A brief review of how vulnerable our civil rights are to bureaucratic fiat...
Surplus M855 ammunition, also known as NATO SS109, is commonly used by AR-15 rifle owners as a relatively economical source for hunting, target-shooting, and developing their proficiency with our nation's service rifle.
On February 13th of this year the BATFE first proposed a ban on M855 ammunition as "armor-piercing ammunition." On March 4th, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R, VA-06) sent a letter signed by McHenry and 238 House colleagues raising concerns about the Administration's proposed ban. Following over 80,000 public comments, the ATF backed down and announced on March 10th they would rescind their proposed ban while leaving open the possibility of reconsidering the framework in the future.
Chief Deputy Whip Patrick McHenry (R, NC-10) introduced H.R. 1365, the Ammunition and Firearms Protection Act. H.R. 1365 would prevent the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) from classifying M855 ammunition as armor-piercing and from instituting any ban on the sale and manufacture of ammunition that is intended, marketed, and sold for rifle use.
"The proposed ban is but the latest step in President Obama's assault on our Constitution and Bill of Rights," McHenry said. "While I'm glad the ATF acknowledged the vast public and Congressional outcry against this plan," McHenry continued, "they have still left open the possibility that it could be proposed again in the future and many Congressional Democrats have called for just that. The Ammunition and Firearms Protection Act would put an end to this attack on our Second Amendment by ensuring this popular ammunition used by countless law-abiding American sportsmen remains available and not subject to any future ATF bans."
If passed, H.R. 1365 would prevent the ATF from proposing any future bans on ammunition used legally.
/fl