DOD brass ban lifted

It looks like the ban has been lifted. Brass casing sold for domestic use will not require mutilation.

Georgia Arms have updated their website:

Dear Loyal Customers,

Thanks to your voice, DOD has rescinded the order to mutilate all spent cases as of 4:30 pm on 3/17/09. We appreciate the time and effort that you expended, together we all made a difference. We will be posting the email we received from DOD as well as any additional information within the next 12-16 hours. Thanks so much and lets get to work!!! Georgia Arms

This post on ar15.com is apparently by an employee of Government Liquidation:

Tromatic is actually pretty close with his assessment. The facts as I know them, which come directly from candid discussions with my CEO, indicate the following:

- Prior to 11/2008, Demil B items required no mutilation for sale to the public. That policy changed in November, but several exceptions were granted. Expended munitions brass was one of those given a waiver.
- Enter the new administration. Since Demil B category items had been given a broad, general label as “national security sensitive” someone above the DRMS (likely in the DLA) reviewed the policy and immediately went with a CYA policy and yanked all exemptions. No thoughts or considerations were given to the implications of this policy change, but this directive was issued to DOD Surplus effective immediately last week.
- Shit storm blows up as a result. In particular, the letters, phone calls, and emails to our legislators, the media, and anyone else who would listen caused this policy to be review post haste.
- As of this morning our company was informed that expended munitions brass will now be reclassified as Demil Q –– which requires no mutilation unless sold to a foreign country.

There you have it. The policy change was simply the result of some n00b administrator attempting to close a perceived “national security” loophole and brass got caught up in the snare. There was no political motivation behind the policy change, but it is good that people like us were suspicious, got involved, and helped bring about a resolution.

Ed

This email was sent by the Montana Shooting Sports Association:

Dear MSSA Friends,

I just received a phone call from the office of U.S. Senator Tester of Montana to inform me that at 5:15 (EST) today a letter cosigned by Senator Tester (D-MT) and Senator Baucus (D-MT) was faxed to the Department of Defense asking DoD to reverse its new policy requiring destruction of fired military cartridge brass. At 5:30, I am told, Tester’s office received a fax back from DoD saying that the brass destruction policy IS reversed.

Others report to me that they are already seeing evidence of this on the Websites of entities that liquidate surplus DoD commodities.

Our thanks go out to Senator Tester and Senator Baucus, and their staff, for getting on this problem promptly and making the reversal happen

Staff for Tester and Baucus promise they will get me the documentation for this reversal tomorrow morning. I’ll forward that when I get it.

Best wishes,

Gary Marbut, president
Montana Shooting Sports Association

http://www.mtssa.org

author, Gun Laws of Montana
http://www.mtpublish.com

It looks like you can breath easy now.

Thanks to Cannoneer for keeping me updated.

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Steve Mar 18th 2009 ammunition, military Tags: , , 15 Comments

15 Responses to “DOD brass ban lifted”

  1. SoloTwoon 18 Mar 2009 at 1:05 pm link comment

    Awesome, hell the system does work once in a blue moon I guess.

  2. Matt Groomon 18 Mar 2009 at 2:00 pm link comment

    Yea! Let’s hear it for bitching! It’s like my mother always said “If nobody complained, nothing would ever get done.”

  3. Timon 18 Mar 2009 at 2:54 pm link comment

    I don’t know about you guys but I’m writing some thank you letters to those two Senators from MT and coughing up some cash for their reelection! Thank goodness not all of those guys are scumbags.

  4. Eddy Alvarezon 18 Mar 2009 at 3:17 pm link comment

    thank God. just further proof that we have to learn how to whine as much as the liberals innately. Its against our nature but sometimes it works.

  5. Tomon 18 Mar 2009 at 4:15 pm link comment

    HOORAY!

    The squeaky wheel gets the grease :)

    Good time too, I need some .223 for a couple of my guns…

  6. clampon 18 Mar 2009 at 4:45 pm link comment

    Everyone I talked to about this didn’t think writing my 2 Sen. and U.S. Rep. would do any good. This gives me a glimmer of faith in our government. A small glimmer, but a glimmer none the less.

    Lesson learned: Staying aware and informed and taking action works better than hoping someone else will fix the problem.

    Good game folks! (pats on the hinder for everyone)

  7. redmanlawon 18 Mar 2009 at 6:51 pm link comment

    Sens. Baucus and Tester are both Western Democrats. Go, team!

  8. michaelon 18 Mar 2009 at 10:20 pm link comment

    Hi,
    I live in Australia so this really does not affect me that much. But i have been following the story since hearing about it on Tom Greshims Gun Talk Radio show, i just want to say this is great news, finally a bit of common sense has prevailed.

  9. sifurobon 19 Mar 2009 at 3:14 am link comment

    This is proof that the elected gov’t works for the people that elect them.
    I can tell you that the letter that was written to the DOD was a response to great pressure placed on the reps from Montana by the overwhelming citizen response to the news about the brass. I am born and raised Montanan and truly believe this state is the “Last Best Place” for real freedom. Get involved, and pressure your congressmen to fight for your freedom!

  10. War Wolfon 19 Mar 2009 at 5:42 am link comment

    I wonder if my senator Chuck U. Schumer (D-NY) had a hand in this rollback? I somehow doubt it.

  11. rdmartinon 19 Mar 2009 at 8:50 am link comment

    Does anyone know the status of pulled bullets such as the API?

  12. S. Adamson 19 Mar 2009 at 4:24 pm link comment

    Yes but I heard the DOD has put in an order for 3 trillion primers…..here we go again. That could result in greater shortages.

    For the short term, touchdown second amendment!! I’m in Idaho, and love Montana.

  13. Mike Kelleyon 22 Mar 2009 at 6:36 pm link comment

    I am a Montanan, and I have voted against both of our Democratic Senators because they are devout liberals on most issues. The great thing about this state, though, is that even lefties have to be seen as pro-gun to stay in office here. Our Governor defines gun control as “hitting what you aim at”.

  14. M. C. Eshelmanon 09 Jun 2009 at 4:28 am link comment

    The initial news story I was e-mailed, frankly scared the -ell out of me! Very pleased though, to hear that our system of Gov’t. still works somewhat. We must remain vigilant and ready to react. I’ve taught my two sons that when the guns are taken away we will become slaves. Maybe someone can tell me why is there still a shortage of ammo here in (blue state) Calif.? When you can find rounds, they’re darned expensive!

  15. Destroyeron 18 Jan 2010 at 6:10 pm link comment

    now heres the real question? what kind of *&$^ing idiot even brought up the ban in the first place?

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