M855 5.56x45 ammo to be banned by by BATFE

[Kosciusko]

the ammo crunch is about to get crunchier

if you liked to shoot 62-grain M855  5.56 ammo

https://www.nraila.org/articles/20150213/batfe-to-ban-common-ar-15-ammo

from the article:

"In a move clearly intended <Edited> 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."

powder raid, anyone?

Kosciusko

<Edited by DrRichP in response to complaints. The discussion of modern politics is inappropriate for Appleseed and it violates the "No Modern Politics" rule. Thanks.>

[AFTERMATH]

No need to ban it, it's already gone!

Contact info on their report, states they'll be considering comments until March 15, 2015.
They've also got a facebook page.

If everybody, upset about this let 'em hear about it - they wouldn't be able sort through all the commentary for years.

http://www.atf.gov/sites/default/files/assets/Library/Notices/atf_framework_for_determining_whether_certain_projectiles_are_primarily_intended_for_sporting_purposes.pdf

[armaborealis]

I'm not an M855 shooter but I expect this move will have big ripples across the 5.56/223 marketplace.  There's a LOT of M855 sold and all those shooters who prefer green tip will have to move to other options.  Supply and demand and all that.

5.56 M193 ball prices are decent at ~3 rounds to the dollar so I'd lay back a few cases if you can financially afford to do so...  Wideners still has the excellent IMI MK262-clone match ammo available for $0.75/round.

It should go without saying...  be sure to write your congressmen and senators, and submit something to ATF's RFC.

[Surveyor1653]

Plain and simple, this is an AR ammo ban, not an AP ammo ban.

The GCA states:
(B) The term "armor piercing ammunition" means--
(i) 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; or
(ii) 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.
[Bold text added for emphasis]

The M855 bullet is comprised of a lead core with a steel penetrator in the nose.  The round was designed and intended to be fired from the M16 family of firearms, and from a 20" barrel. The M855 projectile fits neither of the two definitions within Article B of Section 17 of the GCA.  Pretty much every commercially-manufactured 223/5.56 round will defeat all common types of body armor in use by police.  That will happen whether it's fired from a rifle or an AR pistol, so banning this one model of bullet has no impact on officer safety whatsoever. If this domino is allowed to fall, any ammunition containing steel in any amount is likely to be next.

Comment to the ATF if you want, but the best route (in my opinion) is a loud and steady stream of comments to our Congressmen & Senators.

http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

[509gman]

There is nothing inherently "armor piercing" about m855, or 7n6 or m43 that were banned under this pretense before. Aye, they'll go through a police officers body armor, but so will m193 (another 5.56 load), so will any load for a center fire rifle, even when fired from one of these "pistols". The velocity, not construction, enables it to do so. The reason for this ban is false on its face.

[WinterRider]

A .22 mag will defeat soft armor, so yeah a ammo ban under false pretenses.
Time to write and fill up those mailboxes.

"We are very unhappy and we're going to write you a very stern letter telling you how displeased we are!"
-Hans Brix.

[Mutti]

A little perspective on the Rhyming of History

http://www.academia.edu/10621580/How_the_British_Gun_Control_Program_Precipitated_the_American_Revolution

[509gman]

A .22 mag will defeat soft armor, so yeah a ammo ban under false pretenses.
Time to write and fill up those mailboxes.

"We are very unhappy and we're going to write you a very stern letter telling you how displeased we are!"
-Hans Brix.

That's one of the new steel core exceptions: ".22 cal less than 40gr loaded into a rimfire cartridge". Wtf?

[GoldFish]

Interesting thoughts on the ban.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PaIIChRMBw