WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) today joined a group of senators challenging the Obama Administration’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) proposed ban on the M855 cartridge, an ammunition commonly used in the nation’s most popular rifle, the AR-15. This ammunition has been exempt under the 1986 Law Enforcement Officers Protection Act (LEOPA) due to the AR-15’s classification as “primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes.” Now ATF is seeking to remove this exemption and make it unlawful to purchase the ammunition.
In the letter, led by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), the senators detailed, “Earlier, ATF recognized the proper scope of LEOPA. ATF has always granted an exemption to the M855 5.56 x 45mm cartridge from the LEOPA ban because it recognized that this ammunition fell squarely within the ‘sporting purposes’ test. It did so because factually, as well as legally under the legislative language, such cartridges were and are widely used by millions of law-abiding gun owners for ‘sporting purposes.’ These cartridges are prevalent for one of the most commonly possessed rifles, the AR-15. Congress did not, and did not intend to, ban this form of ammunition.”
The senators added, “Second Amendment rights require not only access to firearms but to bullets. If law-abiding gun owners cannot obtain rifle ammunition, or face substantial difficulty in finding ammunition available and at reasonable prices because government entities are banning such ammunition, then the Second Amendment is at risk.”
I’m grateful that Sen’s Grassley and Ernst stood up for us on this proposed action by the ATF.
I do find it odd that a supposedly, grown man who has bragged about crapping his pants on numerous occasions, can now state that “20 year olds 18 year olds and 19 year olds historically make improper decisions.” If we were to turn back the clock to when he was 20 years old, I’m certain he was still the smartest person he ever met.
And still crapping his pants as well.
That seems to make sense. the government seems to be able to impose age restrictions on people for various things. I wonder why they don’t put a 30 year old age requirement for purchase of such weapons and ammunition. 20 year olds 18 year olds and 19 year olds historically make improper decisions.
Speak for yourself peter, my father gave me my first 22 when I was 10 years old and when I was 16 I was buying my own ammo. The first and ONLY thing my father taught me about guns was this, RESPECT. In junior high we had hunting safety classes and if you didn’t pass you couldn’t get a hunting license. We can’t help it if you are incompitant when it comes to weapons but don’t lump us in your class.
maybe, I like the idea of firearms training and safety classes. I took the NRA pistol course and I found it very informative and it probably saved my life on a couple misfire, hang fires, and squib fire shots with a dysfunctional pistol that I had to have serviced. my training taught me what to do. it is young people with no training and the ability to purchase that I worry about.
Do you know why they don’t have training? Because the government will not allow the parents to train them.