(CNN) A Republican congressman from Florida announced his support for a ban on assault weapon sales Friday in an op-ed in The New York Times.

Rep. Brian Mast, who himself carries a concealed pistol, said in the op-ed that he supports "defining what constitutes an assault or tactical firearm and not allowing them for future purchase."

An Army veteran, Mast said the rifle he used during combat in Afghanistan is "very similar to the AR-15-style semiautomatic weapon used to kill students, teachers and a coach I knew at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., where I once lived."

His combat weapon, he said, was "the best for killing our enemies." And for that reason, he said, "I cannot support the primary weapon I used to defend our people being used to kill children I swore to defend."

Within his sharp critique of assault weapons, Mast defended the Second Amendment, calling it "unimpeachable."

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