The British maker of the most accurate sniper rifle in the world, on Friday called for greater gun controls in the US after the latest series of tragic attacks.

Speaking as he reported rising sales and profits, Tom Irwin, chief executive of Accuracy International, said it was “ridiculous” that you could legally buy devices to turn semi-automatic rifles into automatics, which are illegal in the US. Such devices were used in the Las Vegas shootings.

Asked whether semi-automatics — still capable of firing rapidly — should be legal as well, he said: “Personally, I don’t think so. I can’t see the benefit.”

Irwin said a Trump presidency was better for AI’s business than if Hillary Clinton had won last year’s election. “There was always a risk that she would… ban gun imports,” he said.

Irwin was speaking while reporting pre-tax profit last year jumped from £364,000 to £494,000 on turnover of £13.2 million against £12 million a year earlier. Demand is so high that Irwin said it needs to expand its UK and US facilities.

Accuracy International’s rifles have been used for long-range kills in battle, including a then-world record 2710 yards by Cpl Craig Harrison of the Household Cavalry of two Taliban fighters in 2009. But it relies on the US military and sports markets for nearly a third of its sales. The fast-growing Precision Rifle Series target sport is a big source of its civilian sales.