Through executive action, Obama has banned ammo for the top-selling AR-15 style semi-automatic, labeling them ‘cop killers’, and The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will put the ban of 5.56 mm ammo on a fast track, which already driving up price and demand.
Gun stores are now reporting an increase in price of 30% and an increase in demand of 1000%.
Wednesday night, Rep. Bob Goodlatte, the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, stepped in with a critical letter to the bureau demanding it explain the surprise and abrupt bullet ban. The letter is shown below.
The National Rifle Association, which is working with Goodlatte to gather co-signers, told Secrets that30 House members have already co-signed the letter and Goodlatte and the NRA are hoping to get a total of 100 fast.
“The Obama administration was unable to ban America’s most popular sporting rifle through the legislative process, so now it’s trying to ban commonly owned and used ammunition through regulation,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRA-ILA, the group’s policy and lobby shop. “The NRA and our tens of millions of supporters across the country will fight to stop President Obama’s latest attack on our Second Amendment freedoms.”
At issue is so-called “armor-piercing” ammunition, an exemption for those bullets mostly used for sport by AR-15 owners, and the recent popularity of pistol-style ARs that use the ammo.
The inexpensive 5.56 M855 ammo, commonly called lightgreen tips, have been exempt for years, as have higher-caliber ammunition that also easily pierces the type of soft armor worn by police, because it’s mostly used by target shooters, not criminals. The agency proposes to reclassify it as armor-piercing and not exempt.
But now BATFE says that since the bullets can be used in semi-automatic handguns they pose a threat to police and must be banned from production, sale and use. But, as Goodlatte noted, the agency offered no proof. Federal agencies will still be allowed to buy the ammo.
“This round is amongst the most commonly used in the most popular rifle design in America, the AR-15. Millions upon millions of M855 rounds have been sold and used in the U.S., yet ATF has not even alleged — much less offered evidence — that even one such round has ever been fired from a handgun at a police officer,” said Goodlatte’s letter.
Even some police don’t buy the administration’s claim. “Criminals aren’t going to go out and buy a $1,000 AR pistol,” Brent Ball, owner of 417 Guns in Springfield, Mo., and a 17-year veteran police officer told the Springfield News-Leader. “As a police officer I’m not worried about AR pistols because you can see them. It’s the small gun in a guy’s hand you can’t see that kills you.”
Many see the bullet ban as an assault on the AR-15 and Obama’s back-door bid to end production and sale.
“We are concerned,” said Justin Anderson with Hyatt Gun Shop in Charlotte, N.C., one of the nation’s top sellers of AR-15 style rifles. “Frankly, we’re always concerned when the government uses back-door methods to impose quasi-gun control.”
Groups like the National Shooting Sports Foundation suggest that under BATFE’s new rule, other calibers like popular deer hunting .308 bullets could be banned because they also are used in AR platforms, some of which can be turned into pistol-style guns. “This will have a detrimental effect on hunting nationwide,” said the group.
Obama is breaking the law, he DOES NOT HAVE THE LAWFUL ATHORITY TO DO THIS…!
Obama is committing a impeachable offense.
Quit with the fear mongering!
ONLY way AMERICA… IS to COME TOGETHER and MARCH on WASHINGTON DC. .and DRAG HIM OUT… he says MILLIONS of AMERICANS on HIS SIDE… I DONT SEE IT.. .WE need MILLIONS TO HIT Washington and DRAG him out of OUR HOUSE. WAKE UP…. it this dont wake you up nothing will!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have a Lathe and mill in my garage can make any bullet i want good luck scumbag come and take them
Are at least some of you people who are criticizing this action the same people who are always saying “Enforce the laws we already have!”? That is mostly what Obama is trying to do here. So are you ignorant, disingenuous or hypocritical?
Russell Mack you’ve zeroed in on one of the biggest obstacles to gun de-escalation: many if not most people who love guns “for protection” are delusionally paranoid, which is a legitimate mental illness. Many would not pass mental/emotional examinations. To sane people background checks and examinations for mental competence make perfect sense but to someone who is paranoid the idea is terrifying.
Ronald you are so wrong on that. You are saying the founders of this country were delusional.
They are the ones that wrote “shall not be infringed ” in the second amendment. What part of that is so damn hard to understand? It can’t be any clearer.
IMPEACH him for Treason and then lock him away…
Of course, there will NEVER be another shooting using this caliber.