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First Monday and Every Monday |
The Threat from .50-Caliber Sniper Rifles |
| “The cost-effectiveness of the (Barrett Firearms) Model 82A1 cannot be overemphasized when a round of ammunition purchased for less than $10 can be used to destroy or disable a modern jet aircraft.”
These words do not come from a gun control advocate trying to scare people with exaggerated claims. They are taken from a Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Inc., brochure advertising its Model 82A1 .50-caliber sniper rifle (shown below).
The .50-caliber sniper rifle is truly a military weapon. It is used by armed forces and guerrilla armies in conflicts around the world. U.S. armed forces used .50-caliber sniper rifles during the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 Iraq War to destroy Iraqi light armored vehicles, missiles, and artillery pieces, typically at ranges from 800 to 1,600 meters (one-half to one mile). The longest confirmed sniper kill in the Gulf War was reported to have been made with a Barrett Model 82A1 sniper rifle at a distance of 1,800 meters (1-1/8 miles). More recently, a Canadian sniper clamed a world record with a hit on a Taliban fighter in Afghanistan at a distance of 2,430 meters (1-1/2 miles). Barrett Manufacturing, the leading maker of these guns calls them “heavy firepower for light infantry.” It boasts that its rifles “allow sophisticated targets to be destroyed or disabled by a single soldier. Armored personnel carriers, radar dishes, communications vehicles, aircraft . . . are all vulnerable to the quick strike capability of the Barrett 82A1.” In civilian terms, you have the perfect weapon for assassination and terrorism, for taking out armored limousines, shooting down aircraft and helicopters, and destroying critical infrastructure such as electrical power grids, pipeline networks, oil storage tanks, chemical plants and other hazardous industrial facilities. To view an animated video of the .50-caliber threat, go to: The unique feature of the .50-caliber sniper rifle is its long range accuracy and firepower, which it gets from the size of the ammunition it uses.
Loaded with armor-piercing, incendiary ammunition, ammunition that is readily available on civilian markets, .50-caliber weapons are capable of devastating strikes that can not only penetrate armor, but turn aircraft and their fuel into exploding balls of fire. On cross-examination during a 1999 criminal trial, Ronnie Barrett, president of Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Inc., and inventor of the M82A1 was interrogated on the relative difficulty of hitting a moving target, such as an airplane, versus a stationary target. He testified,” If it (an airplane) is coming directly at you, it is almost as easy. Just like bird hunting.” Yet .50-caliber sniper rifles are no more regulated than ordinary hunting rifles and shotguns. They are readily available at gun stores to anyone over the age of 18 who can pass a criminal background check. But if you purchase a .50-caliber sniper rifle from an unlicensed individual in a private sale, then you don’t even have to pass a background check. This is not a gun control issue. It is a national security issue. Americans must ask their lawmakers, “Why do we allow the sale of military weapons to civilians?” IPGV’s position is that there are honest, law-abiding citizens who enjoy target shooting with .50-caliber sniper rifles. But the potential threat these weapons pose to the general public and national security far outweighs the benefits to the small number of people who shoot these weapons for lawful recreational purposes. To join the campaign to keep .50-caliber sniper rifles out of the hands of terrorists, go to: http://app.etapestry.com/hosted/FreedomStatesAlliance/Signup.html Thanks for your dedication to preventing gun death and injury in Iowa! |
