After an outcry from gun rights supporters, the Obama Administration on Tuesday dropped a plan that re-classify certain armor-piercing bullets in order to ban their sale, as the feds say they will "further evaluate the issues" that spurred thousands of complaints.
"You spoke, we listened," the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said on Twitter.
In a written statement, the ATF said more than 80,000 comments have been received - their plan is to make all of those publicly available.
Credit: Jamie Dupree
Credit: Jamie Dupree
In Congress, the reaction among Republicans was a big thumbs up, as they had made clear their opposition to ATF officials.
"Good news for the 2nd Amendment," tweeted Speaker John Boehner.
The original plan was to outlaw some types of armor-piercing bullets that were 5.56 mm or .223 caliber rounds; backers said if used with a handgun, they could penetrate bullet proof vests often worn by police officers.
But the ATF said the comments from the public and lawmakers were overwhelmingly critical, as more than half of the U.S. Senate lodged their objections.
"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, and it was met with stiff rebuke," said Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA).
About the Author
