Free Republic

A majority in both the Senate and House — 52 senators, 238 House members — have joined to oppose the Obama administration's move to ban a popular type of ammo used in the top-selling AR-15 rifle and pistol because it pierces police body armor. A week after the House members, led by Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte, sent a letter of opposition to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley echoed that in his own letter signed by 51 others.In their letter, the senators said that the 5.56 M855 "green tip"...

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,...

If you’ve ever been to a public shooting range you might have experienced long lines to check in, buy targets and buy ammo. Well one shooting range in Pennsylvania is taking a more efficient approach to selling the ammo. The Beaver Valley Rifle & Pistol Club has installed a vending machine for ammo at their range. Also, the guy who installed it? He’s running for county sheriff. Sam Piccinini is a Republican candidate for sheriff who also owns the small ammo company that operates the machine.

Major effort to 'stop the administration's executive overreach again' The AR-15 rifle is one of the most popular firearms in the U.S. for target shooting and hunting. President Obama’s drive to ban a popular form of ammunition used in the AR-15 and other rifles is drawing new fire from conservative groups representing gun owners as well as members of Congress. A lawsuit has been threatened by the Second Amendment Foundation, which says the ploy is a backdoor attempt to do what the administration has failed to do through legislation — ban the AR-15. But the battle is heating up on...

Now the Obama Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are planning to ban ammo to one of the most popular types of rifle ammunition. The AP reported: The Obama administration is considering banning a type of ammunition used in one of the most popular types of rifles because it says the bullets can pierce a police officer’s protective vest when fired from a handgun. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is proposing the ban of some types of 5.56 mm rounds – or .223-caliber – used in widely available and popular AR-15-style rifles because the bullets can...

The White House said Monday that President Obama believes a ban on bullets commonly used with the AR-15 rifle will save police officers’ lives. “We are looking at additional ways to protect our brave men and women in law enforcement, and believe that this process is valuable for that reason alone,” said White House press secretary Josh Earnest. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is accepting public comment on an administration proposal to ban .223 M855 “green tip” ammunition most often used with AR-15 rifles. House lawmakers from both parties, as well as sportsmen and some law enforcement...

Over the past six years, concerns about the possibility of restrictive gun legislation have sparked unprecedented spikes in sales of firearms and ammunition. And state wildlife agencies, all benefiting from funding flowing from federal Pittman-Robertson excise taxes on those items, are still raking it in. But high demand for some popular ammunition caused huge manufacturer backlogs that led to sharp increases in wholesale and retail prices and left many store shelves empty of the most popular ammunition, particularly centerfire and rimfire rifle ammo.Over the past few months, that crunch has begun to ease. But problems finding ammunition - especially ammunition...

Jeff Knox explains why latest move by BATF is 'ridiculous' The Obama administration’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, or BATF, recently announced its intention to ban the manufacture, importation and distribution of popular SS109/M855 ammunition commonly used in AR-15 type rifles, based on the construction of the projectile it uses. This ammo served as the standard issue, 5.56 x 45mm round used by the U.S. military and most NATO countries around the world. It is commonly referred to as “Green Tip” because the military puts a bit of green paint on the tip of the bullet to help...

ATF Trying to Ban AR-15 Ammo Under Guise of "Law Enforcement Safety" Katie Pavlich | Feb 16, 2015 In its never ending goal to ban modern sporting rifles, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has proposed new regulations banning common AR-15 ammunition, arguing it's necessary to protect the safety of law enforcement officers. The NRA sounded the alarm late last week: You can read the bureaucratic language justifying the proposal here. The new proposal will allow Attorney General Eric Holder to determine if the ammunition in question qualifies under the broad definition of "sporting purposes." Current law gives ATF...

On Wednesday, February 11, the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (BATFE) suffered a humiliating federal court defeat that struck at the very core of its power. In response, it took the DOJ and the BATFE only two days to petulantly strike back at gun owners in the form of a late Friday order intended to ban a major type of ammunition for the single most commonly purchased rifle. (The BATFE’s “framework notice” released Friday evening is embedded at the bottom of this post.)Last week’s federal court summary judgment against the government in...

CBP officers at the Douglas port of entry seized 300 rounds of ammunition that was taped to the body of a man who was crossing into Mexico. Officers sent the 27-year-old man for further questioning on Feb. 10 as he attempted to cross into Mexico, according to a Customs and Border Protection news release. Officers searched the man and found six boxes of 9mm ammunition that were in his waistband and taped to his thighs. Officers seized the bullets and arrested the man.

