Another executive action by Obama and Holder... https://www.nraila.org/articles/20150213/batfe-to-ban-common-ar-15-ammo http://www.atf.gov/sites/default/files/assets/Library/Notices/atf_framework_for_determining_whether_certain_projectiles_are_primarily_intended_for_sporting_purposes.pdf BATFE previously declared M855 to be “armor piercing ammunition,” but granted it an exemption as a projectile “primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes.” Now, however, BATFE says that it will henceforth grant the “sporting purposes” exception to only two categories of projectiles: Category I: .22 Caliber Projectiles A .22 caliber projectile that otherwise would be classified as armor piercing ammunition under 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(17)(B) will be considered to be “primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes” under section 921(a)(17)(C) if the projectile weighs 40 grains or less AND is loaded into a rimfire cartridge. Category II: All Other Caliber Projectiles Except as provided in Category I (.22 caliber rimfire), projectiles that otherwise would be classified as armor piercing ammunition will be presumed to be “primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes” under section 921(a)(17)(C) if the projectile is loaded into a cartridge for which the only handgun that is readily available in the ordinary channels of commercial trade is a single shot handgun. ATF nevertheless retains the discretion to deny any application for a “sporting purposes” exemption if substantial evidence exists that the ammunition is not primarily intended for such purposes. BATFE is accepting comments until March 16, 2015 on this indefensible attempt to disrupt ammunition for the most popular rifle in America. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5.56%C3%9745mm_NATO Well...looks like I'm in violation...big time !!
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is attempting to reclassify and ban the most common ammunition for the most popular rifle sold in the United States as “armor piercing,” in what appears to be a spiteful attempt by the Obama administration to cripple the supply of ammunition to AR-15 firearms that the President has long sought to ban. M855 ammunition is very popular as a practice and target round for AR-15 shooters, and is used in some kinds of hunting. Yesterday we discussed one way to strip the ATF of the power to ban common rifle ammunition that they are dishonestly attempting to reclassify as pistol ammunition, which is to make a simple change to the definition that the ATF is abusing. Some very sharp people have noted that we might not even need to go that far, as the M855 doesn’t meet either part of the two-part definition that the ATF is perverting. 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(17)(B) provides: (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. Let’s look at a picture of a cutaway M855 bullet. There are several variants of M855 bullets with slightly different steel insert base shapes, but they all follow this same basic design. A cutaway of the M855 bullet shows that it does not meet the definition of an “armor-piercing” bullet. There are two parts to the definition that ATF is perverting in application to the M855, the first part being, “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…” You’ll note that the definition requires the projectile or projectile core to be “constructed entirely” of one or a combination of hardened metal alloys. But as out cutaway clearly shows, the M855’s prjectile is constructed of a lead core (darker, denser metal in the rear) and a steel insert in the front of the bullet (lighter colored, lighter weight metal in the front). The M855 fails to meet the criteria to be classified as armor-piercing under part one of this two part definition. Attorney Dave Hardy of firearms law blog Of Arms and the Law also notes that the M855 likely fails the second part of the definition: …the M855 isn’t designed or intended for use in a handgun, its jacket is less than 25% of the weight of the projectile, and it’s debatable whether .223 can be called “larger than .22 caliber.” A diagram of 7N6 5.45×39 ammunition. The April 2014 ban on 7N6 ammunition for 5.45×39 caliber rifles also clearly fails to meet the second part of the definition, as the jacket is not designed or intended for use in a handgun, its jacket is less than 25% of the weight of the projectile, and the bullet diameter is precisely .22 caliber (.220″). Does the 7N6 meet the first part of the definition of “armor piercing?” It does only if the ATF goes against the express desires of the authors of the legislation, which clearly stated that it should not be applied to rifle ammunition. As we noted previously, the ATF’s clear perversion of the intent of the law can easily and permanently be fixed with a simple amendment added to any bill presently before Congress. This must not be allowed to stand. ========================= http://bearingarms.com/atf-lacks-le...bafbp&utm_medium=fbpage&utm_campaign=baupdate =========================
Free letter to BATFE on possible M855 ban... and a chance to win free M855 ammo...check it here: http://wewillnotbackdown.com/?utm_s... - 2-20-15)&mc_cid=b6b3d89c17&mc_eid=[UNIQID]
