The New York man whose massive, military-grade sniper rifle wowed at a Virginia pro-gun rally says he brought the weapon to prove firearms are a “normal everyday thing” — akin to holding a “hammer.”
Brandon Lewis, a gun shop owner from Bergen, drew attention at the Richmond rally for toting the .50-caliber Barrett M82A1 rifle, which is powerful enough to pierce armor from nearly 20 football fields away, news station WGRZ reported.
“Guns are just a normal everyday thing,” Lewis told the outlet. “It would be no different than if I was holding a chainsaw or a hammer or any other household tool.”
The gun enthusiast said he wanted the rifle to send a “visual message” that citizens are in control of their own government.
“I knew it would be an eye-catcher,” Lewis told the outlet.
Lewis said he can legally carry the deadly rifle as a gun shop owner, which allows him to skirt certain New York state regulations for the average citizen.
“Obviously the one that I have is legal,” Lewis said. “I own it legally under my business, I am a federal firearms licensee.”
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