Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chairs Comment on Proposed BATFE Ammunition Ban

By Justin Stakes

Washington, DC -(Ammoland.com)- Recently, Governors Earl Ray Tomblin (D-WV) and Terry Branstad (R-IA), Co-Chairs of the bipartisan Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus (GSC), issued a letter to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), strongly supporting the agency’s decision on March 10, to table a recent framework that would have banned one of the most commonly used rounds by recreational shooters.

The proposed framework would have repealed the exemption of common M855 (5.56 x 45mm) ammunition from the “armor piercing” classification previously granted to the popular round, as it was recognized that the rounds are most commonly used for sporting purposes. In their letter, the GSC Co-Chairs urged BATFE to “consider removing M855 ammunition from the ‘armor piercing’ classification entirely, as it does not meet either of the two criteria set forth for being designated ‘armor piercing.’”

Governors Branstad and Tomblin, along with the hunting and recreational shooting communities, expressed concern over the implications the proposed framework would have on funding for conservation and state fish and wildlife management agencies. Bans or restrictions on a widely used round like the M855 could very likely result in depressed …read more

Source:: AmmoLand