To leave comments at the BATFE site: VI. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ATF will carefully consider all comments, as appropriate, received on or before March 16, 2015, and will give comments received after that date the same consideration if it is practical to do so, but assurance of consideration cannot be given except as to comments received on or before March 16, 2015. ATF will not acknowledge receipt of comments. Submit comments in any of three ways (but do not submit the same comments multiple times or by more than one method): ATF website: APAComments@atf.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Fax: (202) 648-9741. Mail: Denise Brown Mailstop 6N-602 Office of Regulatory Affairs Enforcement Programs and Services Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives 99 New York Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20226 ATTN: AP Ammo Comments. =============================== FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Denise Brown Telephone: (202) 648-7070. ================================
This is the third letter I sent...and I urge all of you to join me in this fight !!Thank you... Letter follows: ====================== As a proud supporter of the 2nd Amendment, I write you today to OPPOSE the proposed "armor piercing" ammunition regulation as provided in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE) notice. Specifically, I urge the BATFE to REJECT the Proposed Regulation and maintain the current exemption for M855/SS109 5.56x45mm ammunition. The ammunition targeted by the Proposed Regulation is unquestionably one of the most popular “sporting purpose” ammunition types on the market. Moreover, the ammunition is commonly acquired, possessed, and used by millions of Americans for lawful purposes like self-defense, making the ammunition protected from an outright ban under the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. (See, e.g., District of Columbia v. Heller, 128 S.Ct. 2783 (2008).) BATFE must maintain the status quo and avoid infringing on the fundamental, individual rights of law-abiding people. In the alternative, the underlying categorical ban on many common ammunition cartridges will fail the legal challenge that is sure to come. Again, I urge the BATFE to REJECT the Proposed Regulation and maintain the current exemption for M855/SS109 5.56x45mm ammunition. Thank you. Signed, xxxxx xxxxx ( name ) xxxxx xxxx ( address ) xxxxxxxx xxxxx ( city state zip ) ======================== https://www.firearmspolicy.org/act/ ========================
How to find your State Representative(s): http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/ How to find your State Senator(s): http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm It literally takes less than 10 minutes to pull up their emails, paste in a letter and change info to match your state and salutation to match your legislator. Please take the time to defend your rights under the 2nd Amendment...Thank you !!
This from Hornady Manufacturing... Contact ATF: Oppose 5.56 M855 Ball Ammunition Ban The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) unexpectedly announced that it intends to ban commonplace M855 ball ammunition as "armor piercing ammunition." The decision continues Obama's use of his executive authority to impose gun control restrictions and bypass Congress. Use the sample letter below to write the ATF and voice your opposition to this ban! ATF will accept comments on this proposal until March 16, 2015. Email or write ATF today and tell them you oppose this unnecessary, misguided and damaging ban on commonly used ammunition for America's most popular sporting rifles. Additional information can be found at https://www.nraila.org/articles/20150218/your-action-urgently-needed-to-prevent-batfe-from-banning-common-rifle-ammunition. Email: APAComments@atf.gov Fax: (202) 648-9741. Mail: Denise Brown Mailstop 6N-602 Office of Regulatory Affairs Enforcement Programs and Services BATFE 99 New York Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20226 ATTN: AP Ammo Comments. =========================== Feel free to use or edit the following sample letter, which can be emailed or snail-mailed to the ATF: ============================ Your Name Address City, State ZIP Your phone number (optional) Your email address (optional) ATTN: AP Ammo Comments Dear Sir or Madam: I oppose an ATF ban on 5.56 M855 ball ammunitions. It has come to my attention that the ATF is seeking public input on a proposed ban on 5.56 M855 ball ammunitions. I am contacting you today, to tell you I solidly oppose this ban. Law-abiding American citizens have been using 5.56 ball ammunition for sporting purposes for decades, so this legislation appears to be a case of the government arriving at a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist. Through this proposed ban, ATF disproportionately focuses on how criminals might use sporting ammunition in a handgun. Classifying criminals as a “consumer group” in the ATF’s white paper on this topic is also disturbing, as it further implies that the industry purposely sells firearms and ammunition to this element. I urge the ATF to permanently drop the proposed ban of 5.56 M855 ball ammunition. Sincerely, Your Name, Title =============================== We must keep up the pressure until the deadline of March 16, 2015 Thank you !!
