The ATF says it is shelving a proposed ban on ‘green tip’ ammunition after a deluge of critical feedback, highlighting that the move would be highly unpopular with Americans.
The federal agency said Tuesday that the President’s planned executive action to prohibit bullets for AR-15 hunting rifles will not go ahead. The ATF says that over 80,000 comments were received on the proposal. Most viewed the move negatively.
“The vast majority of the comments received to date are critical of the framework, and include issues that deserve further study,” the agency said in a statement. “Accordingly, ATF will not at this time seek to issue a final framework.”
The agency took to social media, declaring “You spoke, we listened.” The public comment period still had another week to run, and was to end Monday.
You spoke, we listened. @ATFHQ plans more study on the proposed AP Ammo exemption framework. See more http://t.co/SmRKMYvw7J
— ATF HQ (@ATFHQ) March 10, 2015
The ATF added that it will “further evaluate the issues raised” during the comment process, and that it will provide an “additional open and transparent process” before taking any further action. However, it did not explain would that would entail.
The announcement comes directly on the heels of a majority in both the Senate and House, 52 senators, 238 House members, declaring their opposition to the proposed ban.
In a letter, the senators cited the fact that the 5.56 M855 ammo has never been perceived to be a threat to law enforcement, and is merely popular in hunting circles.
The lawmakers also expressed a fear that the Obama administration is paving the way for a more general gun control agenda.
“If law-abiding gun owners cannot obtain rifle ammunition, or face substantial difficulty in finding ammunition available and at reasonable prices because government entities are banning such ammunition, then the Second Amendment is at risk,” the letter signed by the senators states.
Gun rights activists and Constitutionalists hailed the government back down as a victory.
“The strength of people who support and take their Second Amendment rights seriously has never been stronger,” said Larry Keane, senior vice president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation. “I frankly don’t think ATF had much choice in the matter. It was clear that Congress was not going to let it go forward.”
“Today’s announcement proves what we have said all along — this was 100 percent political,” said Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association. “Obama failed to pass gun control through Congress, so he tried [to] impose his political agenda through executive fiat.”
“This is a win for not only America’s gun owners, but everyone who supports the Constitution, because if the president can undermine a fundamental freedom such as this, then he can undermine anything.” added Chris Cox, NRA executive director.
Senate Committee on the Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley added “ATF’s original proposal to short-circuit the exemption and limit access to rifle ammunition was an affront to the Second Amendment to the Constitution.”
As Infowars previously reported, The ATF was forced to issue an apology this week for angering Americans by intimating that there is already a ban in place on AR-15 ‘green tip’ ammo.
An online regulations guide failed to list .223-caliber ammo as currently exempted from a ban on armor piercing ammunition, meaning that it was purposefully removed from previous versions of the document, possibly with the proposed ban in mind.
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Steve Watson is a London based writer and editor for Alex Jones’ Infowars.com, and Prisonplanet.com. He has a Masters Degree in International Relations from the School of Politics at The University of Nottingham, and a Bachelor Of Arts Degree in Literature and Creative Writing from Nottingham Trent University.
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