I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 654
To ban the transfer of 50 caliber sniper weapons, and otherwise regulate 
the weapons in the same manner as machine guns are regulated. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 8, 2005
Mr. MORAN of Virginia (for himself, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. NORTON, Mr. 
WEXLER, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. KEN-
NEDY of Rhode Island, Ms. WATSON, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. WYNN, Mr. 
EVANS, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mrs. MCCAR-
THY, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California, and Ms. CAR-
SON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
committee concerned 
A BILL 
To ban the transfer of 50 caliber sniper weapons, and other-
wise regulate the weapons in the same manner as ma-
chine guns are regulated.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘50 Caliber Sniper Rifle 
Reduction Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds that—
(1) certain firearms originally designed and 
built for use as long-range 50 caliber military sniper 
weapons are increasingly sold in the domestic civil-
ian market, and there are fewer legal restrictions on 
their possession or transfer than there are on hand-
guns; 
(2) the intended use of these long-range fire-
arms, and an increasing number of models derived 
directly from them, is the taking of human life and 
the destruction of materiel, including armored vehi-
cles and such components of the national critical in-
frastructure as radars and microwave transmission 
devices, in addition 50 caliber sniper weapons pose 
a significant threat to civil aviation in that they are 
capable of destroying or disabling jet aircraft; 
(3) these firearms are neither designed nor used 
in any significant number for legitimate sporting or 
hunting purposes and are clearly distinguishable 
from rifles intended for sporting and hunting use; 
(4) extraordinarily destructive ammunition for 
these weapons, including armor-piercing and armor-
piercing incendiary ammunition, is freely sold in 
interstate commerce; and
(5) the virtually unrestricted availability of 
these firearms and ammunition, given the uses in-
tended in their design and manufacture, present a 
serious and substantial threat to the national secu-
rity. 
SEC. 3. COVERAGE OF 50 CALIBER SNIPER WEAPONS 
UNDER THE NATIONAL FIREARMS ACT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (a) of section 5845 of 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (defining firearm) is 
amended by striking ‘‘(6) a machine gun; (7) any silencer 
(as defined in section 921 of title 18, United States Code); 
and (8) a destructive device.’’ and inserting ‘‘(6) a 50 cal-
iber sniper weapon; (7) a machine gun; (8) any silencer 
(as defined in section 921 of title 18, United States Code); 
and (9) a destructive device.’’
(b) 50 CALIBER SNIPER WEAPON.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 5845 of such Code 
is amended by redesignating subsections (d) through 
(m) as subsections (e) through (n), respectively, and 
by inserting after subsection (c) the following new 
subsection: 
‘‘(d) 50 CALIBER SNIPER WEAPON.—The term ‘50 
caliber sniper weapon’ means a rifle capable of firing a 
center-fire cartridge in 50 caliber, .50 BMG caliber, any
other variant of 50 caliber, or any metric equivalent of 
such calibers.’’. 
(2) MODIFICATION TO DEFINITION OF RIFLE.—
Subsection (c) of section 5845 of such Code is 
amended by inserting ‘‘or from a bipod or other sup-
port’’ after ‘‘shoulder’’. 
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 5811(a) of 
such Code is amended by striking ‘‘5845(e)’’ and inserting 
‘‘5845(f)’’. 
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect on the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
SEC. 4. COVERAGE OF 50 CALIBER SNIPER WEAPONS 
UNDER THE GUN CONTROL ACT OF 1968. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 922 of title 18, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(z)(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to transfer 
or possess a 50 caliber sniper weapon. 
‘‘(2)(A) The prohibitions of paragraph (1) shall not 
apply with respect to a transfer to or by, or possession 
by or under the authority of, the United States or any 
department or agency thereof or a State, or a department, 
agency, or political subdivision thereof.
‘‘(B) The possession prohibition of paragraph (1) 
shall not apply with respect to the otherwise lawful posses-
sion of a 50 caliber sniper weapon that was lawfully pos-
sessed before the date this subsection takes effect.’’. 
(b) 50 CALIBER SNIPER WEAPON DEFINED.—Sec-
tion 921(a) of such title is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(36) The term ‘50 caliber sniper weapon’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 5845(d) of the Na-
tional Firearms Act (26 U.S.C. 5845(d)).’’. 
(c) PENALTIES.—Section 924(a)(2) of such title is 
amended by striking ‘‘or (o)’’ and inserting ‘‘(o), or (z)’’.
Æ