ATF proposes ban on bullet

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives proposed a ban this month on 5.56 M855 rounds, a popular bullet for AR-15 rifles.

ATF officials said that since the bullet can pierce armor, such as a police officer’s bulletproof vest, it should be reclassified as armor piercing. The bullet has been exempt from the armor piercing classification since it’s been mostly used for sport or target shooting.

Tucker Bloxhan, owner of Tucker’s High Desert and Tactical in Pocatello, said that if this bullet is banned then others will probably be next.

“Any .223 will puncture level two armor, soft points, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “If they’re able to ban this because it’ll puncture armor, then they’ll ban all ammo because it’ll penetrate the armor.”

The ATF is allowing public comments on the proposed ban until March 16. You can submit comments one of three ways:

– Email ATF at APAComments@atf.gov

– Fax to (202) 648-9741

– Mail to Denise Brown, Mailstop 6N-602, Office of Regulatory Affairs, Enforcement Programs and Services, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, 99 New York Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20226: ATTN: AP Ammo Comments