Mike Levin: “the .50 caliber sniper rifle is employed by militaries around the world because of its powerful and destructive…”

“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.…”