Military Cartridge Brass Destruction 2010 - Round 2

[Worriedman]

Military Cartridge Brass Destruction 2010 - Round 2

by

Gary Marbut, President, Montana Shooting Sports Association

The cure that was arranged by Montana Senators Baucus and Tester to fix the intended military destruction of once-fired cartridge brass last year appears to be suffering from a fatal end-run.

Interested persons will remember that a year ago, helpful intervention by Montana's senators persuaded the Department of Defense to rescind a fresh DoD directive to military installation commanders requiring them to destroy once-fired brass, prior to selling it at auction into the civilian marketplace for ammunition reloading and other purposes.

An end-run is being done around the rescinding order through quiet and sweetheart side deals with installation commanders that is being aggressively promoted by ATK.

Some characters must be introduced to explain this story. ATK/Alliant Techsystems is the defense contractor that currently has the contract to operate the Army's huge Lake City Arsenal, the last government-owned facility in the U.S. for production of small arms military ammunition. While other contracts to operate Lake City have been cost-plus, the contract ATK arranged allows ATK to retain profits of operation. Although government/private partnerships always seem to be strange creatures, the nature of the government/ATK partnership may be stranger than most.

Government Liquidation is another private entity that has an exclusive government franchise to sell surplus military equipment, from all military installations nationwide, to all bidders.

Until recently, most used cartridge brass sales were put up for public bid through Government Liquidations, bids available to scrap metal purchasers, foundries processing brass, and specialized cartridge brass processors that reconditioned millions of surplus cartridge brass for sale to commercial reloaders of civilian ammunition, and to civilians for ammunition loading. The steady supply of reloadable brass from military sources has been a sizeable and essential component of the currently stressed ammunition market in the U.S.

Although the private Government Liquidations retains a fee for the auction services it provides, the bulk of income from Government Liquidations' sales of surplus military property is directed into the U.S. Treasury, to be reallocated and appropriated by Congress, as needed.

In a recent turn, ATK has been aggressively promoting sweetheart side deals with military installation commanders for those commanders to sell used cartridge brass directly to ATK (which ATK then renders unsuitable for reloading), the income from which is deposited, NOT into the U.S. Treasury for reallocation by Congress, but into accounts controlled by installation commanders for installation operation.

ATK even provides portable equipment to demil tons of cartridge cases at the military installations, destroying the brass for reloading purposes. Because the destroyed cartridge case brass is not suitable for reloading, it cannot command a price driven by auction for the highest-value use of reloading. Military installation commanders sell the Alliant-destroyed brass to ATK at a private, non-auction, special price. Commanders are willing to accept the reduced price because the sale proceeds go to the commanders' discretionary accounts and not back to the U.S. Treasury via Government Liquidations.

Quote from ATK program sales literature:

"Payment is made to Fort Irwin not DRMO [now Government Liquidations], so Fort Irwin utilizes the money that is generated from the Recycle project for other recycling efforts."

ATK, then, ships this destroyed cartridge brass to the foundries from which ATK gets new stock for manufacturing new cartridge cases, offsetting in significant part what ATK would otherwise pay the foundries, and thereby increasing ATK's profit from operating the Lake City Arsenal.

Government Liquidations suffers a substantial decrease in business since fired military brass has long been a most lucrative product they've traditionally handled.

Meanwhile, the big losers are the U.S. Treasury (U.S. taxpayers), and civilian ammunition consumers who will see higher prices and more shortages in the ammunition marketplace from this scheme. U.S. gun owners are effectively being taxed by this scheme to provide greater profits for ATK.

There is one additional motive at work here. In part, this juicy scheme is being sold to military installation commanders with the reasoning that "We cannot allow this reloaded ammunition to fall into the hands of militias." The sell-direct-to-ATK idea is being sold to installation commanders as a way to deprive imagined U.S. civilian enemies of firepower.

Quotes from ATK program sales literature:

"Currently handling brass scrap for ATK Lake City -- for sole purpose of recycling material and preventing any reloading of spent cases by the public with military grade brass."

"Keeps Military Grade Brass from being re-loaded by unauthorized users."

"To PREVENT anyone from using your scrap ammunition components for non-military purposes." (Emphasis in the original)

"Assurability for the [military] installation, that no one can use this cartridge against law enforcement or our military personnel, by reloading the case."

