Mayor Bloomberg yesterday boosted his anti-gun rhetoric, insisting that the only reason to carry a gun in New York City is to “kill somebody” and wondering aloud why people consider it a sport to hunt with assault rifles.

During his inaugural address, Mr. Bloomberg vowed to take on “illegal guns” by taking his message to the national level and to other states.

On Tuesday, he said there’s no reason for companies to sell bullets that can pierce armored vests. “The last time I saw a deer wearing an armored vest was a long time ago,” he remarked.

Yesterday, Mr. Bloomberg said, “I’m concerned about any weapon that kills people, whether it’s a small caliber pistol or an assault rifle. The only reason when you live in the city – it may be different if you live in the country – but if you live in the city the only reason to carry a weapon is to kill somebody.”

In response, gun supporters said the mayor seems to hold “misguided beliefs” and said the mayor is “incapable of rational thought” on the matter of firearms, while gun opponents said the mayor was right on target.

“We simply believe Mayor Bloomberg shows with these comments that he ought to be more tolerant of different lifestyles. Firearms are used every day by lawful citizens for self-defense, target shooting, and hunting, as well as collecting,” a National Rifle Association spokeswoman, Autumn Fogg, said.

The general counsel to the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, Patrick Brophy, said there are many legitimate uses for all kinds of guns, including assault weapons. For example, he said many people collect the main rifle used in World War II, which is classified as an assault weapon.

The president of the Shooters Committee on Political Education, Ken Mathison, said assault weapons like AR16s are civilian, semi-automatic versions of military M16 assault rifles.

“This gun is used widely in shooting competitions,” he said. “It’s an excellent vermin hunting rifle. It is also considered by most people to be an assault weapon.”

The executive director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, Jackie Kuhls, says so-called assault weapons are in fact more dangerous.

Ms. Kuhls said the mayor hasn’t gone too far in his anti-gun remarks, and said, “It’s a dangerous product. It should be strictly regulated, and if the rest of the country had the licensing and registration restrictions that New York City does, we would all be a lot safer.”