State and local police are continuing the search for the .50-caliber Barrett sniper rifle they believe Charles Cornelius, a 31-year-rold former prepschool student, illegally purchased in May.

Authorities seized at least four assault rifles, hand grenades, and white supremacist and hate literature during a search last week of his house.

"Terrorism isn't just bin Laden supporters," state Rep. Michael P. Lawlor, D-East Haven, said.

"It comes in all kinds of forms."

Lawlor, a gun control advocate, said Cornelius' arrest — and the realities of the world — should prompt the state legislature to consider more restrictions on these highpower weapons.

"Sept. 11 added a whole new dimension to the .50-caliber issue," said state Senate Majority Leader George C. Jepsen, DStamford, a longtime gun control advocate who is also running for governor. "There's a growing body of evidence that the .50-caliber is the weapon of choice for terrorists."

Earlier this year, the General Assembly passed a ban on the sale of incendiary and armor-piercing ammunition for such guns.

And while the gun Cornelius allegedly bought is specifically banned in state statute, other .50-caliber guns remain legal. However, legitimate collectors who purchased Barretts before 1994 can still possess them, according to statute.

Lawlor, cochairman of the legislature's Judiciary Committee, said lawmakers should consider banning .50-caliber sniper rifles or requiring their owners to register them with the state.

"If you shot a burglar with one of these guns, the bullet would go through him, through your door and into your neighbor's house," Lawlor said. "It would be liking using a bazooka."

However, not everyone agrees with the gun control legislators.

State Rep. Ron San Angelo, R-Naugatuck, a leading gun rights advocate, dismissed the terrorism argument as "silly" and accused Lawlor and Jepsen of scaring people for political gain.

"To me, this is more about politics than public safety," he said.

The state should instead focus on enforcing existing laws, San Angelo said, and should investigate how Cornelius was allegedly able to buy the model of .50-caliber rifle that is illegal in Connecticut.

San Angelo also noted that there have been no reported crimes in Connecticut involving .50-caliber sniper rifles, and very few involving assault weapons.

Felons armed with handguns commit the vast majority of gun crimes in the state, San Angelo said, and the state should crack down on them instead of passing new restrictions on legal gun ownership.

"We have to look at public safety in terms of what's really happening on the street," he said.

"We should use our resources to go after real problems."

The potent Barrett is a lightning rod, horrifying gun control advocates while at the same time it achieves iconic status among its enthusiasts. The rifle costs more than $7,000.

The longest-range confirmed sniper kill of the Gulf War was reported to have been made by a Barrett Model 82A1 at a range of 1,800 meters — nearly 2,000 yards, or almost 10 times the maximum effective range of a standard hunting rifle, said Tom Diaz, the author of a study on the weapon by the Violence Police Center, a gun control group in Washington.

"It's a hell of a gun," said Diaz. "This thing is actually almost a piece of light artillery."

According to Diaz, when Barrett introduced the gun to the civilian market in the early 1980s, the U.S. Secret Service argued unsuccessfully that the gun should be outlawed.

Barrett, meanwhile, has lobbied against attempts by "left-wing politicians and the media" to restrict or ban sales. The company argues that the weapon has a legitimate place in the sporting marketplace and has spawned widespread interest in long-range shooting competitions in the United States.

Meanwhile in New Haven, Cornelius remained jailed on $2.6 million bond and authorities plan to file additional charges in connection with the Barrett.

State police investigators have said they had no evidence that Cornelius had planned any attack. However, Cornelius apparently had animosity toward the private Hopkins School, which had expelled him when he was student there in the 1980s.

Sources said he was also planning to send hateful letters to some alumni.