By Matthew Monks
A .50-caliber sniper rifle is easier to purchase than a handgun and has enough fire power and accuracy to shoot down an airplane from more than a mile away, said U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria).That is why she is co-sponsoring the bill introduced by U.S. Rep. James Moran (D-Va.) to ban the commercial sale of the weapon with exemptions for military and law enforcement use.”This is an obvious weapon of mass destruction in the hands of a terrorist,” Maloney said during a news conference in Manhattan on Aug. 18. “In New York City, still considered target No. 1 for future terrorist attacks, we have three major international airports and large chemical sites under risk of attack by the .50-caliber.”A Violence Policy Center study found the rifle can pierce armor plating and explosive rounds are for sale on the market.”These anti-armor rifles can take out light-armored vehicles, are capable of turning commercial jetliners into bombs on the ground and of knocking helicopters out of the air,” said Tom Diaz, a senior policy analyst for the Washington, D.C. gun safety advocate. “They are capable of igniting railcars and stationary tank farms containing extremely hazardous, volatile and explosive chemicals.”Los Angeles and Contra Costa counties in California have already banned the weapons, he said.Maloney, chairwoman of the House Democratic Caucus Task Force on Homeland Security, said intelligence indicates that the terrorist group Al Qaeda has at least 25 of the guns.Queens is directly threatened by these weapons, she said, since it is home to LaGuardia and Kennedy airports.”Semi-automatic versions of these guns can fire as many as 10 rounds in one minute at a plane, but it only takes one accurate hit to the fuselage, engine or cockpit to cause disaster,” she said.One online gun retailer sells a version of the .50-caliber rifle for $9,599. The Barrett M107 rifle kit comes with a long-range tactical scope and 80 rounds of ammunition. For $95 extra, consumers can have it shipped to them overnight.Reach reporter Matthew Monks by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 156.
