Constitutional scholars and other protectors of the 2nd Amendment are trying to block a proposed ban on certain kinds of bullets by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) The BATFE, also known as the ATF, is a federal agency that primarily interferes with the rights of law abiding gun owners.
Through this agency, the President of the United States is using quasi-executive actions to impose gun control on the nation. He is targeting the top-selling rifle in the country, the AR-15 style semi-automatic, with a ban on one of the most-used AR bullets by sportsmen and target shooters. This is a great rifle and its production and sales significantly increased after this President’s election and re-election. I have owned an AR-15 for 20 years.
This latest abuse of executive power began with ATF’s plan for one particular type of bullet — a 5.56 mm “green tip.” It is found in SS109 and M855 cartridges, and it’s one of the more popular types of ammunition in America.
Last month, the ATF announced a proposal to remove an exemption that allowed gun owners to use this particular kind of ammunition.
The public has until March 16 to comment on the proposal. I am sure that the ATF will seriously assess those comments and then issue a final ruling.
Additionally, nearly 240 members of Congress signed a letter to ATF opposing the change.
This action by the executive branch will clearly impose a specific type of gun control on the nation.
Because the ATF says that banning this particular kind of bullet would leave gunowners with 168 other varieties of bullets to use in the same weapons does not erase that fact. If we continue to elect anti-gun public officials, I would expect to see this list grow.
Another weak argument by the ATF is that people who already have these bullets could still use them, but they wouldn’t be able to get any more in the future.
Well, removing the exemption for this type of bullet would have consequences. According to many shooting enthusiasts, the main impact on shooters is that their ammunition might cost more. Before this, you could get a green-point for about 40 cents a round. If you had to buy a commercial hunting grade cartridge, it could cost you $1 a round.
Another excuse used by the ATF and certainly the administration is that these type of bullets are “armor piercing” and can injure or kill police officers.
Now, I personally have great concerns regarding the safety and protection of our police officers. Many of our local officers are friends. However, these bullets have been around for decades and have shown little to no effect on officer safety. The fact that gun manufacturers are now creating pistols that support this ammo does not add to the false logic of the proponents of this ban.
Additionally, the proposal wouldn’t address other types of handgun ammunition that could pierce armor and would still be legal under the proposed change. Its counterparts have the same characteristics when you’re talking about piercing body armor.
It comes down to this. The administration does not like private citizens owning any firearms, particularly the semi-automatic AR-15. Fortunately, this administration is running out of time to create any more damage to our country or Constitution.
Even if you are not a sport shooter, let your member of Congress know how you feel about this proposed ban.