Surplus armor piercing ammunition — the same kind used by U.S. troops — might soon be much harder for the public to buy under a proposal being floated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Some ammo dealers in Springfield are citing the proposed federal crackdown as the cause of a recent run on the popular and inexpensive AR-15 round.
ATF announced last week it's reviewing whether to block ammo dealers from selling some kinds of armor piercing ammunition that has been legal to sell to the public since 1986.
The steel-tipped 5.56 mm rounds at that time were deemed to have a "sporting purpose," according to ATF because until recently they could only be fired from rifles.
But the agency says a new kind of firearm — a semiautomatic pistol based on a shortened AR-15 rifle — poses a threat to police officers since the smaller gun can fire armor piercing rounds that can blow right through an officer's protective vest.
ATF is seeking public comment through March 16 about its plan to end public sales of armor piercing 5.56 mm rounds.
Word of ATF's proposal sparked a run on ammo at some Springfield gun stores, and steep price spikes for steel-tipped military surplus ammo at some online ammo dealers. Rounds that sold for 25 to 30 cents apiece tripled at some some stores after BATF posted its proposal on its web site.
"We sold out of what we had in stock," said Ryan Cook, manager of Eagle Armory in Springfield. "We didn't have a lot in the store but I might have sold four or five cases after ATF's statement came out. I called our suppliers but they said there was none available to order. It's like the ammo shortage before. People are going to panic."
At Kelley's Police and Tactical Supply in Springfield, manager Michael Francis said the store had a good supply of ammunition on hand Friday and he hadn't yet seen panic buying taking place.
"I think there are some people out there trying to gouge prices on it because of what ATF is saying," Francis said. "But I've not had any calls from people saying 'I've gotta buy all you've got'."
He said many gun owners who come into the store are talking about ATF's proposal, fearing that this is the a first move that could lead to bans on other kinds of ammunition.
His advice?
"If that's the ammo you're shooting, you better get your hands on it now because soon it may not be here anymore," he said.
For gun owners who shoot a lot of 5.56 mm ammo, losing access to relatively low-cost military surplus ammunition typically bought in bulk could prove to be expensive. If ammo dealers can no longer sell the military surplus rounds, shooters might be faced with buying more expensive .223-caliber hunting ammunition — a round that's identical to 5.56 mm ammo but fires at lower pressure and isn't loaded with armor-piercing bullets.
Brent Ball, owner of 417 Guns in Springfield and a 17-year veteran police officer, said he didn't have any armor-piercing ammo in the store when ATF's proposal hit the Internet on Feb. 13.
He notes that most of the target ranges his customers use have steel targets that can be damaged by the steel-tipped rounds so they don't buy that kind of ammunition.
But he acknowledged many gun owners who have AR-style rifles do buy steel-tipped military surplus ammo for plinking, target shooting and home defense because it can be significantly cheaper than .223-caliber hunting ammunition.
Even though he's a police officer, Ball said he doesn't buy ATF's reasoning that AR pistols pose a serious threat to police officers. He showed an example of an AR pistol with a 7-inch barrel but the gun would be extremely difficult to conceal because of its overall length, Ball said.
"Criminals aren't going to go out and buy a $1,000 AR pistol," Ball said. "And as a police officer I'm not worried about AR pistols because you can see them. It's the small gun in a guy's hand you can't see that kills you."
Ball said he doesn't think ATF will follow through with the ban, based on the number of petitions against the move he is seeing online. However, he does think ATF's action will spur gun owners to grab up armor piercing rounds and cause the price to spike.
"Gun people tend to create their own drama," he said. "If we freaked out every time BATF discusses something we'd be freaking out on this all the time. Sometimes gun owners are their own worst enemy."
The Gun Control Act of 1968 banned any armor piercing ammo that could be fired in handguns as a way to protect police officers. According to ATF, armor piercing 5.56 mm ammunition was exempted from that ban because it had a sporting purpose for gun owners shooting it in rifles.
In 1992, ATF also exempted powerful .30-06 armor piercing rounds, making them legal for the public to buy. The agency's current proposal would halt sale of 5.56 mm armor piercing ammo because it can be used in pistol-sized firearms. However, since there are no multi-shot pistols currently designed to fire .30-06 rounds, BATF isn't seeking to ban those armor piercing rounds from public sale.
Dannette Seward, public affairs spokeswoman for ATF, said only "projectiles made out of specific materials, that can be used in a handgun, are subject to the statutory restrictions."
"As a result, manufacturers are – and will continue to be — free to manufacture projectiles from non-restricted materials (e.g., copper and lead)," she said.
She said ATF will review the public comments it receives, but couldn't say when the agency would make a final decision.
How to comment on BATF's proposal
There are three ways the public can offer input on BATF's proposal to ban certain armor piercing ammunition that's now legal to sell:
• ATF website: APAComments@atf.gov
• 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
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