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15 Feb ’12
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Don't go after the guns, go after the ammo
In a move clearly intended by the Obama Administration to suppress the acquisition, ownership and use of AR-15s and other .223 caliber general purpose rifles, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives unexpectedly announced today that it intends to ban commonplace M855 ball ammunition as “armor piercing ammunition.” The decision continues Obama’s use of his executive authority to impose gun control restrictions and bypass Congress.
It isn’t even the third week of February, and the BATFE has already taken three major executive actions on gun control. First, it was a major change to what activities constitute regulated “manufacturing” of firearms. Next, BATFE reversed a less than year old position on firing a shouldered “pistol.” Now, BATFE has released a “Framework for Determining Whether Certain Projectiles are ‘Primarily Intended for Sporting Purposes’ Within the Meaning of 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(17)(c)”, which would eliminate M855’s exemption to the armor piercing ammunition prohibition and make future exemptions nearly impossible.
By way of background, federal law imposed in 1986 prohibits the manufacture, importation, and sale by licensed manufacturers or importers, but not possession, of “a projectile or projectile core which may be used in a handgun and which is constructed entirely . . . from one or a combination of tungsten alloys, steel, iron, brass, bronze, beryllium copper, or depleted uranium.” Because there are handguns capable of firing M855, it “may be used in a handgun.” It does not, however, have a core made of the metals listed in the law; rather, it has a traditional lead core with a steel tip, and therefore should never have been considered “armor piercing.” Nonetheless, BATFE previously declared M855 to be “armor piercing ammunition,” but granted it an exemption as a projectile “primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes.”
Now, however, BATFE says that it will henceforth grant the “sporting purposes” exception to only two categories of projectiles:
Category I: .22 Caliber Projectiles
A .22 caliber projectile that otherwise would be classified as armor piercing ammunition under 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(17)(B) will be considered to be “primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes” under section 921(a)(17)(C) if the projectile weighs 40 grains or less AND is loaded into a rimfire cartridge.
Category II: All Other Caliber Projectiles
Except as provided in Category I (.22 caliber rimfire), projectiles that otherwise would be classified as armor piercing ammunition will be presumed to be “primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes” under section 921(a)(17)(C) if the projectile is loaded into a cartridge for which the only handgun that is readily available in the ordinary channels of commercial trade is a single shot handgun. ATF nevertheless retains the discretion to deny any application for a “sporting purposes” exemption if substantial evidence exists that the ammunition is not primarily intended for such purposes.
BATFE is accepting comments until March 16, 2015 on this indefensible attempt to disrupt ammunition for the most popular rifle in America. Check back early next week for a more in-depth analysis of this “framework” and details on how you can submit comments.
https://www.nraila.org/articles/20150213/batfe-to-ban-common-ar-15-ammo
15 Feb ’12
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finally some common sense
Police union: 5.56mm ammo ban unnecessary
WASHINGTON, March 4 (UPI) -- The leader of a national police union this week said a proposal to ban armor-piercing 5.56mm pistol rounds would be less effective than the government thinks.
Last week, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it plans to outlaw steel-tipped 5.56mm ammunition because it now qualifies as an armor-piercing round. Sale of the ammo has been legal since 1986 because it's a round that could not, until recently, be fired from a handgun -- the stipulation necessary for prohibition of any bullet. Traditionally, the 5.56mm bullets have been fired only in AR-15 rifles.
In a 17-page report, the bureau cited new handguns that are able to fire the round, increasing the likelihood, the ATF believes, that the bullets will be used against law enforcement officers.
However, James Pasco, executive director of the Washington office of the Fraternal Order of Police, believes that banning the ammunition wouldn't amount to much additional protection.
"This specific round has historically not posed a law enforcement problem," he said in a report by the Washington Examiner. "While this round will penetrate soft body armor, it has not historically posed a threat to law enforcement."
With around 325,000 members, the Fraternal Order of Police is the largest organization of sworn officers in the world.
Read more: http://www.upi.com/T.....z3TWH1FiLC
15 Feb ’12
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what the
Common AR-15 Green Tip Ammunition Already Banned in New ATF Regulation Guide
On Friday February 13 at 4:00 pm, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms released a proposal to ban commonly used M855 "green tip" AR-15 ammunition under the guise of law enforcement safety. The same day the proposal was released, on a Friday of a three day holiday weekend, ATF opened up a shortened 30-day period for the public to submit comments about the new regulation.