The Obama Administration has take the incredibly brazen completely normal tact of blatantly lying to the White House Press Corps about the M855 cartridge, and the Administration’s goal in banning the most common bullet made for the most popular rifle sold in the United States: 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 officials, are objecting the move. Mr. Earnest called it a “common-sense step.” “The president has long believed that there are some common-sense steps that we can take … to ensure that we’re protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans while also taking some common-sense steps to prevent people who shouldn’t have guns from getting them,” he said. Mr. Earnest added, “This seems to be an area where everyone should agree that if there are armor-piercing bullets available that can fit into easily concealed weapons, that it puts our law enforcement at considerably more risk.” Let us list the fabrications told by the White House Press Secretary about M855 ammunition and AR-15 pistols, and then explain the magnitude of these clear and intentional falsehoods. M855 is not “armor-piercing bullet” by either military definition or by U.S. federal law definition in LEOPA (Law Enforcement Officers Protection Act of 1986). M855 is actually common “ball” ammunition that does less damage than almost any other 5.56 NATO or .223 Remington cartridge made. AR-15 pistols are anything but “easily concealed weapons.” Background Barack Obama’s goal of banning modern semi-automatic firearms and standard capacity magazines after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 failed in Congress, and so he has apparently tasked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and firearms with the “the next best thing,” which is heavily restricting ammunition for those firearms. The ATF’s first target was inexpensive and obsolete Russian 7N6 military ammunition common in 5.45×39 AKM-pattern rifles, which was banned from import in April of 2014. This was the single largest source of 7N6 ammunition, which is the most common and inexpensive load used by American shooters of the 5.45×39 cartridge. The Obama Administration has now set its sights on a much larger target, the M855 ball ammunition that is among the most common ammunition made for the best-selling rifle year in and year out in the United States, the AR-15. The administration’s attack is on all AR-15 rifles, using the tiny number of AR-15 pistols and a perversion of law as an excuse. A cutaway view of M855 ammunition. 80% of the weight of the bullet is the darker lead core of the projectile, and the thin jacket is nearly irrelevant. The mild steel insert keeps the bullet from deforming and causing serious injuries, unlike prior and more recent designs. It is not considered armor-piercing by either federal law nor by the military forces of the world. Not Armor-Piercing By Any Definition M855 is not considered armor-piercing by either federal law, nor by the military forces of the world. The armor-piercing ammunition used by the U.S. military is M995, which uses a solid tungsten core to pierce the armor of enemy fighting vehicles and modern military body armor. Unlike the standard ball M855 round, the M995 is actually armor-piercing in function and under federal law, with a solid tungsten penetrator for use against lightly-armored vehicles. It is not sold to civilians. Under federal law, M855 ball ammunition doesn’t meet either part of the two-part definition of “armor piercing” in the Law Enforcement Officers Protection Action (LEOPA) of 1986 that the Obama Administration is attempting to pervert. 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(17)(B) provides: (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. Far from being a “projectile or projectile core,” “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,” the core of the M855 is soft lead, like the vast majority of bullets. 80-percent of the M855’s total weight is the bullet’s lead core. The projectile is also neither “designed nor intended for use” in a handgun, but was designed in the 1970s for rifles with 20″ barrels, when AR-15 pistols didn’t even exist. Further, the jacket of the projectile is far less than, “25 percent of the total weight of the projectile.” Try about 5-percent. The M855 isn’t “armor-piercing” by military definition, and isn’t close to meeting any part of the definition for being classified as “armor-piercing” under U.S. federal law. The Obama Administration is blatantly lying, and the worst part of that lie is that they are actually increasing the risk to law enforcement officers, but essentially forcing everyone to acquire more deadly bullets. M855 is LESS damaging than almost any other common 5.56 NATO bullet The M855 is considered to be standard ball ammunition which causes less damage to human beings than virtually every other kind of 5.56 ammunition, including the all-lead 55-grain M193 round that it replaced. NATO actually pushed the United States to adopt the Belgian-designed SS109 cartridge as the M855 because they felt that the American-made 55-grain M193’s tendency to yaw and then fragment was “inhumane” and possibly illegal under the Hague Convention of 1899, Declaration 4 against “bullets which expand or flatten easily in the human body.” 80% of the weight of the M855 bullet is the darker lead core of the projectile, and the thin jacket is nearly irrelevant. The mild steel insert keeps the bullet from deforming and causing serious injuries, unlike prior and more recent designs. Yes, you read that correctly: the M855 was pushed on the U.S. military as a less deadly bullet.
