ATK And Military Doing End Run To Destroy Brass

[mrjarrell]

Since they got slapped down last time the forces that want to see military brass destroyed are back at it again. Gary Marbut has a piece up on the latest end run to deprive reloaders of used military brass.

From ProGun Leaders

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 -

.Pdf files at the source. If you think it'll do any good you need to contact your representatives and put a stop to this nonsense.

 

[45-70]

Quote; "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.""

They shouldn't worry about the militias, they should worry about us, the poor every day slobs trying to protect everything we have worked hard for all of our lives.

 

[Old Syko]

Quote; "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.""

They shouldn't worry about the militias, they should worry about us, the poor every day slobs trying to protect everything we have worked hard for all of our lives.

45-70 I have a news flash for ya. WE ARE THE MILITIA! Read your history books or better yet, just read the 2nd amendment.

 

[JAMZ]

Whats the big deal brass is brass if you get shot with a reload civilian or a reload military brass you still die............not like they are selling it back to the military and
breaking contract protocal.

 

[CarmelHP]

If you think it'll do any good you need to contact your representatives and put a stop to this nonsense.

How about bringing these base commanders up on charges for conversion of U.S. Government property? It doesn't belong to them in the first place, it belongs to the taxpayer and they're depriving the taxpayer of recompense.

 

[jeremy]

How about bringing these base commanders up on charges for conversion of U.S. Government property? It doesn't belong to them in the first place, it belongs to the taxpayer and they're depriving the taxpayer of recompense.

Yeah good luck on that one...

You are not going to nail a 2 star to a wall for something like this. They are fairly slippery...

 

[jeremy]

The Military was much better off before Privatization...

We waste large amounts of money paying people to do the jobs the Military used to do for next to nothing comparatively... How does that save money?!

 

[HICKMAN]

The Military was much better off before Privatization...

We waste large amounts of money paying people to do the jobs the Military used to do for next to nothing comparatively... How does that save money?!

amen brother, that crap started back with Clinton reshuffling and downsizing everythign. Used the be the Army could take care of its own needs.

 

[45-70]

45-70 I have a news flash for ya. WE ARE THE MILITIA! Read your history books or better yet, just read the 2nd amendment.

I don't consider myself militia and certainly am not "well regulated"

 

[jeremy]

I don't consider myself militia and certainly am not "well regulated"

Technically speaking you are considered the Militia by the Constitutional definition...

And you are right judging from the Avatar, you are pretty poorly regulated!