

One need not even search for reports, the weapon's manufacturers admit it. One Barrett .50 caliber brochure says:

[A] round of ammunition purchased for less than ten U.S. dollars can be used to destroy or disable a modern jet aircraft. The compressor sections of jet engines or the transmissions of helicopters are likely targets for the weapon, making it capable of destroying multimillion dollar aircraft with a single hit delivered to a vital area.

And it is not just aircraft. A terrorist using this rifle could punch holes in pressurized chemical tanks, igniting combustible materials or leaking hazardous gases. Or penetrate armored vehicles used by law enforcement, or protective limousines, like those used here in Washington.

No wonder a broad coalition of law enforcement officers and groups, detailing the threat that these weapons pose to our first responders, said:

The fact that these weapons have a range of more than four miles and can take down commercial airliners is reason enough to keep these weapons off our streets. It is of special concern to the law enforcement community that these weapons of war are capable of penetrating our special operations vehicles, tactical equipment and helicopters.

This gun is so powerful that one dealer told undercover Government Accountability Office investigators:

You'd better buy one soon. It's only a matter of time before someone lets go a round on a range that travels so far, it hits a school bus full of kids. The government will definitely ban .50-calibers. This gun is just too powerful.

In fact, many ranges used for target practice do not even have enough safety features to accommodate these guns.

Special ammunition for these guns is also readily available in stores and on the Internet. This is perfectly legal. Moreover, "armor-piercing incendiary" ammunition, which explodes on impact, can be purchased online, as demonstrated in a "60 Minutes" news report. Several ammunition dealers were willing to sell armor-piercing ammunition to an undercover GAO investigator, even after the investigator said he wanted the ammunition to pierce an armored limousine or maybe to shoot down a helicopter.

The bottom line is that the .50 BMG caliber sniper rifle is a national security threat requiring action by Congress. It makes no sense for us to spend billions of dollars on homeland security while we allow terrorists and criminals to get weapons that can serve as tools for terrorism.

The legislation that I am introducing has been carefully tailored, and refines my earlier bills. In fact, it is narrower than my earlier bills, in that it regulates only .50 "BMG" caliber sniper rifles, not all .50 caliber rifles.

There is no doubt that the .50 BMG caliber is the most powerful commonly available cartridge not considered a destructive device under the National Firearms Act. It is in a class by itself. And that's why this bill puts .50 BMG caliber sniper rifles into the class of firearms called destructive devices. Because that is where they belong.

Congress would not be alone in treating the .50 BMG caliber sniper rifle as the unique weapon of destruction that it is. My home State of California has regulated .50 BMG caliber sniper rifles since 2004, in a law signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The bill I introduce would adopt a similar registration system nationwide.

In fact, Congress itself has previously recognized the unique destructive properties of this weapon. Ever since 2000, our DOD Appropriations bills have contained a special restriction on the Department of Defense's ability to sell surplus armor-piercing ammunition for .50 caliber weapons to civilians through its demilitarization program.

This is a weapon that should not be openly available to terrorists and criminals, but should be responsibly controlled through carefully crafted regulation. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record " End

Long-Range Sniper Rifle Safety Act of 2007
S 1331
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1331
To regulate .50 BMG caliber sniper rifles.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 8, 2007Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. MENENDEZ, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mrs. CLINTON, Mr. DURBIN, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. SCHUMER, and Mr. DODD) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILLTo regulate .50 BMG caliber sniper rifles.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Long-Range Sniper Rifle Safety Act of 2007'.
SEC. 2. COVERAGE OF .50 BMG CALIBER SNIPER RIFLES UNDER THE GUN CONTROL ACT OF 1968.
(a) In General- Section 921(a)(4)(B) of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking `any type of weapon' and inserting the following: `any--
`(i) type of weapon'; and
(2) by striking `and' at the end and inserting the following: `or
`(ii) .50 BMG caliber sniper rifle; and'.
(b) Definition of .50 BMG Caliber Sniper Rifle- Section 921(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
`(36) The term `.50 BMG caliber sniper rifle' means--
`(A) a rifle capable of firing a center-fire cartridge in .50 BMG caliber, including a 12.7 mm equivalent of .50 BMG and any other metric equivalent; or
`(B) a copy or duplicate of any rifle described in subparagraph (A), or any other rifle developed and manufactured after the date of enactment of this paragraph, regardless of caliber, if such rifle is capable of firing a projectile that attains a muzzle energy of 12,000 foot-pounds or greater in any combination of bullet, propellant, case, or primer.'.
SEC. 3. COVERAGE OF .50 BMG CALIBER SNIPER RIFLES UNDER THE NATIONAL FIREARMS ACT.
(a) In General- Section 5845(f) of the National Firearms Act (26 U.S.C. 5845(f)) is amended--
(1) by striking `and (3)' and inserting `(3) any .50 BMG caliber sniper rifle (as that term is defined in section 921 of title 18, United States Code); and (4)'; and
(2) by striking `(1) and (2)' and inserting `(1), (2), or (3)'.
(b) Modification to Definition of Rifle- Section 5845(c) of the National Firearms Act (26 U.S.C. 5845(c)) is amended by inserting `or from a bipod or other support' after `shoulder'.
SEC. 4. IMPLEMENTATION.
Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall implement regulations providing for notice and registration of .50 BMG caliber sniper rifles as destructive devices (as those terms are defined in section 921 of title 18, United States Code, as amended by this Act) under this Act and the amendments made by this Act, including the use of a notice and registration process similar to that used when the USAS-12, Striker 12, and Streetsweeper shotguns were reclassified as destructive devices and registered between 1994 and 2001 (ATF Ruling 94-1 (ATF Q.B. 1994-1, 22); ATF Ruling 94-2 (ATF Q.B. 1994-1, 24); and ATF Ruling 2001-1 (66 Fed. Reg. 9748)). The Attorney General shall ensure that under the regulations issued under this section, the time period for the registration of any previously unregistered .50 BMG caliber sniper rifle shall end not later than 7 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

