Please don't tell me you're speaking of the proposed ban on certain armor-piercing 5.56mm/.223 ammo...
Why, yes! That is it exactly! How good of you to bring it up!!! Shall we get started.....
Specifically, the green tipped cartridge made by Federal Cartridge (company, not government). And probably others, but this is the one I know a little about and have used. This round has been procured by the US military since probably the late 80's - one specific intended target during the 90's was the enemy in Afghanistan and Iraq who wore so called "body armor" - they wanted it to be "armor piercing" with the addition of a small steel sabot insert into the bullet. Turns out, it wasn't - didn't penetrate the body armor well enough to be called armor piercing, but the nomenclature has stuck and now we see great wailing, moaning, and gnashing of teeth over a really non-event. But from the opposite side one normally associates with whiners of this type - hint; not the RWRE!
It does make a really good target round, though, and the brass can be easily reloaded to a hunting round if desired. Since the Fed's (govt, not company) finally have exhausted all ideas and the requisite decade or so to make a decision had elapsed, they stopped buying from Federal (company), leaving an apparent stock of at least hundreds of millions of rounds that have been sold for the last 8 - 10 years or so as near as I can tell - the first ones I saw were probably 6 - 8 years ago. Great for plinking!! But for hunting or defense, I definitely would not be interested - wildly inadequate for either/both.
That is what the LWRE's are whining about today...
Oh, and complaining that it can be used as a pistol round... Ok... So?? An idiot would use it in a pistol. Someone serious about a pistol would use a .40 or .45.
The reality is, for overall military use, the M-16 - and the AR-15 platform with .223/5.56 in general is marginal as a war weapon. Yeah, I know...we have killed lots of people with them over the decades, so yes, they are deadly. Good for us.
The AR-10 platform, in particular the .308/7.62 x 51 NATO round is much better overall, all time, all temperature, all environments. It is even a better round that used in the weapon of our enemy - the AK-47, 7.62 x 39. I have heard of AK's being fitted to 7.62 NATO, and THAT would be the best of all possible worlds - both for warfare AND for hunting!! Someday when I get rich, I may buy one!
In the meantime, the M1A MA9106 with black composite stock is really nice!! It's on my Christmas wish list! The kids just can't quite get it together yet....
http://www.springfield-armory.com/products/standard-m1a/Now accepting Comments, questions, inquiries, cash, coin, stamps, and negotiable securities....