It's time to cure this problem finally with congressional action. The Montana congressional delegation is spooling up to address this issue. Senators and Representatives from other states need to join the Montana delegation in fixing this problem finally with congressional direction to DoD to require that all expended military brass of civilian-useable calibers generated domestically goes through the public auction process. This will benefit the U.S. Treasury, America's gun owners, and the adequacy of the ammunition marketplace.

- End -

Gary Marbut, president

Montana Shooting Sports Association

http://www.mtssa.org

author, Gun Laws of Montana

http://www.mtpublish.com

[Guest 6.8 AR]

One more reason to get rid of some politicians in high

places. I'm glad I changed to 6.8

[Mike.357]

so the cartridges in and of itself must be evil and causing crimes.

What a bunch of idiots we have driving the bus.

[Oh Shoot]

...

The cure that was arranged by Montana Senators Baucus and Tester to fix the intended military destruction of once-fired cartridge brass last year....

I'm a little confused re this whole issue.

Not to dispute the "end run" described in the article, according to NRA-ILA article in the March American Rifleman, it was Democrat John Murtha who deserves the praise for that?

"Next, Congress passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2010. In that bill, the Obama administration sought to drop a longstanding rider that protects M1 carbines, M1 Garands and other valuable firearms from being needlessly destroyed.

Not only did the provision remain in the bill, but it was improved so it will also prohibit the destruction of safe, legal and serviceable small arms ammunition and ammunition components. The new NRA-supported language was a response to the bureaucratic snarl that nearly required the destruction of all spent military cartridge cases earlier this year. Shooters who rely on ammunition loaded in once-fired military brass owe U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., a round of applause for his help in getting this rider restored and expanded."

- OS

[Worriedman]

ATK is the parent company of Speer, CCI, Federal Cartidge Co. and RCBS.

I include a couple of ATK's sales proposals to Military bases.

http://www.progunleaders.org/ammo/ATKOverviewBrassProjects-1.pdf

Gun Laws of Montana

[Guest 1817ak47]

the Obama administration sought to drop a longstanding rider that protects M1 carbines, M1 Garands and other valuable firearms from being needlessly destroyed.

- OS

did this part actually go thru?? and what there reason was if it did

[Oh Shoot]

did this part actually go thru?? and what there reason was if it did

Read both paragraphs.

"Not only did the provision remain in the bill, but it was improved..."

- OS

[Guest marine77]

This is false. Story is about the first time they attempted this.

[Worriedman]

This is false. Story is about the first time they attempted this.

Story is not false, I spoke with the lead "communications person, Amanda Covington" with ATK. I asked if they were in process of attempting to recycle the brass instead of allowing it to go for resale to the civilian market, and this is the response I got, she would not discuss it over the phone:

Thanks!

Amanda

http://www.atk.com/MediaCenter/mediacenter_presskit.asp

ATK Statement Regarding Once-Fired Brass Cases

ATK is a strong supporter of our armed forces, the shooting sports industry, second amendment rights and all of our customers who choose to reload ammunition. In fact, ATK is a leader in the reloading market. A dated brochure and presentation have caused confusion in the marketplace and do not reflect the views of our company and will be immediately withdrawn. As a service to our military customers, we routinely handle demil operations for various munitions and respond to requests from military installations for reclamation and recycling of military items. Each contract is awarded through the military installation’s procurement process. The installations received fair value for the brass.

ATK fully supports the provision passed by Congress last year to ensure that demilitarized spent brass casings remain available for civilian use.

I asked her directly if these proposals were still being made, no response, but in the written statement, it says they have now been withdrawn. They do not say that they were not using this same proposal and program.

Article by Gary Marbut was published March 25, 2010, and ATK has not refuted the accusation that these activities are taking place.

http://www.progunleaders.org/ammo/

I have contacted Government Liquidation for verification of the percentage of surplus brass that is coming to them for resale, I will publish their response as soon as I receive it.

Edited March 28, 2010 by Worriedman

[Worriedman]

NRA-ILA :: Questions Arise Over Army Bases

Questions Arise Over Army Bases’ Disposition of Surplus Cartridge Cases

Thursday, April 01, 2010

Last week, NRA-ILA learned that quantities of once-fired small arms cartridge cases recovered from firing ranges on military bases, which by federal law the Department of Defense is prohibited from demilitarizing or destroying, were being sold for scrap.

