Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
In a recent response to concerns (see letter above) raised by a group of anti-gun attorneys general about the sale of ammunition to civilians, Mark Oliva, the Managing Director of Public Affairs for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), strongly refuted the claims.
In an email to GunsAmerica, Oliva asserted that the attempt to ban the sale of ammunition produced at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant is a direct attack on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners.
“This attempt is especially dangerous because their goal of denying the sale of ammunition produced at Lake City would be detrimental to military readiness,” he said. He explained that the Department of Defense (DoD) initially proposed selling excess ammunition to civilians.
This strategy, according to Oliva, helps fund the maintenance of necessary tools and a skilled labor force, enabling a swift response to Defense Department demands during wartime.
Countering the claim that civilian sales of this ammunition are subsidized by the military, Oliva clarified that these sales actually reduce taxpayer costs. He pointed out that maintaining a ready manufacturing capability without additional tax dollars is a key benefit of this arrangement.
SEE ALSO: Springfield Armory FDE Hellcat Pro OSP Threaded 9mm Pistol Review
Furthermore, Oliva addressed the mislabeling of Lake City ammunition as “military-grade” by the attorneys general. He argued that this is a deliberate misrepresentation for political purposes, drawing a parallel to the mischaracterization of Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs) as “assault weapons” or “weapons of war.”
Oliva highlighted that Lake City ammunition has a “sporting purposes” exemption because it is primarily used by lawful gun owners for recreational activities, including target shooting.
From the Open Letter:
Ammunition from Lake is manufactured for military use and does not belong in our communities… In the long term, we ask the White House to ensure that future production contracts prohibit the sale of military weapons and ammunition to civilians.
The letter was signed by Attorneys General: Letitia James, NY (D), Kris Mayes, AZ (D), Rob Bonta, CA (D), William Tong, CT (D), Kathleen Jennings, DE (D), Brian C. Schwalb, DC (D), Anne E. Lopez, HI (D),, Kwame Raoul, IL (D), Aaron M. Frey, ME (D), Anthony Brown, MD (D), Andrea Joy Campbell, MA (D), Dana Nessel, MI (D), Keith Ellison, MN (D), Aaron D. Ford, NV (D), Matthew J. Platkin, NJ (D), Raúl Torrez, NM (D), Ellen F. Rosenblum, OR (D), Peter Neronha, RI (D), Charity R. Clark, VT (D), Bob Ferguson, WA (D).
He also noted that other ammunition types, such as 9 mm, .308, .30-06, and 12 gauge shotgun cartridges, are commonly used for lawful civilian activities and are also utilized by the U.S. military, without contention.
In conclusion, Oliva’s statement represents a strong stance against what is a misguided attempt to infringe upon the rights of responsible gun owners and a misinterpretation of the relationship between military and civilian ammunition usage.
*** Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! All Local Sales are FREE! ***
You go on Amazon and buy a Potter and Brumfield relay, maybe spend $15. The USN logistics has this exact same relay in its inventory of spare parts for nuclear submarines and it cost $400, because it has been rated for ‘nuclear service’ , with a few extra QA steps added to that same Amazon relay. ‘Military Grade’ is just civilian ammo that has had a couple extra steps added, such as securing the primer in place for use in MG’s, and heat treating the neck. Now to convince the AG idiots, or maybe educate them on the real world, but we all know, when it comes to Democrats of all kinds, they are just stupid. If this was 1966, we wouldn’t want military ammo thanks to McNamara and his powder change that cost the lives of so many.
Fvck that democRAT Letecia James and the rest of those criminals!
Does the CMP/ CIVILIAN MARKSMANSHIP PROGRAM know about this?
The attorney general of Arizona to my nonage has not come out and said any thing about Lake City amination if this is true then Arizonas name needs to be removed
Has anyone requested an accounting of all the military equipment, arms and ammunition left in Afghanistan when the US military withdrew under the Biden directive? The US President armed Taliban forces for years to come.
Just a different perspective…
Criminals never want the honest people to be armed.
Democrats are not misguided they are evil. Their intent is to destroy everything good.
It’s time for everyone to defend our American 2A rights! We should be able to buy ammo from any place that we want it. The majority of Americans, who buy ammo and firearms are peace, loving, lawful individuals. But limiting ammo or firearms to the public is exactly what Hitler did in Germany. We don’t need to turn into another fascist state.
Fu** You Lititia and the other AG from commie Red states. It’s a good bet you can’t define any differences in the munitions “made for the military” and those made for “civilian use”. Beside that the guns and bullets are not responsibile for “mass shootings”, people are. A lot of the shooters were on the streets because of your liberal catch and release policies.
The purpose is to set a precedent. If they can obstruct/restrict sales from Lake City, then they can certainly do it from other suppliers as well. It isn’t because these AG’s are stupid it’s because they have an agenda. We need to remember that and move forward in our defense of our 2nd Amendment rights.