[Kenshin]

I wonder if they really realize exactly how much work you have to do to put a shot on target at 2400 yards...

That and if you think about it the weapon weighs over 30lbs loaded so its not exactly a run and hide weapon. So more than likely you'll end up leaving it because its kinda hard to miss someone running with a 50 cal.. So its a little bit of an expense for a one use weapon. Grrr...


This kind of crap just pisses me off.

[cosmo05]

She's a wacko, just like the other misinformed liberal idiots mentioned in the bill. I like the part about it being a "sniper" weapon. Does this idiot have any idea what it takes to hit something 1,000 yds. out, or for that matter 300 yds. out. These are hysterical people who do not have a clue what they are talking about and accomplish nothing but unduly scare voters that have no exposure to any weapon let alone a .50.
I don't know about you, but I've seen a "REAL RISE" in "CRIMINAL ACTIVITY" with a .50 BMG.
Like I said, they are wackos.

[KeithPA]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Snipers!!!!!!!!!!!

I need to duct tape some SAPI plates to my body to protect from long range .308 sniper fire!


Just plain retarded. I believe there's still only 1 murder from a .50 cal rifle. Somewhere out west I believe, UT?

Since the GAO report, it was also revealed in a federal trial in Manhattan that al-Qaida received .50-caliber sniper rifles, rifles manufactured right here in the United States. Essam al Ridi, an al-Qaida associate, testified that he acquired 25 Barrett .50-caliber sniper rifles and shipped them to al-Qaida members in Afghanistan.

Hmmm where'd he get those guns from? Oh ya, the United States of America supplied them to fight Soviets 20 years ago. Quite relevant today of course.

[RandomTask]

If you haven't already heard,
...youngsters who are 14 years old can get .50 BMG caliber sniper rifles....These weapons () have a price tag of between $2,200 and $6,750.

Wow... newpaper routes must be quite lucrative these days.

Ssssshhhhh! Nobody tell her about the .338 Lapua, .408 CheyTac, .460 Steyr or the .416 Barrett.
Shit, a well-placed 30-06 can take down a plane.

[knight0334]

Wow... newpaper routes must be quite lucrative these days.

Ssssshhhhh! Nobody tell her about the .338 Lapua, .408 CheyTac, .460 Steyr or the .416 Barrett.
Shit, a well-placed 30-06 can take down a plane.

A well placed lead pencil can too. I was wiring a hanger that had a 737 birthed in it for repairs, a coworker dropped a lead pencil 30ft from one of the rafters onto the plane - well it stuck right in it. Embedded itself about 2in thru the aluminum skin on its left wing.

And some people wonder why I wont fly in commercial planes.

[God's Country]

These people are so predictable. I find it more than a little scary that anyone buys this horse shit. The great senators are so concerned for public safety that they want to ban the 50BMG to keep me safe from the evil doer's.

What I need protection from is the fascist, socialist, limousine liberals, that are so incapable of an original thought, they need hide behind the "war on terror" (one that they don't even believe exists) as the latest excuse to steal my guns. Aside from that I can protect myself just fine thank you.

[God's Country]

She's a wacko, just like the other misinformed liberal idiots mentioned in the bill. I like the part about it being a "sniper" weapon. Does this idiot have any idea what it takes to hit something 1,000 yds. out, or for that matter 300 yds. out. These are hysterical people who do not have a clue what they are talking about and accomplish nothing but unduly scare voters that have no exposure to any weapon let alone a .50.
I don't know about you, but I've seen a "REAL RISE" in "CRIMINAL ACTIVITY" with a .50 BMG.
Like I said, they are wackos.

Oh they know exactly what they are doing. They're not hysterical. They're not misinformed or clueless, but as you pointed out, the end game is to frighten a largely uninformed public. Which has worked well in the past.

[Kenshin]

Oh they know exactly what they are doing. They're not hysterical. They're not misinformed or clueless, but as you pointed out, the end game is to frighten a largely uninformed public. Which has worked well in the past.

It has but with the internet hopefully people will remain better informed.

[God's Country]

It has but with the internet hopefully people will remain better informed.

Unfortunately the internet only provides information for those who choose to be informed. The internet serves to misinform as much(if not more) as is can to inform.
But you are correct that it has the potential to serve our cause well.