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.
Why would anyone listen and abide by his executive orders, this worm constantly breaks laws, why not everyone else
Unconstitutional!
They attack, marshal law initiated, and that could be a long cold war to take back America to eject a Dictatorship under Obama and restore American Democracy. Its planning and planning, deception after deception until its too late. Then boom, suddenly everything changes. Its hypothetical, but can happen. And it starts with amnesty, refugees and illegal aliens being streamlined onto American soil. Its happened in Paris. Attack, many people killed, Marshal law imposed. Watch out for the pattern. It can happen. Simultaneously attacks in major American cities, Marshal Law imposed, then Dictatorship….
Just like when Obama couldn’t get his cap and trade bill passed he did an end run around congress using the EPA, first classifying carbon dioxide as a pollutant, and then putting restrictions on it. This having pretty much the same effect that his cap and trade bill had. Devious going against the American peoples will by weaponizing gov. agencies, that’s the behavior of a dictator.
Just add this one to the rapidly growing list of EO’s heading to the courts and eventually the USSC.
This obviously has nothing to do with the safety of LEO’s. There are zero significant statistics to back up this decision and ANY high powered rifle cartridges will defeat Level 2 body armor worn by the majority of LEO’s.
Executive order is not a law, lock and load America!! I will never be unarmed again!
Screw banning bullets or firearms sales OBAMA. Grow a pair, and walk without armed bodyguards through Detroit and say hands up don’t shoot !!
Terrorist in disguise !!
So I’ve got a Remington 700, .223, bolt action, uses the same ammo, how is he going to draw the difference?