I do not understand why these people keep trying to take our rights away from us . I live in New Mexico and have never shot at or been in trouble with the law , and I don’t even hunt any more but I will not be told what I can own . I target shoot a lot and defend my family if the need happens.
Military ammo is inferior to civilian made ammo because the military loads dirty ball powder in their ammo and as far as weapons of war, there are none for sale to the civilian population. I ponder where these people get their smarts from, maybe from Star Wars movies. the main reason we have so many mass shootings is because of the publicity they get. Some mentally handicap thinks he can do better then the last mass shooting. We need to quit making a big issue out of any mass shooting and let their locals take care of business without a lot of nationwide broadcasts.
Lake City produces the military’s ammunition for training and battle. Screwing with it in any way is potentially screwing with the nation’s ability to defend itself.
These treasonous louts ought to have their demands stuffed where the sun doesn’t shine – forcibly, by a battalion of Uncle Sam’s Finest.
I’m trying to decide if these Attorneys Generals are disingenuous, ignorant or conniving. I suspect they all fall into one or more of these categories.
“ military-grade “ ?
They would have a “ crap-fit “ if they knew the quality of .308 / 7.62×51 ammo
I reload at home for competition .
Lake City brass is first rate for my purposes .
‘ They gonna shut that down too ?
Letitia James is a clear and present threat to our Constitution and our Republic. This lesser evolved, low intelligence diversity hire is behind the ludicrous “fraud” civil suit filed against Trump, wherein no one was defrauded, noody lost money and there were no victims. (Letitia’s time and effort would be much better spent going after her fraudster bretheren who cheat banks and lenders out of millions of dollars everyday as a key element of their garbage ghetto culture.) James also tried to sue the NRA out of existence in 2020 during COVID and now she gifts us with this nonsense.
In solidarity with most of her ilk, James, hates wypipo. Simple as that… If we keep handing power and authority over to “scholars” like this big fat ape, our Constitutional Republic will soon disappear forver.
HEY LATITIA: NO BODY CARES ABOUT YOUR MISGUIDED LIBERAL CRAP ….. POUND SAND !
This attack on the 2nd Amendment is real. It also demonstrates how these Attorneys General (Politicians) are so disconnected from the real world of manufacturing and the “security of a free state”. By allowing the contractor operating the ammunition plant to manufacture ammo for the civilian market, the plant is “up and running” constantly. If this were not the case the “work force” would be on a constant “yo-yo” of work and lay-off. Now folks, operating an ammunition plant, requires a skilled, trained, work force. With cycles of work and lay-off retention of this work force is impossible. The military is cyclic in their need for ammunition, during times of peace, only a small amount of ammunition is needed for training, during a time of war, high demand is in order. Since WW II and Vietnam the plant has been modernized to improve quality and output.
The need for ammunition was so high during WW II that there were at least 3 government plants plus commercial ammunition manufacturers making ammo with some auto manufacturers making ammo too (EC headstamp). Lake City is so efficient, it is the sole government ammunition plant. No one ever said that an “Attorney General” is smart, they are just a politician, when it comes to manufacturing they lack even “common sense”.
I only had to see two words and I knew that this was a big fat lie (the letter that is). Le tit a James. This is one of the racist Democrats who attacked Trump. The Soros family must be paying her well. Military Grade? If I were to get shot I would rather it be ball ammo (fmj) than a defensive HP sold on the civilian market. Idiot discussing something they know nothing about. (Is that how they got appointed to office?)
same Democraps trying to take freedom away from Americans. Their communist. it’s not about safety, it’s about control. The same bunch would be pushing the mark of the Beast..!
Just another stupid idea from stupid people that don’t know anything about guns.
What is “military grade ammo” or “military grade” anything? I remember the term time and grade, or military spec but I do NOT remember ever hearing the term “military grade” during my years of service. If there is a such thing as “military grade ammo” then it is most likely ball ammo (FMJ) and the energy transfer would be significant less than ammunition that US LEO’s and civilians carry every day.
And don’t forget the old military saying that “all your weapons and equipment were made by the lowest bidder”…
Do you really think that applies here? Lake City is a government owned facility, no matter who is running it for the military…
Screwing with their capacity means mothballing ammunition lines within the factory, thereby making it more difficult to ramp up production in time of war. With the Chinese openly saying they “expect” a war with the US sometime in the future, not to mention their no-longer-hidden intent to retake Taiwan in the next couple of years, this is no time to be messing with ammunition production of any kind.
I remember the reason for the FMJ. To wound the other sides personnel thus tieing up more of their people (to treat the wounded). A dead comrade can be taken care of after the battle.
“military-grade ammo” heh-heh-heh