Posted on 12/08/2012 7:23:14 AM PST by marktwain
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is taking public comments on its website until December 31, with regard to how it should determine what types of projectiles meet the "sporting purposes" exception to the federal "armor piercing ammunition" law. At this time, the question centers primarily around rifle-caliber projectiles made of metals harder than lead, such as the Barnes Bullets solid brass hunting bullets.
Under the law, adopted in 1986, "armor piercing ammunition" is defined as "a projectile or projectile core which may be used in a handgun and which is constructed entirely (excluding the presence of traces of other substances) from one or a combination of tungsten alloys, steel, iron, brass, bronze, beryllium copper, or depleted uranium." A second definition, added in the 1990s, includes "a full jacketed projectile larger than .22 caliber designed and intended for use in a handgun and whose jacket has a weight of more than 25 percent of the total weight of the projectile."
Because handguns have been made in certain rifle calibers, many bullets that were designed originally for rifles also "may be used in a handgun." If such projectiles are made of the metals listed in the law, they are restricted as "armor piercing ammunition" unless they meet one of the law's exemptions. Being considered at this time is the exemption for "a projectile which the Attorney General finds is primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes."
Last week, BATFE met separately with gun control activist groups, firearm industry groups, and groups representing hunters and other gun owners. The latter meeting included the NRA; Safari Club International; representatives of state wildlife agencies; and firearm and ammunition importers.
BATFE has expressed two opinions about the law and exemption that warrant particular scrutiny.
First, BATFE suggested that it believes that the "armor piercing ammunition" law was intended to affect all ammunition capable of penetrating soft body armor worn by law enforcement officers. NRA reminded BATFE that the law was intended to protect law enforcement officers against the potential threat posed a very narrowly-defined category of projectiles: those, such as KTW and Arcane, which by virtue of their hard metal construction were designed and intended to be used by law enforcement officers to shoot through hard objects, such as automobile glass and doors, when fired at the velocities typical of handgun-caliber ammunition fired from handguns. Neither before nor since the law's enactment, has an officer been killed due to such a bullet penetrating soft body armor.
NRA further pointed out that the legislative history of the law clearly shows that members of Congress, including the sponsor of the law in the House, Rep. Mario Biaggi (D-N.Y.), a decorated former NYPD police officer, expressly did not want the law to restrict rifle-caliber bullets that happen to also be useable in handguns chambered to use rifle cartridges.
Second, BATFE says it considers projectiles to not be exempt under the "sporting purposes" test if they "pose a threat to public safety and law enforcement." BATFE also expressed concern that since the law was adopted, various new rifle-caliber handguns have been invented. On that point, NRA made clear that the sporting purposes exemption is straightforward: it applies to all projectiles that are "primarily intended for sporting purposes"--nothing more, and nothing less. Under the law, a projectile would be exempt if it is primarily intended for sporting purposes, even if it is secondarily intended for self-defense or some other legitimate purpose. Furthermore, the law does not condition its restrictive language or its "sporting purposes" exemption on the design of a particular handgun; the law is concerned only with specific projectiles that can be used in handguns. NRA cautioned the BATFE against interpreting the law in a manner more restrictive than Congress intended.
For more information on ATF's position and information on how to submit comments by the Dec. 31 deadline, go to www.atf.gov/firearms/industry/.
I suppose he didn’t make his sales quota that month.
Back to spitballs and corks; I can see it coming.
Good grief, make a bullet out of a non lead metal to satisfy the greenies in Califpornia and the unintended result is it lets the darn BAFTE use it as a way to ban all handgun rounds other than the .22. The socialist leftists want your guns and are coming for them.
I say!use titanium.that bullet will penetrate anything..Even steel armor plate.
Please show me in my post where I used the word "agree" or anything like "compromise".
I merely discussed the three themes I took from the article.
Its not about a specific gun or type of ammo and it has nothing to do with Ft Hood. No, not specifically about Ft. Hood, but the article did make this delineation: Because handguns have been made in certain rifle calibers, many bullets that were designed originally for rifles also "may be used in a handgun." and it later specifically discussed "armor piercing" ammo.
