NCJ Number
104790
Date Published
1984
Length
365 pages
Annotation
Testimony before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Crime pertains to H.R. 641 and related bills, which prohibit the possession and use of armor-piercing ammunition and the criminal misuse and availability of machineguns and silencers.
Abstract
Proponents of the bill to prohibit the possession and use of armor-piercing bullets include a number of Senators and Representatives as well as police officials. They argue that armor-piercing bullets have no legitimate function but to penetrate the body armor worn by police and should therefore be outlawed. Representatives of the Justice and Treasury Departments as well as the National Rifle Association do not support the bill that prohibits the possession and use of armor-piercing bullets. They reason that the specification for such bullets is vague, since their effect depends on the type of armor struck by the bullet and the kind of gun in which the bullet is used. Opponents of the bill fear that bullets used for legitimate purposes will be outlawed. Opponents of the bill prohibiting the possession and use of specified armor-piercing bullets generally support a bill that would increase penalties for persons possessing armor-piercing bullets in a weapon used in a crime. A representative of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms believes that the existing National Firearms Act provides a satisfactory regulatory framework for deterring and sanctioning the possession of illegal weapons.