Date: Wed, 6 Sep 1995 16:58:50 -0400 From: "Christopher W. Knox" To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: FCO 9-5-95 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- ======================================================================== Online Report to the F I R E A R M S C O A L I T I O N Box 6537, Silver Spring, MD 20916 ======================================================================== September 5, 1995 Vol. 2, No. 8 ======================================================================== In this issue: Special Report: FBI Lobbies Ammo Makers ======================================================================== A note from Chris Dad just ran this onto the wire and wanted to get it out as quickly as possible. You'll be seeing this in Shotgun News soon. For late-breaking news check out the Firearms Coalition 900 line at 1-900-225-3006. It's 89 cents a minute, first 15 seconds are free so you can see whether you're current. Usual disclaimers -- must be over 18 years of age and so on. As Congress returns, Ruby Ridge heats up and the Republicans attempt to quietly ignore the AW ban bill, you'll want to keep up. ======================================================================== Chris Knox wrote and is responsible for everything above this line. ======================================================================== NEAL KNOX REPORT FBI Lobbying Ammo Makers By NEAL KNOX WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 1) -- President Bill Clinton has apparently called on the FBI to strong-arm ammunition makers to support his proposed ban on handgun ammunition capable of penetrating a law enforcement officer's bullet-resistant vest. This illegal lobbying effort may have come from Attorney General Janet, or maybe FBI Director Louis Freeh ordered it to fulfill his own anti-gun objectives and curry favor with his bosses. Who gave the orders, I don't know. But I do know that in mid-July an FBI representative was sent on a tour of major handgun ammunition manufacturers around the country -- companies which sell large quantities of ammo to FBI and other Federal agencies, and huge amounts to law enforcement. The FBI representative gave those companies two pages labeled "PROPOSED INDUSTRY INITIATIVES REGARDING ARMOR PIERCING AMMUNITION." The "Industry Initiatives" bore no letterhead or other identification to reveal the source as the FBI. But the FBI man who tried to "sell" the "Industry Initiatives" to the industry said the proposal came "straight from Director Freeh." He also asked that the manufacturers send a written response within one week to his supervisor who, the companies were told, would compile the responses and send them up the chain of command. Then someone -- we'd like to know how far up -- suddenly realized what they were doing was a violation of law. There were hasty phone calls from FBI to the ammo makers saying: "Never mind." When I first heard about all this almost a month ago, I was told the FBI had asked the companies to forget about the calls or the requested response because they were violations of the "Hatch Act." That was garbled, for the Hatch Act concerns political activity by government employees. The line the FBI stepped across is Section 1913 of Title 18, U.S. Criminal Code, which prohibits lobbying with appropriated funds. That's probably the most routinely violated law in Washington -- so commonly ignored that I've never heard of a prosecution, though Congress occasionally grumbles about it when some agency contacts those it deals with, asking them to lobby Congress. (That's the reason Sec. 1913 was written 75 years ago.) What FBI said they wanted were "Aggressive, voluntary initiatives ... (that can) address this issue, possibly to the satisfaction of most of the special interest groups involved." But the specific requests were anything but voluntary. They asked the companies to "Sponsor or support legislation" banning production, importation and sale of military specification handgun ammo, non-deforming or full-jacketed ammo, or any handgun ammunition with "non-deforming bullets" (hard lead?) that exceeds 1,125 fps. One of the seven requested "Industry Initiatives" was to "Sponsor