A governing law in this matter, developed with input from NRA-ILA, is a rider to the 2010 Department of Defense Appropriations Act. It stipulates that “None of the funds available to the Department of Defense may be used to demilitarize or dispose of M-1 Carbines, M-1 Garand rifles, M-14 rifles, .22 caliber rifles, .30 caliber rifles, or M-1911 pistols, or to demilitarize or destroy small arms ammunition or ammunition components that are not otherwise prohibited from commercial sale under Federal law, unless the small arms ammunition or ammunition components are certified by the Secretary of the Army or designee as unserviceable or unsafe for further use.†However, military bases are authorized to dispose of a variety of items, including surplus cartridge cases, via the Qualified Recycling Program, in place for more than a decade.

NRA members will recall that it was one year ago when a bureaucratic glitch led to the Department of Defense temporarily suspending sales of once-fired cartridge cases, Montana’s U.S. Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester quickly conveyed to the Defense Logistics Agency their judgment that “The destruction of fired brass is unwarranted and has far reaching implications,†including its “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.†A summary of last year’s “demil†controversy can be reviewed here.

Last week, NRA-ILA again contacted Senators Baucus and Tester to request that they investigate the current disposition of surplus small arms cartridge cases with a view to determining the best way to assure their continued provision to Americans who buy the cases for resale and reloading use. Jointly, Senators Baucus and Tester have made their concerns known to the Defense Logistics Agency and asked its chief to explain, by April 15, the extent which military installations have contracted with private companies for the scrapping of fired cartridge cases, whether such contracts comply with federal law, and what steps the agency is taking “to ensure that all interested buyers have the opportunity to purchased once-fired small arms cartridge cases.â€

NRA will continue working with members of Congress and the Pentagon to guarantee that the long-standing practice of making surplus military small arms cartridge cases available for reuse by reloaders continues in perpetuity. NRA members are encouraged to inform their U.S. Senators and Representatives that they expect Army bases to do everything possible to ensure the continued supply of once-fired cartridge cases through channels making them available to the public.

You can call your U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121, and your U.S. Representative at (202) 225-3121 or use our "Write Your Representatives" tool.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Watch Obama's left hand while his right is on display. Don't ever lose sight of it. This is how people like Obama and his minions work. This battle is lost until November. Everything he has done has to be repealed or de-funded until another president can be

elected, or he can be impeached.

[9teeneleven]

Watch Obama's left hand while his right is on display. Don't ever lose sight of it. This is how people like Obama and his minions work. This battle is lost until November. Everything he has done has to be repealed or de-funded until another president can be

elected, or he can be impeached.

Huh? What does this have to do with Obama? This sounds like a company we all have given $$ to at one time selling us ammo on the one hand, and spewing anti-gun rhetoric to the military on the other to try and squeeze an extra dollar out of the American taxpayer.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

That may be true, to, 9teeneleven, but he has a hand with his minion communists doing things to 'cap and trade' within the EPA, instead of the law being passed. He also repackaged an oil drilling rights program that actually tightened up instead of letting it open up completely, when he didn't need to take any action. He is taking credit for something he didn't do. I'm just saying he has one of his minions playing with something that was played with last year to stir the pot some more.

Maybe it is a private thing, but I doubt it. It may be a private manipulation of a regulation that should have never been there in the first place. This issue was settled last year, supposedly. Why did it happen this time?

Edited April 4, 2010 by 6.8 AR
correction

[Guest gts]

That may be true, to, 9teeneleven, but he has a hand with his minion communists doing things to 'cap and trade' within the EPA, instead of the law being passed. He also repackaged an oil drilling rights program that actually tightened up instead of letting it open up completely, when he didn't need to take any action. He is taking credit for something he didn't do. I'm just saying he has one of his minions playing with something that was played with last year to stir the pot some more.

Maybe it is a private thing, but I doubt it. It may be a private manipulation of a regulation that should have never been there in the first place. This issue was settled last year, supposedly. Why did it happen this time?

+1

Anyone ever question why Federal announced they discontinued Hydra-Shoks and HST in the public market? Maybe, it is because government told them they wouldn't buy unless they did. Maybe not. It is obvious that there is an effort to inhibit the citizens ability to exercise to the full extent the rights of the second amendment. I think this is just one piece of the ever oppressing puzzle. We should be keeping a very keen eye on the situation. The playing field is being manipulated to grant advantage to those who have no intention of us maintaining the liberty that our constitution is supposed to guarantee.

Anyone else thinking of fleeing to Montana? It seems to be the only state in the union whose existing government has the sense and the wherewithal to fully stand up for the its people. A couple of others are very close, but are quite a distance from here.

BTW, to think that Obama and his cronies are in some form or fashion behind this stink is feeble. Just my humble opinion.