ATF wants to ban 5.56mm M855 as AP ammo

[CAR-AR-M16]

According to only one article that I've seen, some states currently make it a felony to possess armor piercing pistol ammo. No grandfathering in. I'll just put this here.

"...Arguably the most disturbing part of the proposal is ATF’s dedication to implementing the new rule and associated disregard for the state-level ramifications of such a ruling. At this time, as many as twelve states (Alabama, California, Connecticut, Indiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Michigan, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas) explicitly forbid the possession of armor piercing ammunition. In several of these, possession constitutes a felony. Simply put, the proposal would instantly turn thousands of peaceable gun owners into felons simply because ATF chose to arbitrarily reclassify one of the most popular 5.56mm cartridges on the market. The consequences of such an action could be quite severe, but at minimum, thousands of gun owners will have sufficient standing to bring the agency to court...."

Oklahoma bans the possession, carrying, use, attempted use, manufacture, importation, advertising for sale or sale of any “restricted bullet.” A “restricted bullet” is a round or elongated missile with a core of less than 60% lead and that has a fluorocarbon coating, designed to travel at high velocity and capable of penetrating body armor. M855 does not meet that definition.

See (https://www.ok.gov/osbi/documents/SDA_Lawbook_NOV_2013.pdf) page 33.

 

[OKCHunter]

Oklahoma bans the possession, carrying, use, attempted use, manufacture, importation, advertising for sale or sale of any “restricted bullet.” A “restricted bullet” is a round or elongated missile with a core of less than 60% lead and that has a fluorocarbon coating, designed to travel at high velocity and capable of penetrating body armor. M855 does not meet that definition.

See (https://www.ok.gov/osbi/documents/SDA_Lawbook_NOV_2013.pdf) page 33.

I looked at this as well. A Restricted Bullet in Oklahoma has to have less than a 60% lead core AND fluorocarbon coating. I think we are okay with possession of M855 in Oklahoma. If anyone knows otherwise please speak up.

 

[OKCHunter]

I didn't see where I specifically listed Oklahoma, however, using your reasoning: M855 isn't an armor piercing round by definition, so it won't be banned. Crisis averted folks, nothing to see here. In all reality though, as easily as BATFE has changed their minds, a simply striking would be just as effective.

Oklahoma bans the possession, carrying, use, attempted use, manufacture, importation, advertising for sale or sale of any “restricted bullet.” A “restricted bullet” is a round or elongated missile with a core of less than 60% lead and that has a fluorocarbon coating, designed to travel at high velocity and capable of penetrating body armor.

I'm pretty sure that if Oklahoma tried to make that kind of revision to the law there would be a bunch of pissed-off rednecks and little to no compliance. Not to mention, a likely civil war within the borders of the state.

 

[CAR-AR-M16]

According to only one article that I've seen, some states currently make it a felony to possess armor piercing pistol ammo. No grandfathering in. I'll just put this here.

"...Arguably the most disturbing part of the proposal is ATF’s dedication to implementing the new rule and associated disregard for the state-level ramifications of such a ruling. At this time, as many as twelve states (Alabama, California, Connecticut, Indiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Michigan, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas) explicitly forbid the possession of armor piercing ammunition. In several of these, possession constitutes a felony. Simply put, the proposal would instantly turn thousands of peaceable gun owners into felons simply because ATF chose to arbitrarily reclassify one of the most popular 5.56mm cartridges on the market. The consequences of such an action could be quite severe, but at minimum, thousands of gun owners will have sufficient standing to bring the agency to court...."

I didn't see where I specifically listed Oklahoma, however, using your reasoning: M855 isn't an armor piercing round by definition, so it won't be banned. Crisis averted folks, nothing to see here. In all reality though, as easily as BATFE has changed their minds, a simply striking would be just as effective.

Oklahoma bans the possession, carrying, use, attempted use, manufacture, importation, advertising for sale or sale of any “restricted bullet.” A “restricted bullet” is a round or elongated missile with a core of less than 60% lead and that has a fluorocarbon coating, designed to travel at high velocity and capable of penetrating body armor.

The article you quoted "specifically listed Oklahoma".

You are correct in that M855 does NOT meet the definition of AP under Oklahoma law. It also does not meet the definition of AP under federal law. That is why everyone is upset about this. Federal law defines AP ammo as:

• 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

• 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.

M855 only has a small steel tip that make up a very small percentage of the projectile weight. The majority of the weight is lead and therefore not an AP round.

 

[CHenry]

http://bearingarms.com/atfs-armor-pi...-style-rifles/

 

[CharlieMurphy]

I think the most important thing to know here is when Congress approved the Gun Control Act, the writers specifically said the AP part was not intended for rounds that are consider primarily to be rifle rounds. This is a violation in the BATFe to "faithfully execute the law".

 

[cktad]

M855 only has a small steel tip that make up a very small percentage of the projectile weight. The majority of the weight is lead and therefore not an AP round.

The penetrator part is the steel and looks to me like it's close to a 1/3 of the core. And it is part of the core not just a small tip. Ammo sellers didn't help by advertising it as steel core.

 

[Glocktogo]

The penetrator part is the steel and looks to me like it's close to a 1/3 of the core. And it is part of the core not just a small tip. Ammo sellers didn't help by advertising it as steel core.

Irrelevant, it doesn't meet any of the legal definitions for AP, therefore it isn't.

 

[SMS]

Irrelevant, it doesn't meet any of the legal definitions for AP, therefore it isn't.

This. Every single discussion needs to to start and end with this point. All the discussions of "officer safety", what round penetrates what vests, and what is "sporting use" are distractions and play right into BATFE's hands.

The ATF does not have the legislative standing to ban this, because it isn't AP. Done. Full Stop.

 

[Foghorn]

Normal 556 will defeat soft armor? You'd be hard pressed to find very many Leo's who support this.
Most of already know our armor is not designed to stop any rifle rounds

Nothing screams poor craftsmanship like wrinkles in your duct tape