STATEMENT FROM NRA CHIEF LOBBYIST CHRIS W. COX
Military Surplus Cartridge Case Issue Resolved
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Yesterday morning, the Department of Defense informed NRA-ILA that fired
military small arms cartridge cases are once again eligible for sale,
following a temporary suspension in such sales instituted last week.
NRA-ILA began discussions with DoD shortly after the suspension took
effect, and we were assured from the beginning that efforts were
underway to resolve the issue favorably.
Yesterday afternoon, DoD additionally confirmed the lifting of the
suspension to pro-Second Amendment United States Senators Max Baucus
(D-Mont.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.), who sent the Defense Logistics
Agency (DLA) a joint letter vigorously opposing the suspension, on the
grounds that it had "an impact on small businesses who sell reloaded
ammunition utilizing these fired casings, and upon individual gun owners
who purchase spent military brass at considerable cost savings for their
personal use."
Everyone who would have been impacted by the suspension, had it become
permanent, owes thanks to Senator Baucus for his leadership on this
issue, as well as to Sen. Tester and U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.),
who also weighed in strongly on behalf of gun owners and the suppliers
from whom they obtain ammunition reloaded with surplus military brass.
In announcing that the suspension has been lifted, DoD also made clear
that no cartridge cases that, in the absence of the suspension, would
have been sold for reloading purposes were destroyed while the
suspension was in effect. Such cases were instead protected by DoD
during the suspension, and are again eligible for sale. With ammunition
currently in short supply, that was welcome news, to be sure.
DLA also put to rest various theories and rumors that were circulated on
the internet, concerning the reason for the suspension. As DLA explained
to Senators Baucus and Tester, and to NRA-ILA, DoD officials responsible
for the demilitarization of military property temporarily halted the
release of the cartridge cases last week, pending review of a policy
change issued last year by the Office of the Secretary of Defense,
which, in the interest of national security, halted the sale of items
within a broad category of government property including, but not
limited to, surplus small arms cartridge cases.
To make cartridge cases eligible for sale once again, DoD
demilitarization officials verified that the cases could be
appropriately placed in a category of government property allowing for
their release for use within the United States, and then executed the
recategorization. Whereas during the brief suspension, fired cartridge
cases would have been releaseable only if the purchaser crushed or
smelted them, now the cases may be sold as before, intact and
reloadable.
DoD also assured NRA-ILA that companies previously authorized to
purchase cartridge cases under Trade Security Controls need no further
vetting at this time, and are eligible to resume purchasing cases under
the policy adopted yesterday.
In sum, a problem that could have had serious repercussions for the
remanufactured ammunition industry and the countless gun owners who
support it, appears to have been resolved quickly.
For more information:
http://www.nraila.org/media/PD...LA.MilitaryBrass.pdf
http://www.nraila.org/media/PDFs/DLA_mcunningham.pdf
