Twenty state attorney generals led by anti-gun New York AG Letitia James have written a letter to Stefanie Feldman, Director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, asking the Biden Administration to prevent ammunition from the Army’s Lake City Ammunition Plant from being sold to civilians.
“We write on behalf of the States of New York, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington (the “States”) to express concern about recent reports that billions of rounds of military-grade ammunition manufactured at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant have been sold on the commercial market, leading to their use in many of the most tragic mass shootings in recent history,” the letter reads. “We ask your Office to conduct an investigation into the contracting processes that led to this situation, and to take action to ensure that military-grade and military-subsidized ammunition stays out of civilian hands.”
Live Inventory Price Checker
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Winchester M855 62 gr FMJ Green Tip 5.56x45mm Ammunition 20 Rounds - USA855K | Palmetto State Armory | $ 14.99 $ 13.49 |
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AAC "Sabre Blade Black Tip" 5.56 NATO 55 Grain 20rd Box Ammunition | Palmetto State Armory | $ 10.99 $ 8.99 |
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AAC "Sabre Blade Black Tip" 5.56 NATO 62 Grain 20rd Box Ammunition | Palmetto State Armory | $ 12.49 |
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AAC "Sabre Blade Black Tip" 5.56 NATO 62 Grain 20rd Box Ammunition | Palmetto State Armory | $ 12.49 |
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Winchester currently runs the Lake City Ammunition Plant and produces 5.56mm ammunition for the United States Army. Winchester is allowed to sell any excess rounds to civilians. This process saves the American public millions of taxpayer dollars by offsetting the cost of running the plant.
The letter asks for any contract to run the ammunition plant to include the clause that would ban the sale of ammunition to the civilian marketplace. It claims that the 5.56mm rounds are of a “military nature” and specifically made for the M16. It states that the rounds should be limited to only the military. The letter doesn’t mention how the U.S. military used the much more powerful .308 rounds before the Vietnam War, and one objection to switching over to the 5.56mm round was that it was underpowered. The Pentagon made the switch to allow soldiers to carry more ammunition since the 5.56 round is much smaller.
“Ammunition from Lake City is manufactured for military use and does not belong in our communities,” the letter reads. “Federal courts have repeatedly noted the military nature of 5.56-millimeter rounds, which are used in military issued rifles, such as the M-16. Military-style weapons – and the ammunition specifically manufactured for them – should be limited to military use. Even if military-grade ammunition were appropriate for the civilian market, its sale to private parties should not be subsidized by taxpayer dollars.”
The letter cites four mass shootings that allegedly used ammunition from the Lake City Ammunition Plant. It did admit that billions of rounds have been sold to the civilian population, meaning that the amount of Lake City rounds used in crimes is statistically insignificant. The letter seems to be trying to pull at Ms. Feldman’s heartstrings to push her to take action against the ammunition market.
The AGs want a public report about how to stop whatever company will run the Lake City Ammunition from selling to the American public in the future. With rising ammo costs, many believe this move is a way to squeeze the market even more than it is already squeezed.
This move appears to be another way of trying to enact backdoor gun control. If Democrats cannot ban guns, they will use lawsuits to make operating a firearms business cost prohibited. If that fails, attacking ammunition is just another means to an end. That end is infringing on the rights of Americans to keep and bear arms.
About John Crump
John is a NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. He has written about firearms, interviewed people of all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, or at www.crumpy.com.
It seems kind of obvious that the antiprogs, now suffering so many defeats in their quest to get firearms away from the people, have gone to Plan B, get rid of the ammunition manufacturers instead. If I hadn’t already been reloading since 1976, I’d sure start now! If one can make their own ammo, the rules followed by the factories become mostly irrelevant. With one’s own ammo factory in the garage or basement, who cares what Lake City or CZ and Vista Outdoors do? P.S. Dillon Precision in AZ is a great company, and not many good ones are left.… Read more »
Them maybe we shouldn’t tell them about this either.
https://defcad.com/library/9a23ab9d-73a4-43a2-b746-d3397a22027a/
That’s funny, 5.56 is in common use under 2A.
Regardless of what they want, Winchester owns the plant. They are only a under contract to sell the specified contractual quantity to the government.
Anything above and beyond that is the fruit of their labor and is therefore theirs to do as they please.
Or they can make “civilian” 5.56 at another plant and double the military price.
Given cost of Lake City ammo relative to other offerings, it is hard to believe that government is subsidizing civilian production. As article describes civilian purchases are subsidizing military production.
We need to all request AG’s of reasonable states write an opposing letter.
Psst!
Don’t tell them that PMC and Prvi Partizan sell the same stuff.
https://www.ammunitiondepot.com/326-pmc-x-tac-556-nato-62-grain-green-tip-lap.html
https://ammoseek.com/ammo/5.56x45mm-nato/Prvi%20Partizan
Needs an act of Congress to ban ammunition biden can’t do anything about ammo green tip or otherwise….they did not ban Dodge challengers when this perp ran over people in Virginia….?