Obama’s proposed bullet ban angers gun lovers

Obama’s proposed bullet ban angers gun lovers

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms proposes to ban assault rifle bullets, much to the ire of the National Rifle Association

Gun-right advocates are furious over what they see as a sneak move by the Obama administration. In 2013, the president introduced legislation that would ban assault rifles as well as high-capacity magazine clips. The bill failed to get a majority vote in congress.

Now, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms is introducing a proposal that will ban the sale of assault rifle ammunition, including the popular 5.56mm ‘green tip’ bullets for AR-15 rifles. The proposal would outlaw the purchase and manufacture of such ammo, however, it would allow people already in possession of the bullets to use them up without consequence.

The stated motive behind the bill is that these bullets are a threat to law enforcement personnel because they can pierce bulletproof vests.

“Do civilians really need to walk around with handguns chambered for military-grade, armor-piercing bullets?” said Brian Malte of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

Many Second Amendment supporters cry foul. According to the 1986 Law Enforcement Officers Protection Act (LEOPA), 5.56mm bullets are exempt from the ban because they used in rifles by shooters and hunters, not criminals. However, the ATF claims that there are now handguns available that have been specifically designed to use these armor piercing bullets.

Over 100 members of Congress have signed a letter addressed to Todd Jones, the director of the ATF, opposing the ban.

“Millions upon millions of M855 rounds have been sold and used in the US,” reads the letter. “Yet ATF has not even alleged – much less offered evidence – that even one such round has ever been fired from the handgun at a police officer.”

The letter also claims that the ban “will interfere with Second Amendment rights by disrupting the market for ammunition that law abiding Americans use for sporting and other legitimate purposes.” It points out that the ban is no way to ensure criminals do not get their hands on the bullets.

The proposal has not yet taken effect. The ATF published the legislation in order to hold a 30-day comment period that ends on March 16. At this time, the new attorney general will decide whether or not to introduce it into law.

The National Rifle Association is hard at work getting its members to sign a petition to oppose the proposal.

Be social, please share!

Facebooktwittergoogle_plusredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *