LOS ANGELES - For nearly 40 years, Mercy Crusade Inc. has earned accolades as a tireless advocate of animals. Now, however, reports indicate it stockpiled more than $100,000 worth of weapons. Records show that group members bought or ordered at least 34 guns in the past year, including several rifles such the AR-15, a cousin of the military M-16. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is holding 12 Heckler & Koch SP89 pistols seized from the group's leader last year, and agents are investigating why an animal welfare group would need such powerful weapons, the Los Angeles Times has reported. The guns were among the 34 ordered in the past year. The 9mm semiautomatics are on the federal list of banned assault weapons, but it is not illegal to own one manufactured before the ban. "They're the Rolls-Royces of handguns," said Kim Ratcliffe, administrative manager of Gun Heaven, a Los Angeles weapons shop. "It's hard to understand why they have so many guns," said Madeline Bernstein, executive director of the Los Angeles Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. State and federal officials both have launched investigations into the organization's activities; no charges have been filed. Ownership of the guns apparently violates no state, local, or federal law. Mercy Crusade's leader is James McCourt, an associate professor of economics at the University of La Verne. McCourt has said he bought the guns for the group's 12 humane officers, unpaid and unregulated volunteers who wear uniforms and badges and have powers of investigation and arrest in animal abuse cases. A little-known 80-year-old state law allows animal welfare groups to appoint such officers with a judge's approval. McCourt, who also teaches at Pepperdine University, has told the Times the guns were needed for his officers for training, protection during investigations, and to gain respect from other law enforcement agencies. McCourt did not respond to repeated Associated Press requests for an interview. No one else at Mercy Crusade will discuss their activities. He said he also wanted his officers to be well-armed in case they ever again are sent to protect animal shelters and clinics during events such as the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Law enforcement agencies declined to comment on Mercy Crusade's gun purchases, saying they would not discuss the case while it was under investigation. SPCA officers get 20 hours of training on the handling of animals, 40 hours on state animal welfare laws and 54 hours of peace officer training, and they must qualify on a shooting range, Bernstein said. The only firearms the Los Angeles SPCA has are .38-caliber handguns for each of their five humane officers, a couple of shotguns and a couple of tranquilizer dart guns, she said. Bernstein said no SPCA officer has ever fired his or her weapon, but she doesn't know about other animal welfare officers. She said the officers need protection. "Suppose we have a search warrant that allows us to kick in the door of a place where we suspect a dog fight is taking place," Bernstein said. State officials are investigating whether Mercy Crusade bought the weapons with funds given by donors who presumed their money would go to protect animals. Jim Cordi, lead lawyer for the attorney general's Charitable Trust section in Los Angeles, declined to discuss details of the investigation. McCourt has said no money specifically raised for the group's other efforts such as spaying and neutering programs were used for the gun purchases.