American forces complained regularly about the spectacular failure of the M855 to stop enemy combatants, at least since the 1993 raid turned rescue mission in Mogadishu, Somalia, that became famous in the movie, “Black Hawk Down.” The M855 cartridge was a spectacular failure in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, Somalia, where Delta Force operators firing the round out of CAR-15 carbines reported that Somali militiamen took multiple rounds without immediate effect. The 10.5″ barrels of the carbines did not let the cartridge attain enough velocity to cause significan damage. The failure of the M855 in short-barrel rifles like the CAR-15, the M4 carbine, and in M16s (when the bullet dropped below 2,500 FPS velocity) led the U.S. Army, SOCOM, and the Marines to develop different and more effective bullets, which have now almost completely replaced the M855 in combat. The failure of the M855 to generate fight-stopping wounds is even more pronounced in AR-15 pistols with 7.5″ barrels that the Obama Administration is attempting to portray as such a significant threat to law enforcement. At the low velocities of a pistol, the M855 creates narrow “icepick” type wounds which do not incapacitate attackers, and which are far easier to heal from than almost any other 5.56 or .223 Remington bullet. Put another way, the M855 is is high demand for punching paper targets, but stinks at stopping people. By forcing this ammunition off the market with it’s false and spiteful reclassification of M855 as “armor-piercing,” the Obama Administration is ensuring the widespread adoption of more deadly bullets for law-abiding citizens and criminals alike. AR-15 pistols are not “easily concealed weapons” by any definition An AR-15 is, at its core, always a rifle. The upper and lower receivers, buffer tubes and magazines of AR-15s are always the same size as that of an AR-15 rifle, regardless of whether the barrel is shortened, or the stock is removed. Here is a screen capture of YouTube Gun enthusiast Hank Strange shooting an AR-15 pistol from one of his videos. Does this look “easily concealable?” No reasonable person can call a large, bulky firearm that weighs 5 lbs “easily concealable.” The footprint of an AR-15 “pistol” is massive, no matter how it is defined. In that regard, it has a lot in common with the lies of Josh Earnest and the Obama Administration. Conclusion: It’s not about saving police, but hurting gun owners To date, there are precisely ZERO recorded incidents of American law enforcement officers being fatally shot through their body armor with M855 ammunition out of an AR-15 pistol. None. So why would the Obama Administration put so much time and energy in attempting to ban M855 ammunition? The AR-15 is the most popular rifle sold every year in the United States since Barack Obama was elected President, and the M855 ammunition is the most common and economical form of that ammunition. In manufacturing an excuse to ban M855, Obama is attempting to hurt all those Americans who have purchased AR-15-style rifles, as he’s already punished those shooters who own 5.45×39 rifles and who once enjoyed shooting economical 7N6 surplus ammunition. Put bluntly, this is nothing more or less than a big “foxtrot uniform” (NSFW) to gun owners from a petty and vindictive President who has a long and storied history of spiteful attacks against those he does not like. In the end, we’re being charitable when we chalk up Obama’s attempt to ban M855 as a scornful and clearly unconstitutional attack on the Second Amendment. Others are viewing it as a prelude of an attempt to ban all rifle ammunition, as all centerfire rifle ammunition commonly used for hunting and target shooting will penetrate police body armor designed to stop pistol bullets. We’ve fought wars in this nation for less, starting with a little attempt to confiscate ammunition in the towns of Lexington and Concord on a chilly April morning in 1775. Tread carefully, Mr. President. ================================ http://bearingarms.com/white-house-blatantly-lied-media-m855-ammunition-heres-matters/ =====================================
ATF Framework for determining whether certain projectiles are primarily intended for sporting purposes... ( 17 page PDF ) http://www.atf.gov/sites/default/fi..._primarily_intended_for_sporting_purposes.pdf
BREAKING 3/6/2015: Obama Administration Already Banned M855 Ammo, Illegally The ATF already decided—unilaterally and in violation of federal law—to ban incredibly common M855 ball ammunition in January. 