"Plastic"
Guns and "Cop Killer" Bullets
forwarded to KABA without
attribution
"Armor Piercing Ammunition"
In April 1997, the often-mischaracterized issue
of "armor piercing ammunition" finally was laid to rest by research
conducted by the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF). The study was done following Clinton-Gore
Administration calls for legislation that would have outlawed practically all
rifle ammunition used by hunters and a wide variety of handgun ammunition
traditionally used for sport and self-defense.
BATF's study concluded that: "[E]xisting laws are working, no additional
legislation regarding such laws is necessary."
The "existing laws" were adopted in
1986 and prohibit the manufacture and importation, for private use, of handgun
bullets made of special, hard metals and (in a 1994 amendment)
specially-jacketed lead bullets. These bullets were invented for use by law
enforcement and military personnel. NRA helped draft the 1986 provisions and
didn't object to the 1994 amendment. [18 U.S.C. 922(a)(7) and (8), and (b)(5),
and 921(a)(17)(B) and (C)]
Legislation similar to that backed by the
Clinton-Gore Administration was first proposed in the 1980s and was opposed by
both the Departments of Justice and Treasury, and rejected by Congress.
Use of the sensational term, "cop killer
bullet," is dishonest and misleading. There has never been any bullet
invented for the purpose of killing police officers. And, as the BATF reported
to Congress in 1997, no law enforcement officer has ever been killed or even
injured because an armor piercing bullet penetrated a bullet-resistant vest.
Gun control advocates' groundless claims
mislead the public, and the resultant publicity endanger police officers. BATF
reported to Congress on the need to "avoid any experimentation with police
officer lives that could conceivably lead to numerous additional officer
fatalities."
The "Plastic Gun" Non-Issue
Controversy over non-issues doesn't just waste
time and money. It becomes dangerous when it diverts energies from addressing
the real problems. Such was the case with "plastic guns," nefariously
branded and paraded about as the terrorist's new tool. Law enforcement, aviation
officials and firearms experts exploded the "plastic gun" myth in
testimony before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Crime.
The "plastic gun" is a myth. There
was never an all-plastic gun in the marketplace. The notion was created by the media.
Phillip McGuire, Associate Director of Law Enforcement of the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) testified: "The entire issue was raised in
response to reports, many wildly inaccurate, concerning a particular firearm,
the Glock 17." (House Subcommittee on Crime, May 15, 1986)
The Glock 17-constructed of more than a pound
of hardened steel, about 83% of its total weight- was fully detectable by
airport security systems existing when it was approved for importation by BATF.
Billie Vincent, FAA Director of Civil Aviation Security, testified: "[D]espite
a relatively common impression to the contrary, there is no current non-metal
firearm which is not reasonably detectable by present technology and methods in
use at our airports today, nor to my knowledge is anyone on the threshold of
developing such a firearm." (House Subcommittee on Crime, May 15, 1986)
The FAA has concluded that "the first line
of defense" must be "improved methods of screening as well as
improving technology . . . to combat the threat of highjacking or terrorist
activity in our air transportation systems." More effective efforts include
better training and screening of airport personnel and having state-of-the-art
detection equipment in our nation's airports. With well-trained people to
complement existing and new technologies, will go a long way toward beating
terrorism. Banning any firearm is not the answer. The fact is, it's a media-made
myth that dangerously ignores the real problem.
