"Among the items stolen Saturday from the Port Charlotte rental home shared by three prominent Tampa Bay Rays was an AK-47 rifle belonging to star third baseman Evan Longoria.

Longoria declined Monday to elaborate on why he had the gun, which is commonly referred to as an assault rifle.

"It's a personal item," Longoria said. "Obviously, they (authorities) are going to say things that are taken. I think everything within the house is personal, and we'll just leave it at that."

The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, which released the information, said the gun was "perfectly legal" and "absolutely, perfectly legitimate, fully documented," said public information officer Bob Carpenter.

The investigation into the midday break-in at the house shared by Longoria, ace pitcher David Price and shortstop Reid Brignac is continuing.

The Sheriff's Office said the thieves gained access to the house, on Fernwood Street near the Charlotte Sports Park, through an unlocked window. The players were at the stadium for their game at the time.

Police put a $56,000 estimate on the value of the stolen items, which the players said also included a 60-inch flat-screen TV, three iPads, two Xbox game systems, cash, Price's laptop and several of Price's fancy watches.

"It's definitely something that, obviously, you never want to have happen to you or your friends," said Longoria, who recently had a classic car stolen from the lot of an Arizona refurbishing shop. "It's just twice in the past month … for me that something has been taken. All of us hope that justice is served for them. And I think we're all just happy that everybody is safe and nobody was injured."

Two Tampa Bay area gun experts said the main use of the AK-47, a high-powered rifle first made in Russia, is for recreational shooting, such as at a range.

"The only time a person would need a rifle of that magnitude (outside a range) is if they're fending off zombies," said Fritz Casper, an instructor at Shooting Sports, a N Dale Mabry Highway gun range and shop in Tampa.

The AK-47 is a common choice for gun enthusiasts, he said, mostly because it is cheap, available for as little as $300 to $400."