NEWTOWN, Conn –-(Ammoland.com)- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has announced it is seeking to ban commonplace 5.56 M855 ball ammunition as “armor piercing ammunition.”
ATF is seeking public comment on the proposal, so all industry employees, target shooters and gun owners should contact ATF to oppose this unnecessary ban, which is truly a solution in search of a problem and that raises serious questions about executive agency attitude and overreach.
Stopped cold on Capitol Hill, this action appears to be the Obama administration’s attempt to pursue gun control by other means.
Commonly available steel-core, “green tip” M855 and SS109 rifle ammunition that is primarily intended and regularly used for “sporting purposes,” like target shooting, has been exempt from federal law banning armor piercing ammunition for decades. There is no question that the 5.56 ball ammo has been in wide use by law abiding American citizens for sporting purposes.
It is with the increasing prevalence of handgun versions of rifle platforms, that ATF now apparently sees an opening to now ban the widely used M855 and SS109 ammunition.
It would be legally permissible to continue to possess and use so-defined “armor piercing” ammunition currently possessed. However, rescinding the decades-old exemption will have a major impact. It will become illegal to manufacture, import, distribute or sell at retail this very popular rifle target ammunition.
ATF’s proposed “framework” for applying the “sporting purpose” exemption test rewrites the law passed by Congress to disregard the manufacturer’s intention that a projectile or cartridge is “primarily intended for a supporting purpose.”
ATF inappropriately places the focus on how criminals might misuse sporting ammunition in a handgun.
Just as disturbing, language used by ATF in its long white paper refers to criminals as a “consumer group.” The implication that the industry purposely sells firearms and ammunition to criminals is misleading and echoes the shopworn charges of the gun control lobby.
Manufacturers will face serious limitations in their ability to develop and market alternative ammunition in other popular hunting rounds, such as .308 rifle hunting ammunition, if ATF’s so-called “framework“ is adopted. This will have a detrimental effect on hunting nationwide, especially in California where a total ban on traditional ammunition for hunting is being phased in now.
ATF is soliciting comments on how it can best implement withdrawal of this exemption while “minimizing disruption to the ammunition and firearm industry and maximizing officer safety”. Under the proposed framework, 30-06 M2AP cartridges would continue to be exempt because there are no multi-shot handguns generally available that accept such ammunition.
The proposal is useless since standard lead-only 5.56 ammunition is “armor piercing” simply due to the round’s velocity. Rifles in this caliber, or any caliber for that matter, are rarely used in crimes.
ATF will accept comments on this proposal until March 16, 2015. Email or write ATF today and tell them you oppose this unnecessary, misguided and damaging ban on commonly used ammunition for America’s most popular sporting rifles.
- Email: [email protected]
- Fax: (202) 648-9741.
Mail: Denise Brown, Mailstop 6N-602, Office of Regulatory Affairs, Enforcement Programs and Services, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, 99 New York Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20226: ATTN: AP Ammo Comments.
About NSSFÂ The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 6,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.
WHY is the NRA ILA silent on this? All I got was “this is what BATFE is going to do”
and as others have mentioned, the parallels between Stalin, Hitler and Mao and the marxist in office are shocking.
… and way back I thought 1984 and Brave New World were pure fiction…
Sent an email at the above address – FWIW
Enough already with this taking away all of our rights. I guess if the “Socialist in Chief ” cannot have Congress do his bidding He wants to go around by any means. Even if it is illegal, Of course noone will push that subject.
This smacks of Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler’s strategy to conquer a nation and strip all right and freedoms away. First take away guns and the ability of the people to defend themselves and take over all health care by government for final control of every aspect of life .. Wake up folks!!! This is where we are!!! Eroding 2nd amendment rights .. Obamacare ..
This has shades of Ted Kennedy written all over it when alive in years past he tried and tried to ban so called pistol “Cop Killer” ammunition, again stating the ability to penetrate body amor. I would like to know how many law enforcement officers are killed intentionally each year with body amor defeating ammunition. Unless you cover your entire body with Kevlar or ceramic plate material you will never be totally protected. I guess the ATF also has not thought of the 5.7mm pistol ammunition yet. I wonder how this action by the ATF would make the U.S. safer… Read more »
Let the atf know how you feel, tell them about all about it. The more that people stand up and speak out the more that we will get heard, If we say nothing then our rights WILL get trampled. The current administration is going to do everything it can to kill the right that we have left. They have already taken a couple of types of ammo away from us now they want this ammo gone from the line up. IF WE the people do not do something then we can say good by to all the hunting ammo that… Read more »
Prayer request
Please pray for me. It’s very painful to sit down. I have a very big government in my rear end.