I discussed this point in my post based on actual weapons I own and other types that I am familiar with. My example of Ft. Hood was in relation to FNs weapons and ammo which are available (even though another poster here claims there was no AP in the pistol).
I read the article, carefully. Probably more carefully than you read my response, based on your confused use of calling me 'confused' and claiming things you know nothing about whether I agree or disagree or not (I do not) - to the contrary, I called their ubiquitous "LEO and general public safety" claim a canard, and their "sporting-use" criteria absurd. How is this compromising or agreeing with them?
You joke about what they are doing. Your posts give the impression you support banning the ammo they discuss for the reasons they provide.
nuff said
I don’t find humor in the lefts attempts to ban firearms.
You get ‘impressions’ now.....can’t show actual words, now it’s impressions.
nuff said.
When Obozo begins the process of disassembling the 2nd amendment, they will come from all angles.
HHS regulations under Obozocare that would make lead a health hazard, guns as a human health hazard.
Through the EPA, the U.N., executive orders/cost prohibitive fees and taxes and through legislation in congress.
All military surplus FMJ rifle ammunition punches holes through mettle plate..
metal... ops
Well, I saw some feral pigs and some whitetails out there at Thanksgiving sporting body armor of some sort...
I guess we’ll have to start practicing those headshots...;-)
You really arent fit to be out in public.
Oh Geez....you reply to a comment of mine that contained no humor, but a discussion of the article’s points, yet ou later completely rely upon as dissatisfaction with the “impression” of my collective posts when you are confronted with contrary facts to your ridiculous assertions about the post to which you responded.
The posts that were humorous (in your words) weren’t even directed to you, but now seem to be the sole basis of your absurd responses to the point of outright abuse and claims of being unfit. You are the piece of work here, fella. You just can’t admit your post had no basis in fact.
I guess that comes with apparently being a 2A thought-Nazi Purist with no humor.
This whole set of guidelines/regulations is pretty much pointless and busybody krap. The first effect of the rule back when was to eliminate Chicom ammo from the market, most of which was soft-iron cored and would fail the magnetic check every time. It was cheap-—not armor piercing. If you gotta get hit by something it’s better if it’s armor piercing since it doesn’t expand, makes a clean hole. You can thank Bill Ruger for working to keep the low-end 7.62 X 39 semi auto rifles/ ammo out of the market. Beyond that the whole armor piercing discussion is pretty much pointless in terms of protecting cops or anyone else. By the time muzzle energy reaches 1400 ft-lbs in any gun/cartridge whoever the round hits, vest or not, is pretty much out of the fight——think Dirty Harry and his 44 magnum. The rules ought to be repealed and ATF ought to spend its energy cleaning up its act on the southern border.
“By the time muzzle energy reaches 1400 ft-lbs in any gun/cartridge whoever the round hits, vest or not, is pretty much out of the fight——think Dirty Harry and his 44 magnum. The rules ought to be repealed and ATF ought to spend its energy cleaning up its act on the southern border.”
If you were dealing with people of integrity all of that would make a difference.
Their agenda is to make private ownership of firearms a thing of the past. These type of arbitrary rules are very effective with that agenda in mind.
The only thing that needs to be examined and discussed are the locations of ATF, IRS facilities, their occupants, around the country.
Ins't Titanium too low-weight? I think you're thinking of Tungsten.
Add antimony to your cast lead bullets, and your bullets are harder than lead. The only bullets permitted for hunting in California are non-lead bullets, usually with copper, tungsten, or bismuth.
Of course lead is regulated by the EPA, so lead bullets will be banned too.
The Government can make any one of us an “overnight felon”.
Put a legal gun on the “assault weapon” list and if you don’t comply and register your once “legal” weapon, you become an Enemy of the State.
When I was a kid we used to say “First Registration, then Confiscation”. The Tyrants have it all figured out. They love Gun Control as much as Hitler did.
Look at what happened in Iraq and A’Stan. The Taliban figurd out that they could not get kill shots with the US troopers wearing body armor so they resorted to IEDs instead.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.