At least 15,000 gun owners will get cheap shots at the upcoming Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Show, opening Wednesday at the Portland Expo Center. That’s how many permits will be issued on a first-come basis to show attendees – exhibitors included – allowing them to buy inexpensive short “bricks” of .22 caliber long rifle ammunition. 22 rimfire ammo, the most popular recreational shooting caliber, has been in short supply for years. So short, in fact, it flies from the shelves of most sporting goods stores as fast as it is stocked, and usually for high prices. Few major sources in the...

There is a serious threat to our right to bear arms because of narrow, monolithic and federally-controlled manufacture of essential ammunition components, smokeless powder (propellant), primers and cartridge brass. For example, there are only two manufacturers of smokeless powder in the U.S., one plant owned by defense contractor General Dynamics and another owned by defense contractor Alliant Systems (ATK). All other smokeless powder used in the U.S. is imported, and subject to immediate and arbitrary import restrictions. And, General Dynamics and Alliant Systems are subject to a standard condition of military contracts that 100% of their production may be commandeered...

January 11, former UK Security Minister Admiral Lord West said the terror attack in Paris means ammunition controls ought to be added to the UK’s already strict gun controls.

DARPA's Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance (EXACTO) program conducted the first successful live-fire tests demonstrating in-flight guidance of .50-caliber bullets in the spring of 2014. This video shows EXACTO rounds maneuvering in flight to hit targets that are offset from where the sniper rifle is initially aimed. EXACTO's specially designed ammunition and real-time optical guidance system help track and direct projectiles to their targets by compensating for weather, wind, target movement and other factors that could impede successful aim. The EXACTO program is developing new approaches and advanced capabilities to improve the range and accuracy of sniper systems beyond the current...

NEWPORT BEACH – Two people were in the Orange County Jail this week, after police stopped them in a van with automatic rifles and ammunition. The van contained seven AK-47 assault rifles, six 30-round high-capacity 7.62 caliber magazines, two 10-round magazines and more than 350 rounds of 7.62 caliber ammunition inside, Newport Beach police spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella said. Manzella said the arrests are significant because of the weapons seized. All of the guns were modified to fire in fully automatic mode, and one had a barrel less than 16 inches in length in violation of California state law, she said....

Practically from the moment after September 11, 2001, people started saying that the most effective way to fight Muslims was to lace American ammunition with pork. Finally, in 2013, an Idaho company came up with pork-laced ammunition for non-military customers: Jihawg Ammo today announced release of the industry’s first truly defensive ammunition.Not only does Jihawg guarantee that all of their ammunition meets or exceeds S.A.A.M.I. standards for velocity, penetration, and accuracy, they also coat each projectile with a special ballistic paint infused with pork to make it “Haraam” or unclean to a radical Jihadist.This makes Jihawg Ammo the only commercially...

Earlier this year, CBS News spotlighted a growing shortage of .22-caliber ammunition. "One of the most popular and common" -- and cheapest -- calibers of ammo for hunters and target shooters alike, CBS reports that .22 shells are in short supply these days. Interviewing one supplier, CBS reported that while as recently as two years ago it was still possible to buy .22-caliber ammunition "by the pallet-load... now they're putting restrictions on how much you can get and how you get that ammo." Retailers are shooting blanks This is a problem from ammunition retailers -- and for gun owners as...

It happens daily. Still. I get calls and e-mails asking where all the ammo is. Except it is not “all” ammo anymore. For the record, there is no conspiracy. There is no secret government contract. It’s not Bloomberg or Soros (even though their actions and pronouncements often increase demand. Ironic, huh?). The major domestic ammunition makers have been producing more ammunition than ever. They are all up in terms of total production—double, and in some areas, triple-digit increases. They are all running three shifts. And when it comes to center-fire cartridges, at least of three of the big makers are...

August 24, 2014 By: Money_Morning Shah Gilani writes: This is a warning. I’m not kidding.I heard something yesterday that blew me away. My friends know I like to target shoot. I don’t hunt, because I can’t kill anything living, but I like guns. Maybe it has something to do with wanting to be James Bond when I was a kid… OK, I still want to be 007. As other target shooters know, it’s gotten harder and harder to get ammunition. Fo a few years now, all kinds of stuff have been going around on the Internet about why ammunition is...