or support legislation prohibiting the 'dumping' of surplus military handgun ammunition, regardless of origin or manufacturer, on the civilian market. This would effectively 'ban' possession of military handgun ammunition (based on known AP capabilities) without affecting (1) the manufacture of such munitions for the military, (2) lawful handgun ownership, or (3) lawful possession or use of handgun ammunition which will not penetrate Level IIA body armor." To limit the prohibitions to standard handgun ammo the FBI asked the makers to "Sponsor or support legislation which defines a handgun as a weapon intended to be easily fired with one unsupported hand and which is loaded by means of a magazine or revolving cylinder. This would prevent weapons such as the Thompson Contender (and the many rifle calibers which can be fired from this type of weapon) from being included in AP handgun legislation." I'm told that the FBI's efforts aren't getting anywhere. In a meeting between FBI and firearms industry representatives Aug. 31 at the FBI Firearms Training Unit at Quantico, Va., the Justice Department was firmly told that the proposals are neither desirable nor workable and that the industry will neither support legislation nor impose "voluntary" restrictions on the ammunition they produce. --- Did you hear about the Boston insurance executive who hates guns and violence so much that he had a license plate reading "357 BAN"? Last week he was charged with cutting out his wife's heart and lungs and impaling them on a stake. Sarah must be so proud of him for not using a gun. --- (Help Neal Knox defend the Second Amendment and begin receiving the bi-monthly "Hard Corps Report" by contributing to the Firearms Coalition, Box 6537, Silver Spring, MD 20906. For legislative updates call 1-900-225-3006; the cost is 89 cents per minute, with no long distance charge.) ======================================================================== Copyright 1995 by Neal Knox Associates P.O. Box 6537 Rockville, MD 20916. Reproduction and distribution of this bulletin by any means is encouraged so long as this statement is retained. ======================================================================== Do not put your credit card number in e-mail. ======================================================================== Dear Neal, I use the information you provide to protect my gun rights. Enclosed is my contribution so that you can continue your work: $500 [ ] $250 [ ] $50 [ ] $25 [ ] Other:____ [ ] Quarterly [ ] Bill my MasterCard [ ] Visa [ ] Monthly [ ] Once [ ] Card No. ________________________________________ Expiration Date _____ Mr. [ ] Mrs.[ ]________________________________________________________________ Ms. [ ] Signature_______________________________________________________________ Address__________________________________________ Phone ________________ City _____________________________________________State ____ Zip________ Email Address ______________________ Print and mail to: Firearms Coalition Box 6537 Silver Spring, MD 20916 ======================================================================== PGP users: Remove the leading asterisks from the BEGIN and END lines before using this key. *-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- Version: 2.6.2 mQCNAy8Q4mIAAAEEALKdSCTF6BvTg4luk1IOYtiQyxPotnTjjijSawo9htwZeFS/ KU0WAPkeDuhgKSN3H5242irpkfUu8g84fAPBH6a6joaFN7OchRa49WXnz2dReT0V iT9xeec9rPSASH04dz+lEONeDZ17yh/JGt+tjYq0CIenFZ9JMCGz4I2lBJDFAAUR tCdDaHJpc3RvcGhlciBXYXJyZW4gS25veCA8Y2tub3hAY3JsLmNvbT6JAJUDBRAv pxqvIbPgjaUEkMUBAS8BA/9PP4teu4vja6dTXkOMhVN8xgf1fl66VCc2V4A0/lli uRdf75GS1uQd+pzPIZoIReU440uuLfNSMqAAjCLHDja9ViAUllTk7YIKJMe53+nZ UnQndT2a6ikeQgh/kFxFM1z4NHgTBZ/KMg3td45WzEA3XpjWACrXWNAtYplaQ0hg Iw== =VDsh *-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQCVAwUBME07NSGz4I2lBJDFAQF0bQQAgls2StrWczjp3PjG4D572bM0t76eyojY YW3MwTnDUdnSUQAczQ5U/nURxXDwY6iUb4Fbh83IOrhbSu83Ixxx9gW0krC6WImV 44gooZedSufNziyW+yVp50X8ehn6GPahOP3W4zw/TQrkSOmXJ1QiExhBiacnvQld hkEQEs8Qqm0= =lbZx -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- To receive the Online Firearms Coalition Bulletin send mail to listproc@mainstream.com containing in the message body: subscribe fco