But it turns out, ATF has been working on a ban of AR-15 "green-tip" ammunition for quite some time and has already issued the ban in its new, 2014 Regulation Guide. For reference, ATF Regulation Guides come out approximately every ten years.
When you take a look at the 2005 ATF Regulation Guide, you'll see an exemption for AR-15 "green-tip" ammunition, which means it exempted from the definition of "armor piercing" and therefore is legal on the federal level.
When you look at the last page of the new, most recent ATF 2014 Regulation Guide, which was published in January, there is no longer an exemption for AR-15 "green-tip" ammunition.
"The 2014 edition of the Federal Firearms Regulations Reference Guide contains information that will help you comply with Federal laws and regulations governing the manufacture, importation and distribution of firearms and ammunition. This edition contains new and amended statutes enacted since publication of the 2005 edition, as well as updated regulations and rulings issued by ATF. In addition to these updated materials, in response to inquiries received from industry members, the public, and partner agencies, the 2014 edition contains additional and amended Questions and Answers to assist with compliance," ATF Director B. Todd Jones states in the 2014 edition of the new Regulation Guide (emphasis mine). "Laws may change over time, as will information in this guide."
http://townhall.com/.....n-n1966761
so
January 2015: ATF published a new, OMB approved Regulation Guide stripping AR-15 "green-tip" from its armor piercing exemption list.
February 2015: ATF proposes a ban (which they've already put in place through their handbook published in January) on AR-15 "green-tip" ammunition and opens up a comment period.
March 16, 2015: The comment period about the proposed/already implemented ban on AR-15 "green-tip" ammunition closes, ATF ignores tens-of-thousands of comments because they were never going to consider them in the first place, and continues with the regulations outlined in the new 2014 Regulation Guide.
15 Feb ’12
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Looks like it got shot down
BREAKING: After Scrapping AR-15 Ammo Ban, ATF Director B. Todd Jones Resigning
According to one of my sources, ATF received a record breaking 300,000 comments about a February 2015 proposal to ban common AR-15 M855 "green tip" ammunition. ATF pulled the proposal after pressure from Congress and because the vast majority of comments were against the ban. The decision to pull the ban also came after ATF was caught in a "publishing mistake" in their 2014 Regulation Guidebook, which had already effectively banned the ammunition by stripping it of its "armor piercing" exemption before the public commenting period ended on March 13. The 2014 Regulation Guidebook has since been corrected and M855 "green tip" still has its exemption.
15 Feb ’12
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maybe not
A House Democrat is looking to revive a controversial bullet ban under the new leadership of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
In a letter first obtained by The Hill, Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) urges acting ATF Director Thomas Brandon to “act swiftly” to protect police officers from armor-piercing bullets. [READ THE LETTER BELOW.]
"In 2014 alone, 50 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty, a fact that underscores the necessity of the ATF to act swiftly to keep armor-piercing bullets that can be used in pistols off the streets,” Israel writes in the letter sent Tuesday.
Israel is requesting a meeting with the new ATF chief to discuss the stalled bullet ban.
Brandon took over this month after former ATF Director B. Todd Jones stepped down to pursue a career in the National Football League, following a failed attempt to prohibit certain armor-piercing bullets that are popular in AR-15 hunting rifles, but can also be used in handguns.
Republicans and the National Rifle Association warned the bullet ban would infringe on the Second Amendment right of hunters, who commonly use AR-15 rifles.
But gun safety advocates in Congress, including Israel, say these particular bullets present a grave danger to police officers, because they can also be used in more easily concealed handguns.
“The existing framework does not ensure that restrictions on armor-piercing technology keep up with new and rapidly developing firearm technology,” Israel wrote.
The fight began in February when the ATF proposed to ban 5.56mm projectiles for M855 cartridges commonly used in AR-15 rifles, but critics called it a backdoor attempt to render the high-powered gun useless.
Amid mounting political pressure, the ATF last month put the bullet ban on the back burner, but left the door open for future rule-making.
The National Rifle Association and Republicans claimed victory, but Democrats were furious with the ATF for not following through with the ban.
more http://thehill.com/regulation/administration/239690-dem-looking-to-revive-atf-bullet-ban
21 Feb ’12
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They are going to keep trying... and failing. The gun lobby is too strong and too many people own guns for this to go down. Sorry Barry, but fugeddaboudit.
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