Just got this from Tom Mireno. We won another 2nd amendment battle. Our Founding Fathers told us to fear a government that tried to disarm its citizens.

Dear Mr. Ball:

Thank you for contacting me about the proposed ban on M855 ammunition. I appreciate hearing your views.

As you may know, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) is proposing a ban on some types of 5.56 ammunition, or 223 calibers, used in AR-15 style rifles. This rule change would affect “M855 green tip” or “SS109” rounds with certain types of metal cores. Any bullet that contains steel, iron, or brass would be included in the ban while all other bullets would still be legal. Until now, this type of ammunition was exempt from the federal Law Enforcement Protection Act (Public Law 99-408) since it has been primarily used for sporting purposes, including target shooting.

With the introduction of an “AR pistol”, which has the ability to fire the same type of ammunition, the Obama administration has considered eliminating this exemption. According to the ATF, this ammunition has the ability to pierce a police officer’s vest when fired from a handgun. The ATF’s proposed ammunition ban has been under consideration since 2011.

As a supporter of the Second Amendment and the American citizen’s right to bear arms, I am disappointed the Obama administration would use one of its agencies to enact rules that would infringe on the constitutional rights of Americans. Creating laws is the job of Congress and we are seeing too many over-reaching regulations coming from the Obama Administration. This is why I joined over 200 of my colleagues in the House of Representatives in a letter to ATF Director B. Todd Jones expressing our concern of the Obama Administration banning the second most common ammunition used for AR-15’s.

With all of that said, you will be happy to know that on March 10th, the ATF announced they would be dropping the proposed ban of this ammunition due to overwhelming disapproval from the general public. In what is a clear win for the 2nd Amendment, this shows that the Obama administration cannot use its agencies to advance his political agenda when the public speaks loudly enough.

Please continue to contact me on matters of importance to you. It is an honor to serve you in the House of Representatives.

Respectfully,

Tom Marino
Member of Congress