Group seeks more restrictions on sniper rifles
http://www.dailydem.com/display/inn_news/news3.txt
DES MOINES (AP) -- Ownership of a high-powered .50-caliber sniper rifle used by the U.S. military in the Persian Gulf War should be restricted, a gun control group said Tuesday.
""It is almost impossible to exaggerate the lethality of the .50-caliber sniper rifle,'' said John W. Johnson, executive director of Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence.
In the Persian Gulf War, similar sniper rifles were used to make kills more than a mile away, Johnson said. The rifles give a soldier enough firepower to attack targets such as armored personnel carriers and radar dishes.
""Now those are good features for a military weapon, but in civilian terms, you have a perfect weapon for assassination and terrorism,'' Johnson said.
The group called a random sample of gun shops to ask about the availability of the sniper rifle, spokeswoman Kirsten Meredith said.
None of the stores in Iowa had the gun in stock, but most said they could order it and also could get armor-piercing bullets for it, she said.
""It is important to point out that not one gun store asked why we were inquiring about ordering such a lethal and powerful weapon,'' Meredith said.
Johnson said his group supports legislation proposed by Rep. Rod R. Blagojevich, D-Ill., that would make the .50-caliber sniper rifle subject to the same laws that restrict ownership of machine guns.
Under current law, people who want to buy a machine gun must undergo a background check and pay a tax. They also must register the gun with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
But Jim Hall, owner of Jim's Gun & Pawn Shop Inc., one of the stores the group called, said in a telephone interview that the gun, which can cost more than $2,000, is not very popular with gun buyers.
""It's not a cheap gun to buy,'' Hall said. ""I've always got people who want to look at one, but I've never had anyone who wants to lay the money down.''
Hall thinks current laws restricting the gun are adequate. He said he doubts a potential terrorist would try to buy one -- legally, anyway.
""If a terrorist is going to get it, he's not going to come in and buy it from a legitimate dealer,'' Hall said.
Gun dealers would not sell a .50-caliber sniper rifle to just anyone, he said.
""Ninety-nine percent of us are pretty legitimate and we're not going to give them someone who we think is a goofball,'' Hall said.
Mike Gillette, director of training at the Des Moines-based National Law Enforcement and Security Institute, had no problems with efforts to restrict sales of the rifle, but said the high price alone would deter many buyers.
""It's really a non-issue to us,'' Gillette said. ""Violence is violence, and violence will always find a vehicle.''
Gillette also pointed out that the most commonly used sniper rifle, the Remington 700, is also ""an extremely popular hunting rifle.''
On the Net:
Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence: www.ipgv.org/main.htm
National Law Enforcement and Security Institute: www.nlsi.net/
http://www.dailydem.com/display/inn_news/news3.txt
DES MOINES (AP) -- Ownership of a high-powered .50-caliber sniper rifle used by the U.S. military in the Persian Gulf War should be restricted, a gun control group said Tuesday.
""It is almost impossible to exaggerate the lethality of the .50-caliber sniper rifle,'' said John W. Johnson, executive director of Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence.
In the Persian Gulf War, similar sniper rifles were used to make kills more than a mile away, Johnson said. The rifles give a soldier enough firepower to attack targets such as armored personnel carriers and radar dishes.
""Now those are good features for a military weapon, but in civilian terms, you have a perfect weapon for assassination and terrorism,'' Johnson said.
The group called a random sample of gun shops to ask about the availability of the sniper rifle, spokeswoman Kirsten Meredith said.
None of the stores in Iowa had the gun in stock, but most said they could order it and also could get armor-piercing bullets for it, she said.
""It is important to point out that not one gun store asked why we were inquiring about ordering such a lethal and powerful weapon,'' Meredith said.
Johnson said his group supports legislation proposed by Rep. Rod R. Blagojevich, D-Ill., that would make the .50-caliber sniper rifle subject to the same laws that restrict ownership of machine guns.
Under current law, people who want to buy a machine gun must undergo a background check and pay a tax. They also must register the gun with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
But Jim Hall, owner of Jim's Gun & Pawn Shop Inc., one of the stores the group called, said in a telephone interview that the gun, which can cost more than $2,000, is not very popular with gun buyers.
""It's not a cheap gun to buy,'' Hall said. ""I've always got people who want to look at one, but I've never had anyone who wants to lay the money down.''
Hall thinks current laws restricting the gun are adequate. He said he doubts a potential terrorist would try to buy one -- legally, anyway.
""If a terrorist is going to get it, he's not going to come in and buy it from a legitimate dealer,'' Hall said.
Gun dealers would not sell a .50-caliber sniper rifle to just anyone, he said.
""Ninety-nine percent of us are pretty legitimate and we're not going to give them someone who we think is a goofball,'' Hall said.
Mike Gillette, director of training at the Des Moines-based National Law Enforcement and Security Institute, had no problems with efforts to restrict sales of the rifle, but said the high price alone would deter many buyers.
""It's really a non-issue to us,'' Gillette said. ""Violence is violence, and violence will always find a vehicle.''
Gillette also pointed out that the most commonly used sniper rifle, the Remington 700, is also ""an extremely popular hunting rifle.''
On the Net:
Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence: www.ipgv.org/main.htm
National Law Enforcement and Security Institute: www.nlsi.net/
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