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, 2015 Regulation Guide. The Office of Management and Budget must review and approve ATF Regulation Guides, which again, come out approximately every 10 years. This can take months and changes to Regulation Guides are not easily or often made. Because of the lengthy amount of time it takes for OMB to approve a new ATF Regulation Guide, ATF’s comment period is just for show. ATF officials and the White House have (and never did) no interest in actually listening to or considering comments that are currently being submitted. The exemption for the ammunition in question has already been stripped out of the regulation handbook moving forward and “green-tip” has been reclassified as “armor piercing.” The rules have been changed. Further, because of local rules and regulations in different states across the country having their own “armor piercing” standards based on ATF regulations, thousands of people in possession of AR-15 green tip ammunition have been turned into felons overnight. When you’re done, I’d like to see if any of you can help me understand how a coldly calculated effort to go around the Legislative branch, grossly exceed their legal regulatory authority, violate the Administrative Records Act, and undermine the Second Amendment, isn’t the act of a rogue and tyrannical Executive Branch. This criminal action is worthy of not just a congressional oversight investigation, but an independent counsel’s investigation of the ATF, Department of Justice, and the White House for possible violations of federal law. =============================================================================== Article: http://bearingarms.com/breaking-oba...bafbp&utm_medium=fbpage&utm_campaign=baupdate ========================================================================================= 2005 ATF Regulation Guide ( 243 page PDF ) http://www.atf.gov/files/publications/download/p/atf-p-5300-4.pdf =========================================================================================
House Representative Robert Goodlatte letter to BATFE Director B. Todd Jones... ( 16 page PDF ) ========================== https://dcpr00gbauvhc.cloudfront.ne...to-atf-director-jones-apa-framework-final.pdf =========================
ATF Federal Firearm Regulations Reference Guide 2014... ( 237 page PDF ) ===================================== https://www.atf.gov/sites/default/f...ated_2014_firearms_reference_guide_3-7-15.pdf ==================================== Page 190 ( if you want to see it in Black & White )... In addition, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 added to the definition of armor piercing ammunition the following: "... 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." Exemptions: The following articles are exempted from the definition of armor piercing ammunition: 5.56 mm (.233) SS 109 and M855 Ammunition, identified by a green coating on the projectile tip. U.S. .30-06 M2AP, identified by a black coating on the projectile tip.
BREAKING: ATF Will Not Ban Popular M855 AR-15 Ammunition In a short statement issued March 10, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives backed away from its proposed ban on the sale and manufacture of the popular M855 round used primarily in AR-15 rifles. The ATF proposed a new method for determining which so-called "armor-piercing" ammunition that could be fired from a pistol should be restricted, and said it had received more than 80,000 comments that were "critical of the framework." "Although ATF endeavored to create a proposal that reflected a good faith interpretation of the law and balanced the interests of law enforcement, industry, and sportsmen, the vast majority of the comments received to date are critical of the framework, and include issues that deserve further study," the ATF said in a statement. "Accordingly, ATF will not at this time seek to issue a final framework." The original proposal which was released last month prompted a strong reaction from the shooting public, with most seeing the move as a way for the Obama Administration to regulate gun ownership through executive action after being stymied by Congress. Major news networks covered the story and the National Rifle Association lobbied hard to keep the regulation at bay. The ATF argues that since the M855 round incorporates some steel in its construction and can be fired from an AR-style pistol, it is in violation of the 1986 Law Enforcement Officer Protection Act which bans pistol rounds that can penetrate soft body armor worn by police. Gun owners argued that all rifle ammunition is technically armor-piercing due to its velocity, and that if the ATF could ban M855, it could eventually ban all rifle ammunition. The White House sided with the ATF, saying the M855 ban was a "common sense" solution to an emerging threat to law enforcement, but there has so far been no documented case where a police officer was threatened by M855 rounds fired from an AR pistol. And after a major backlash in Congress, including a letter to the ATF signed by more than 250 lawmakers and a bill introduced in the House to bar the ATF from any future ammo bans, the gun regulating agency relented. "ATF will process the comments received, further evaluate the issues raised therein, and provide additional open and transparent process (for example, through additional proposals and opportunities for comment) before proceeding with any framework," the ATF said. ====================================== http://www.grandviewoutdoors.com/ar...ar-m855-ar-15-ammunition#sthash.JjcTEXq2.dpbs ======================================
Shooter 13: Thank you for the excellent coverage and analysis of this event. I will be forwarding this page to my shooting buddies.
