I am really getting pissed off with this bull shit. A Federal agency should NOT have the power to dictate law to determine what is legal and illegal. A Federal Agency should NOT be able to interpret law to suit their own agenda. A Federal Agency SHOULD BE under Congressional oversight to prevent it from making law.

The only place that law can be created is in the Capitol building, NOT on the desk of a federal agency's director.

What am I talking about? Well, it comes down to a number of agencies that have taken upon them selves to essentially write law. Guilty parties include but are not limited to:
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
Food and Drug Administration
Environmental Protection Agency
Bureau of Land Management

But the most egregious violation of the intent of law is from the ATF. The ATF is considering a ban on XM855 5.56x45mm 'Green tip' ammunition. Why, you may ask? Because under their own 'determination' it is an armor piercing bullet. Since 1984, manufacture and sale of, "Armor Piercing" ammunition in pistols is banned. Why is this important? Well XM855 is capable of being fired out of a pistol. What Pistol you may ask? WELL AN AR-15 PISTOL THAT IS!

The ATF classifies. Get this, the ATF "CLASSIFIES" not the author of the bill, not Congress, not the Supreme Court, the ATF "CLASSIFIES" as in INTERPRETS THE LAW. The ATF classifies armor piercing bullets as solid metal core that isn't lead with a copper jacket. So Solid Copper, armor piercing. Solid Steel, armor piercing. Solid what ever, Armor piercing. Copper jacket with lead core, not armor piercing.

So what is the big deal? Well "Green Tip" is NOT ARMOR PIERCING. Green tip is a copper jacketed bullet with a lead core and a steel perpetrator in the tip. It's not a solid steel projectile. It's not a solid copper projectile. It is a copper jacketed lead core projectile with a bit of steel in the cap. By the definition of the law, that is not armor piercing.

So, why is the ATF doing this? That is a difficult question to answer without sounding tin-foil hat toting. Basically it comes down to this. Green Tip was exempted from the law by the ATF. This lasted for years with AR pistols on the market. Then all of a sudden, read now, they changed their minds and decided that Green Tip was all of a sudden 'armor piercing.'

Even the author of the law, Representative Biaggi said, "Our legislation does not seek to affect in any way ammunition made originally or primarily for rifle use." So the ATF took it upon them selves to completely ignore the author of the law and ban ammunition "Made originally or primarily for rifle use." Completely ignoring the fact that the law was originally intended to protect law enforcement. Law Enforcement generally wears a level II armor plate. It's a form of soft armor. The law aimed to prevent acquisition of "armor piercing" pistol ammunition (A whole 'nother level of bull shit, but I digress.) Why is this important? Well consider this. Level II body armor is designed to stop pistol caliber bullets. Just about any, if not all, .223 bullets fired from an AR-15 or any rifle for that matter, will penetrate level II body armor with ease. It seems the author of the bill knew these which is why he exempted rifle ammunition.

But here we are. 7N6 5.45x39 ammunition banned from import because someone made an AK-74 pistol. 7.62x39 ammunition surplus banned from import because someone made a AKM pistol. XM855 banned from sale to civilians because who the fuck knows.

It boils down to the ATF interpreting and changing law to suit their own needs. This all stems from the free reign that Congress gave agencies like the ATF, the EPA, and the BLM. They get to interpret, define, and enforce the law while all being in elected positions. The Congress essentially said, "FUCK IT, YOU DECIDE MR ATF."

The BLM Does this. The EPA does this. The DEA does this. The FDA does this. The ATF does this. All these agencies can essentially make laws and enforce laws on a whim. Unelected 'officials' deciding the law. See why that is an issue?


Isn't modern Federal government fun?

I think you've got a good argument against the specific ban, but those agencies have regulatory power delegated to them by Congress. It would be a colossal waste of time for every minute little act to be run through the Congressional gamut.