Assembly Acts to Ban Deadly .50 Caliber Sniper Rifles

Weapon Capable Of Destroying Aircraft, Piercing Armor Still Legal, Still Untrackable in New York

Codes Committee Chair Joe Lentol explains the threat of the .50 caliber Armalite AR-50 with scope to a Capitol news conference. The Assembly is expected to consider legislation later this week calling for a ban of the .50 caliber weapons.

Calling .50 caliber sniper rifles "among the most dangerous and deadly weapons in the United States military's arsenal," Assembly Codes Committee Chair Joseph Lentol and Assembly member Patricia Eddington today announced expected Assembly action later this week on legislation aimed at banning civilian sales of the deadly firearms in New York State.

Also participating in the news conference and calling on the Senate and the governor to support the .50 caliber ban were Tom Diaz, senior policy analyst at the Washington, D.C.-based Violence Policy Center, Barbara Hohlt, representing New Yorkers Against Gun Violence (NYAGV), and Susan Xenarios, representing the Downstate Coalition for Crime Victims. To drive home the threat posed by these weapons, a .50 caliber Armalite AR-50 with scope was on display, along with a video showing a United States Marine sniper firing the rifle to demonstrate the power and accuracy of .50 caliber weapons.

Pointing out that today's action marked the second time A.7039 had come to the Assembly floor this session, Lentol said the bill, which passed the house earlier this year, had been amended to address technical concerns raised during the previous floor debate.

"These sinister weapons which have a documented history with terrorists remain a threat. Under current law, once an individual passes the federal background check there is no system for knowing who has them," said Lentol. "This bill, in conjunction with the comprehensive gun package passed this March by the Assembly, is critical to our nation's security efforts."

Lentol and Eddington pointed to national media reports such as the case in the state of Kansas where firefighters and police officers were confronted by an individual firing a .50 caliber weapon when they responded to an emergency situation.

Bill sponsor Patricia Eddington stressed the threat .50 caliber weapons pose to New Yorkers. "Clearly, .50 caliber rifles belong with our military on the battlefield, not with criminals or terrorists on the streets of New York."

"These large-caliber, extraordinarily powerful long guns are accurate even when fired from over a mile away. They can be used to destroy aircraft and down helicopters or ignite bulk fuel tanks and can penetrate the protective covering of armor-plated vehicles, among other capabilities," said Lentol (D-Brooklyn). "They have no place in civilian arenas."

"For far too long gun advocates have tried to portray this issue as a constitutional one," said Lentol. "This weapon poses enough of a security threat that, according to counterterrorism expert Richard Clarke, the federal government considered using them to provide security against possible air attacks at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. This legislation very carefully seeks to keep this weapon out of the hands of those who seek to cause harm."

"In order to protect our families, we accept increased security at airports, bridges and other places," said Eddington (WFP/D/I-Medford), sponsor of the bill. "Clearly, fifty caliber rifles belong with our military on the battlefield, not with criminals or terrorists on the streets of New York. We must ban these weapons now."

Lentol and Eddington cited a 2001 report from the Violence Policy Center (VPC) that found at least 25 of these weapons have been sold to Osama bin Laden for the Al Qaeda terror network. According to Eddington, .50 caliber sniper weapons are a security risk because they have ended up in the hands of domestic and international terrorist organizations, religious cults, international drug traffickers and violent criminals.

"The Violence Policy Center commends the Assembly and Speaker Silver for acting on this bill. Fifty caliber sniper rifles give terrorists, militia groups and common criminals the same firepower as the United States Army. They have already been used against America's police and have turned up in the arms caches of homegrown militias planning to assassinate public officials," said Diaz. "If anyone is looking for the warning signs, they are here. These are the ideal tools for terrorists and must be banned before the unthinkable happens."

Barbara Hohlt, representing New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, expressed the groups support for the Assembly measure and called on the Senate and governor to support the measure.

"Protecting our citizens from dangerous guns and their users must be a priority for us," said Lentol "This legislation moves New York forward in that regard."

Under the measure, the sale of these military weapons, which are available for sale at gun shops throughout the state, would be prohibited, and severe penalties for their unlawful possession or criminal use would be enacted. Gun owners currently in possession of these weapons would be able to relinquish them by participating in a State Police reimbursement program that would grant them fair market value for these weapons when they turn them in.

In its amended version, the bill addresses technical concerns raised when the measure first passed the Assembly, to ensure that legal owners of muzzle loading black powder weapons would not be affected by the bill.

Highlighting the work of the house in the past to curb gun violence, Lentol pointed to the Assembly's comprehensive gun package passed in March that addresses safety issues, seeks stricter penalties for those who profit from illegal gun trafficking and provides law enforcement with tools to prosecute those who would seek to commit gun crimes.

Other bills passed by the Assembly include measures that would reduce the number of illegal guns, protect victims of domestic violence and safeguard children from firearms by ensuring weapons are safely stored.

Another related bill sponsored by Assembly member David Koon would expand the state's Combined Ballistic Identification System (CoBIS), a resource Koon termed "an important corollary" to banning .50 caliber rifles. A.8542-B, which would include casings from all long guns and both bullets and casings from guns that do not readily eject casings on firing in the CoBIS system, would improve the current system for tracking guns used in crimes in order to promote law enforcement efforts to apprehend violent criminals who use guns, even when a gun is not recovered at the crime scene.

Tom Diaz, senior policy analyst for the Washington, D.C-based Violence Policy Center, who commended Speaker Silver and the Assembly for acting on the legislation, and said .50 caliber weapons "have already been used against America's police and have turned up in the arms caches of home-grown militias planning to assassinate public officials."

"If the ballistic database is going to be an effective crime fighting tool, we must expand its scope to include as many guns as possible," said Koon (D/I-Perinton), sponsor of the bill. "This bill will ensure that more guns are entered into the clearinghouse. This bill, combined with the other measures included in the Assembly's gun package, provides a sensible approach to taking guns out of criminals' hands while making for safer streets and communities."

"New Yorkers Against Gun Violence strongly support this legislation because .50 caliber sniper rifles are designed for military - not civilian - use. This weapon's devastating power is manifested in its ability to destroy targets with pin-point accuracy at more than a mile away. In addition, it is well documented that domestic and international terrorist groups have 'legally' purchased these weapons," said Barbara Hohlt, board member.

"Fifty caliber rifles should not be in civilian hands. They are military weapons and can wreak havoc as they are accurate from over a mile and can penetrate armor plating. We, as a group dedicated to reducing crime and helping crime victims, strongly support a ban on these weapons," said Susan Xenarios, co-chair of the Downstate Coalition for Crime Victims.

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NOTE:
Copies of the VPC report are available online at
http://www.house.gov/reform/min/pdfs/pdf_inves/pdf_guns_50_cal_vcp_rep.pdf

Copies of the USMC video demonstration are available at http://www.house.gov/reform/min/inves_guns/guns_marine_video.html