BREAKING: After Scrapping AR-15 Ammo Ban, ATF Director B. Todd Jones Resigning “ATF employees are hard-working, dedicated individuals who serve the public to make our nation safer every day,” said Jones. “I have seen firsthand their extraordinary commitment to combatting violent crime, ridding the streets of criminals, and leveraging all available resources to keep our communities safe," Jones said in a statement. “I will truly miss leading and working side-by-side with these men and women in their pursuit of ATF’s unique law enforcement and regulatory mission." Jones confirmed in a statement sent to ATF employees and agents that he will be returning to the private sector and said he never planned to stay longer than 18 months in the position. His last day at the Bureau will be March 31. "On March 31, 2015, I will be leaving ATF and Federal government service and returning to the private sector. I am pleased to tell you that Deputy Director Tom Brandon will serve as Acting Director upon my departure. When I came to ATF in August 2011 to serve as the Acting Director, I only expected to stay about 18 months; I was fortunate to stay more than three years, part of that as a Senate-confirmed Director. During that time, as a result of your efforts, ATF has continued – efficiently and effectively – to protect the public and make a difference in the communities it serves," Jones said. Attorney General Eric Holder has also released a statement about Jones' departure.
M855 – A One-Year Retrospective: Remember a year ago – February 13, 2015, to be precise – when the Obama administration presented a convoluted rationale by which M855, the second most popular variety of ammunition used in the nation’s most popular rifle, was to be banned ? At the time, Obama’s White House spokesman said that banning M855 would be a “common sense step” about which “everyone should agree.” Banning the ammunition would mean “greater gun safety,” proclaimed the New York Times. Failure to ban it would be “untenable” and “preposterous,” pontificated the Washington Post. Or, as the Los Angeles Times put it, “another loss for public safety.” They all said that the ban was necessary to protect law enforcement officers, as did the increasingly inconsequential Brady Campaign and Violence Policy Center. How the proposed ban played out was chronicled extensively in NRA-ILA Grassroots Alerts from February 13 through March 13, 2015. Suffice it to say now that the ban was opposed by law enforcement experts, 238 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, 53 U.S. senators, 80,000 Americans who submitted comments to ATF, and the NRA. And in the end, the ban was shelved. And the result ? The same that followed gun control supporters’ prediction, during the 1970s and 1980s, that crime would rise unless handguns were banned. And the same prediction, beginning in 1987, when there were 10 Right-to-Carry (RTC) states, that RTC laws would cause crime to rise. And the same prediction, beginning in 1989, relative to banning some or all semi-automatic firearms and magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition. Since those predictions, the number of handguns Americans own has nearly quadrupled, the number of Right-to-Carry states has more than quadrupled, the numbers of semi-automatic firearms and their ammunition magazines have risen by even greater margins, and violent crime has fallen to a 44-year low. And as for M855, well, when was the last time you heard anyone in the law enforcement field mention it ? Today, the anti-gunners’ worn-out “sky-is-falling” prediction centers around background checks for private transfers of firearms. Same degree of hyperbole. Same type of rhetoric. Same shameless use of distortion. And the White House continues to act unilaterally to try to impose gun control on the U.S. We’ve said it before, gun control advocates are counting on American voters to have short memories this November. If you don’t want more of the same, choose wisely and vote freedom first.
