I

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2127

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to regulate certain 50 caliber

sniper weapons in the same manner as machine guns and other firearms.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 10, 1999

Mr. BLAGOJEVICH (for himself, Mr. WAXMAN, and Ms. NORTON) introduced

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

A BILL

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to regulate

certain 50 caliber sniper weapons in the same manner

as machine guns and other firearms.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Military Sniper Weap5 on Regulation Act of 1999’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 The Congress finds that—

8 (1) certain firearms originally designed and

9 built for use as long-range 50 caliber military sniper
2

•HR 2127 IH

1 weapons are increasingly sold in the domestic civil2 ian market;

3 (2) the intended use of these long-range fire4 arms, and an increasing number of models derived

5 directly from them, is the taking of human life and

6 the destruction of materiel, including armored vehi7 cles and such components of the national critical in8 frastructure as radars and microwave transmission

9 devices;

10 (3) these firearms are neither designed nor used

11 in any significant number for legitimate sporting or

12 hunting purposes and are clearly distinguishable

13 from rifles intended for sporting and hunting use;

14 (4) extraordinarily destructive ammunition for

15 these weapons, including armor-piercing and armor16 piercing incendiary ammunition, is freely sold in

17 interstate commerce; and

18 (5) the virtually unrestricted availability of

19 these firearms and ammunition, given the uses in20 tended in their design and manufacture, present a

21 serious and substantial threat to the national secu22 rity.
3

•HR 2127 IH

1 SEC. 3. COVERAGE OF 50 CALIBER SNIPER WEAPONS

2 UNDER NATIONAL FIREARMS ACT.

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (a) of section 5845 of

4 the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (defining firearm) is

5 amended by striking ‘‘(6) a machine gun; (7) any silencer

6 (as defined in section 921 of title 18, United States Code);

7 and (8) a destructive device.’’ and inserting ‘‘(6) a 50 cal8 iber sniper weapon; (7) a machine gun; (8) any silencer

9 (as defined in section 921 of title 18, United States Code);

10 and (9) a destructive device.’’

11 (b) 50 CALIBER SNIPER WEAPON.—

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 5845 of such Code

13 is amended by redesignating subsections (d) through

14 (m) as subsections (e) through (n), respectively, and

15 by inserting after subsection (c) the following new

16 subsection:

17 ‘‘(d) 50 CALIBER SNIPER WEAPON.—The term ‘50

18 caliber sniper weapon’ means a rifle capable of firing a

19 center-fire cartridge in 50 caliber, .50 BMG caliber, any

20 other variant of 50 caliber, or any metric equivalent of

21 such calibers.’’

22 (2) MODIFICATION TO DEFINITION OF RIFLE.—

23 Subsection (c) of section 5845 of such Code is

24 amended by inserting ‘‘or from a bipod or other sup25 port’’ after ‘‘shoulder’’.
4

•HR 2127 IH

1 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by

2 this section shall take effect on the date of the enactment

3 of this Act.

Æ