M855 SS109 Cross Section of Projectiles (Bullets)

K. Gross made these images to show the inner construction of the M855 and SS109 projectiles, or bullets.  You can see the steel tip in front of the lead core.  The mostly copper jacket is the layer around the outside in the images.

I do not have contact information for Mr. Gross;  I will gladly take down the picture or provide a link as he may desire.  I believe that he would like these images made available to inform the public.  

Here is the definition of "armor piercing ammunition" from the applicable federal code:

(B) The term “armor piercing ammunition” means—

(i) a projectile or projectile core which may be used in a handgun and which is constructed entirely (excluding the presence of traces of other substances) from one or a combination of tungsten alloys, steel, iron, brass, bronze, beryllium copper, or depleted uranium; or 

(ii) a full jacketed projectile larger than .22 caliber designed and intended for use in a handgun and whose jacket has a weight of more than 25 percent of the total weight of the projectile.

The SS109 and M855 projectiles do not seem to fit, as their cores are mostly lead.   But clear reading of definitions does not a legal scholar make; we all know how muddied "shall not be infringed" has been.  I think more and better information helps people to understand the arguments.
Note that the composition of the core has little effect on the ability of 5.56X45 or .223 (basically interchangeable cartridges) to penetrate the soft body armor worn by police.   All common 5.56X45 and .223 ammunition does that quite easily.  It is only the presence of the steel tip in the projectile that the BATFE is using to base their claim to be able to ban the ammunition, even though it is actually irrelevant in penetration of police armor; and irrelevant in the sense that it has been commonly available for the entire existence of the law, and has never been used as the BATFE claim is the problem.
Semi-automatic pistols that fire the 5.56 round have been commercially available for 30 years, commonly available in commercial channels for at least 20 years.

Here is one of the pistols that the administration is calling "easily concealable".  It was at the Shot Show.  The arm brace is properly attached; it is *not* a stock and is perfectly legal.

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
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