New ATF regulations regarding propellants

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As best as I can tell, we are safe-at least for now

From your linked reference

Exemptions from the requirements of the federal explosives laws are provided, in pertinent part, for: (1) the transportation, shipment, receipt, or importation of explosive materials for delivery to any federal or State agency; (2) for small arms ammunition and components thereof; and (3) for the manufacture under the regulation of the U.S. military of explosive materials for their official use.
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Emphasis mine
 
The ATF has needed to UNDERSTAND a lot of things for the past 40+ years. They are another huge Government bureaucracy that answers to no one.

Unless there have been safety issues, or there's a potential for terrorist abuse...WHY stick their nose into this now??
 
bigggbbruce said:
Gun powder is not an explosive.. it has a controlled burn. ATF needs to better understand what they are talking about.
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Actually, "gun powder" is very much an explosive. It has also been fairly heavily regulated for quite a while-to the point where I only know of two stores in this state that bother with the book keeping requirements required to sell it legally. I also can't resell it to anyone-i.e. if I'm going to one of the two stores and a friend says "Can you pick me up a pound of FFF Goex" I'm breaking the law if I buy it and then "sell" it him for what it cost me.

Smokeless powder is not, however, and explosive. I don't know how many times I've laid out a trail of it to show someone how slowly it burns when not contained in a cartridge.
 
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..."ATF's sudden and unexpected change in policy on wetted nitrocellulose will likely have a significant impact on industry's ability to deliver products to the military and commercial markets."...

...more back door gun control courtesy of this administration...a prefabricated ammo shortage that will raise prices through limited supply and passed along costs from the manufacturers...they know your gun is a doorstop without ammo...and they are going to take full advantage of that fact...
 
"Publication of the change in classification in an industry newsletter without advance notice has left manufacturers scrambling to determine what standards ATF will allow for alternate storage and record keeping and to obtain permits for unlicensed storage vendors. In the meantime, manufacturers and importers are violating federal law, as ATF allowed no grace period for coming into compliance. We note that ATF has authorized such periods in the past when changing agency positions."

Are they(government & ATF) going to interpret it as it applies to us reloaders too without advance warning and then all of a sudden we're not allowed(or have to fill out paperwork) to acquire the powder.
 
It just shows the "logic" or lack there of that the ATF has or does not have.

NC EXPLOSIVE is already listed, So now they are "worried" about the wet stuff if it dries out???

Wetted NC is NOT explosive . It can become so when it dries out. This section of the "newsletter" even states such in a round about way.

I read it more as the commercial end of actually making the smokless powders" they receive it wetted and need to store it wetted. Now why they classify it as explosive when wet makes no sense to me?? But heck it's the Goberment.:rolleyes:

The primary means to extinguish a smokless powder fire is WATER, not other chemicals found in fire extinguishers.


The June 2016 newsletter article states that ATF was recently asked about the status of nitrocellulose under the federal explosives laws and regulations. The article notes that "Nitrocellulose explosive" is on ATF's List of Explosive Materials and states ATF has determined that "nitrocellulose containing greater than 12.6 percent nitrogen is a high explosive under 27 C.F.R. Part 555." The article indicates ATF is aware that the U.S. Department of Transportation may assign a nonexplosive classification to nitrocellulose when it has been wetted with water or alcohol, based, in part, on the diminished likelihood of explosion in a transportation accident. However, because nitrocellulose retains its explosive characteristics when the water or alcohol is removed, the wetted nitrocellulose remains a nitrocellulose explosive subject to all controls of the federal explosives laws. Because of the diminished likelihood of wetted nitrocellulose exploding, "ATF will consider variance requests to store the wetted material under an alternative arrangement."

​
 
This will have an impact upon smokeless powder manufacture, or at least it may have. Nitrocellulose in a wet state (water or solvent) is one of the ingredients used in smokeless powder manufacture (of course, the water is removed prior to conversion to smokeless powder). Therefore, it may require a lot more government red tape to manufacture smokeless powder than it formerly did - which translates into higher cost.

Wetted NC is also used in the manufacture of products other than smokeless powder, such as some lacquers.
 
Frank237 said:
The ATF has needed to UNDERSTAND a lot of things for the past 40+ years. They are another huge Government bureaucracy that answers to no one.

Unless there have been safety issues, or there's a potential for terrorist abuse...WHY stick their nose into this now??
Click to expand...

BEcause Libs have figured out they can't ban guns but they can go after ammo as hard as they want. Stock up boys & girls, could be a bumpy ride in 2017. I doubt it offers restriction but cost will certainly go up thru greater regulations. We have already seen that.
 
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I can easily believe that one of the very first anti-gun targets if the wrong persons win in November will be various types of ammunition and reloading components controls. The controls will be limitless - ammunition purchase restrictions, heavy Federal taxation of ammunition, licensing for reloaders, banning jacketed and/or expanding bullets, classification of smokeless powder as a high explosive, ammunition storage/possession restrictions - you name it. You think it can't happen? Ha - just wait and see.
 
DWalt said:
I can easily believe that one of the very first anti-gun targets if the wrong persons win in November will be various types of ammunition and reloading components controls. The controls will be limitless - ammunition purchase restrictions, heavy Federal taxation of ammunition, licensing for reloaders, banning jacketed and/or expanding bullets, classification of smokeless powder as a high explosive, ammunition storage/possession restrictions - you name it. You think it can't happen? Ha - just wait and see.
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Yep. There's nothing in the 2nd Amendment that protects ammunition .
 
The ATF's recent reclassification of wetted nitrocellulose has been put on hold, at least temporarily.

https://www.atf.gov/file/109341/download

The above document is unusually short and understandable. Basically, it says that ATF has become aware of industry concerns, and all previously authorized practices can continue while those concerns are evaluated.

I have no knowledge beyond what is in the above notice, so I cannot speculate about any longer term expectations.
 
it could go the other way a the restrictions could be place so heavy on store bought ammo that only us reloaders will be shooting. I can't believe that the person who is going to shoot up a night club and goes out to buy a rifle is also going to buy all the reloading stuff he needs. Then liberals don't think things out very well they shoot from the hip.
 
Nick B said:
Yep. There's nothing in the 2nd Amendment that protects ammunition .
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I disagree. IMO, in order to bear arms, the arm needs to be rightfully loaded.

A little while back, MD tried to ban some type of magazine or something. An appeals court overturned the ban, citing the fact that the magazine is a part of the firearm in question, which cannot be banned.

In my simplistic way of thinking, the same should apply to ammunition, or at least components thereof.
 
Note that there is plenty of wiggle room in the 2nd Amendment to allow all sorts of onerous regulation of both guns and ammunition. Treating ammunition and reloading components like cigarettes by levying exorbitant Federal taxes on their sale is what I feel will be more likely to be promoted under a hostile administration, as it will be more easily done than a lot of other control measures which could be imposed. How about a $5.00 per round tax across the board for all calibers and $50/lb for powder? Those taxes don't affect your "Right" to buy it, but you better have lots of cash to exercise that right. The power to Tax is the power to destroy.
 
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