Cop Killer Bullets

Introduction

Kerry:

"I've been a hunter since I was about 12 years old, and I went through the whole progression, you know, BB gun to .22s to .30-30, you name it." From The Philadelphia Daily News.

Kennedy:

Another rifle caliber, the 30.30 caliber, was responsible for penetrating three officers' armor and killing them in 1993, 1996, and 2002. This ammunition is also capable of puncturing light-armored vehicles, ballistic or armored glass, armored limousines, even a 600-pound safe with 600 pounds of safe armor plating." From the Congressional Record.

Much has been made of the Kennedy Armor Piercing Ammunition Ban. It is Senate Amendment 2619 which was rejected as an amendment to Senate Bill 1805 on March 2, 2004. John Kerry voted FOR this bill. The record of the vote is here. The wide sweeping nature of this bill give us an indication of how radical Kerry is with respect to gun control.

Keep in mind that the .30-30 has never been used in a military weapon and the cartridge has never been available with a hard metal core making it a traditional 'armor piercing' round. If you would like more information on the .30-30 and its long history by Neal Knox, go here.

The bottom line here is the following:

Kerry knows exactly what a .30-30 is. By his own statements, he has shot them.
Kennedy believes that citizens should not have access to cartridges as powerful as the .30-30.
Kennedy statements show that he has no clue as to the capabilities of the cartridge. He also reveals that his goal is to ban virtually all rifle cartridges.
Knowing exactly what the situation is, Kerry makes no attempt to educate Kennedy. Instead he votes in favor of this amendment.

What does the amendment say?

The Attorney General will define standards for the uniform testing of projectiles against 'Body Armor Exemplar'. 'Body Armor Exemplar' is defined to mean body armor that meets minimum standards for law enforcement officers.
Handgun - The Attorney General determines what ammunition is capable of penetrating the chosen body armor.
Centerfire Rifle - The Attorney General determines what projectile is 'more likely to penetrate body armor than standard ammunition of the same caliber'.

This amendment would change two sections of United States Code: Section 921(a)(17)(B) of title 18 and Section 926 of title 18. This first section of code defines '''armor piercing ammunition'' and thereby changes all laws currently on the books relating to ''armor piercing ammunition'' with the new definition. Section 926 of title 18 defines the powers of the Attorney General with respect to firearms.

If you want to read the amendment for yourself go here. It is in the right hand column.

What did Kennedy say in defense of this amendment?

"We have to ask ourselves, What is the problem? The problem has been 17 law enforcement officers have been killed, according to the FBI, from armor-piercing bullets. Deer and ducks do not wear armor vests. Police officers wear armor vests." From the Congressional Record

Consider: If this is such a concern, what do the experts in the field say? The Fraternal Order of Police is against this amendment. See their letter to Senator Craig.

"Armor-piercing projectiles contain a core of hardened steel or tungsten carbide which allows it to penetrate metal objects. That is what our police officers are up against." From the Congressional Record.

Consider: Is this concern addressed by this amendment? No, read the amendment.

"In a recent report, the ATF identified three, .223 and the 7.62 caliber rifles, as the ones most frequently encountered by police officers. These high-capacity rifles, the ATF wrote, pose an enhanced threat to law enforcement, in part because of their ability to expel particles at velocities that are capable of penetrating the type of soft body armor typically worn by law enforcement officers. From the Congressional Record.

Consider: Here is the real deal on what Kennedy is trying to do with this amendment. If the .223 and the 30-30 is considered too powerful for civilian use, is there any rifle caliber that is ok? This kind of legislation will make large game hunting illegal in any state where a .24 caliber is required.

What effect would this bill have on the sportsman's world?

This is the million dollar question. The effects of this bill are dependent upon the determinations of the Attorney General. Those determinations could change from administration to administration. We do know that the minimum body armor available is referred to as 'Threat Level 1'. It is designed to stop a .38 Special at close range. This bill could immediately outlaw ammunition for any handgun more powerful than the .38 Special.

We also know that virtually every centerfire rifle cartridge produced can penetrate the best body armor available.

If Kennedy were to get what he wanted in this amendment, we could own our guns but never fire them again.

For more information on body armor, I suggest Selection and Application Guide to Personal Body Armor by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center.

The .30-30 and the Armor Piercing Ammo Ban

by Neal Knox

Neal has been recognized nationally as a firearms expert for decades. He testified in front of Congress on 1966 about what would later become the Gun Control Act of 1968. See what Neal says about the .30-30 and the Armor Piercing Ammo Ban.

My Personal Concerns

What is being regulated?
A projectile is not ammunition and ammunition is not a projectile. Yet this bill seems to use the terms interchangeably. How, exactly, does one determine, after testing projectiles, if one ammunition is more likely to penetrate than another ammunition? And what sense is there in outlawing one ammunition designed for hunting that may be less powerful than the standard ammunition for another caliber? At this point I would surmise that a standard 30-30 round would be legal. But a round manufactured for hunting to be more powerful would not. Yet a standard .375H&H Mag round may be quite legal.

What is handgun ammunition?

Just because a few manufacturers may make a handgun in .223, does that mean that all .223 ammo would be illegal? Same for MANY other calibers.

If a manufacturer begins producing a handgun for law enforcement in a rifle caliber that has never been in a handgun, is that ammunition now illegal for regular people?

Of course these questions do not matter if the amendment were implemented as Kennedy envisions. See his quotes.

Where does this go?

If they can outlaw our ammunition without infringing upon our Second Amendment rights, what about printing presses or ink or paper. Can those be outlawed without infringing upon First Amendment rights?