DOD Ends Sale of Expended Military Brass to Remanufacturers
AND SO IT BEGINS...
Sunday, March 15, 2009
http://www.theshootist.net/We all wondered when it was going to start. When the new administration would
make their move against us as gun owners. Oh, everyone got upset about HR45 -
I'll bet I got over 100 e-mails warning me about this draconian gun registration bill
that had been introduced in Congress.
I was really glad to see Tom Gresham, host of "Gun Talk Radio," an editor, writer,
television host on "Self-Defense TV," and one of the foremost gun spokespersons,
come out and tell everyone to stop worrying about legislation so absolutely over-
the-top--it would never get out of committee.
Tom said save your energy for when we really need it--don't expend it trying to
warn everyone in your e-mail list about legislation that would go nowhere.
Now, Tom just interviewed me, and Larry Haynie, owner of Georgia Arms
(
www.georgia-arms.com), on Gun Talk (
www.guntalk.com)--and Tom agrees, now
is the time to "...unleash the hounds..." by which he means start e-mailing and
writing your senators and congressmen.
Now it has come clear...now we know what they intend to do.
It is an end-run around Congress. They don't need to try to ban guns--they don't
need to fight a massive battle to attempt gun registration, or limit "assault" weapon
sales.
Nope. All they have to do is limit the amount of ammunition available to the civilian
market, and when bullets dry up, guns will be useless.
Think we jest?
Here is a copy of the letter sent to Georgia Arms just Thursday evening--effectively
cancelling a contract he had to purchase 30,000 pounds of expended military brass
in .223, 7.62mm, and .50 caliber:
March 12, 2009
Larry Haynie
Georgia Arms
PO Box 238
Villa Rica, GA 30180
Re: Event 7084-6200:
Dear Larry Haynie,
Effective immediately DOD Surplus, LLC, will be implementing new requirements for
mutilation of fired shell casings. The new DRMS requirement calls for DOD Surplus
personnel to witness the mutilation of the property and sign the Certificate of Destruction.
Mutilation of the property can be done at the DRMO, if permitted by the Government, or
it may be mutilated at a site chosen by the buyer. Mutilation means that the property
will be destroyed to the extent prevents its reuse or reconstruction. DOD Surplus
personnel will determine when property has been sufficiently mutilated to meet the
requirements of the Government.
If you do not agree with the new conditions of your spot sale, please sign the appropriate
box provided below stating that you do not agree to the new terms and would like to
cancel your purchase effective immediately. If you do agree to the new terms please
sign in the appropriate box provided below to acknowledge your understanding and
agreement with the new requirements relating to your purchase. Fax the signed
document back to (480) 367-1450, emailed responses are not acceptable.
Please respond to this request no later than close of business Monday, March 16th, 2009.
Sincerely,
Government Liquidation.
Got that? From now on, remanufacturers of military brass will not be able to buy
surplus brass from DOD--actually from Government Liquidators, llc.--the corporation
that sells surplus materials for the U.S. government. At least, not in any form recog-
nizable as once-fired brass ammunition.
Now all brass ammunition will have to be shredded, and sold as scrap.
Georgia Arms, who brought this to our attention, is the 5th largest ammunition manu-
facturer of centerfire pistol and rifle ammunition in the U.S.
"We're right up there behind Hornady," Larry Haynie told me.
He also told me with the cancellation of his contract to purchase this brass, and the
ending of his ability to purchase any more expended military ammunition, he will
have to severely curtail his operation--laying off approximately half his 60-person
work force.
Haynie further pointed out this move is a stupendous waste of taxpayer money -
reducing the worth of the brass some 80%--from casings, to shredded bulk brass.
He stated most of this will now go to foundries where it will be melted down, cast
in shippable forms, and likely be sold to China, one of the largest purchasers of
U.S. metals on the open market.
Haynie was manufacturing over 1 million rounds of .223 ammunition every month,
which he sold on the civilian market to resellers, and to law enforcement agencies
across the country.
He will start tomorrow sending cancellations of orders for .223 to law enforcement
agencies all over the country.
You can expect this to affect every bullet you purchase in the future--with no reloaded
ammunition available, the already strained new manufacturers will be unable to meet
demand. They are already turning out everything they can build for the military market.
The civilian market is stressed to the point even reloading components have become
hard to find.
Now, with this hit, ammunition prices will go through the roof in the next year.
Your quality piece, sitting in your gun rack, will become a very expensive wood and
steel, or plastic and steel club.
What can you do?
Google "contact members of Congress" or simply type in
www.congress.org.
When you reach that site, type in your zip code--it will give you all your representatives,
senators, and their web pages.
Here is a letter I just sent to Representative Bill Cassidy, Congressman from the 6th
District of Louisiana, and Senator David Vitter of Louisiana. I will be sending it to every
member of our congressional delegation. Feel free to copy it and paste in your own
e-mail, sending it to your legislators. We have to stop this now!
The Honorable Bill Cassidy
Member of Congress from Louisiana
Dear Congressman Cassidy:
It has come to my attention that the Department of Defense has issued a directive
that all expended military brass (fired cases) will now be shredded and sold for scrap
material, rather than resold by Government Liquidators LLC to the civilian market
for remanufacture.
You may not be aware of it, but there is a severe shortage of ammunition available
for sale to the public across the country, causing problems for shooters, hunters,
and reloaders everywhere.
Now, apparently the Obama administration, realizing they cannot move against private
firearms ownership since the landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in the
Washington D.C./Heller case, has made their move in another way.
By cutting off the resale of expended military ammunition to remanufacturers, they
have put a stranglehold on the nation's ammunition supply.
Further, they have reduced the return to the government on expended brass by 80%.
What was sold for remanufacturer at a fair return to the government, will now cost the
taxpayers untold sums of money as the cost of scrap brass is far below the price per
pound for expended military ammunition.
In addition, the use of remanufactured ammunition is a huge asset to law enforcement
agencies across the country who buy millions of rounds of reloaded ammunition a
year from these manufacturers for practice rounds.
With this market gone, law enforcement will no longer be able to purchase inexpensive
reloaded ammunition, and with the continuing combat status of military forces across
the Middle East, original manufacturers of new ammunition are turning out everything
they can make to the government, thus exacerbating the shortage of new ammunition
in both the civilian and law enforcement market.
Lastly, in these harsh economic times, does it not strike you as cold and calculating
that the Obama administration has no compunction against ruining an industry that
employs thousands of American citizens in the remanufacturing of sporting and military
ammunition. One major resupplier, Georgia Arms, the fifth largest manufacturer of
centerfire pistol and rifle ammunition has informed me he will have to quickly lay off
half his 60-person workforce, as he has had to cancel contracts with dozens of police
agencies who had contracted with him to supply them with remanufactured .223
ammunition.
Georgia Arms has been practically put out of business by this directive that all
expended military brass must be shredded. His current contracts have been
canceled, and he is notifying his customers across the country he can no longer
supply their ammunition needs.
Please look into this immediately. This move by the Obama administration is nothing
but a back-door strike against firearms ownership in this country--if shooters can't
buy ammunition, the guns are little better than steel clubs--and this is obviously the
intent.
Thank you for your time and efforts in this serious attack against the Second
Amendment rights of the American citizenry.
Sincerely, XXX