Military brass destruction update

Gun Rights Examiner ^ | 28 March, 2010 | David Codrea

[marktwain]

Courtesy Oleg Volk, A Human Right

We talked on Friday about "a fatal end run on brass," Montana Shooting Sports Association president Gary Marbut's revelation of deals between defense contractor ATK/Alliant Techsystems and military installation commanders that seemingly ran counter to an earlier understanding.

Marbut has written a follow-up piece. His conclusion?

ATK will need to do more than simply post a statement announcing that it now fully supports a congressional ban enacted last year to forbid military brass destruction.

Click here to read the rest, including two steps Marbut recommends for ATK to reassure the public of its intent.

Click here to read ATK's statement that Marbut refers to in his analysis.

Also see:

"Used military cartridge brass once again being destroyed--robbing shooters, taxpayers," by St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner Kurt Hofmann

------------

Arm thy neighbor

Author Matthew Bracken has posted an interesting opinion over at Free Republic. I've heard sentiment expressed before that if a neighbor doesn't have the presence of mind and foresight to provide for himself he only has himself to blame, but Bracken makes some compelling arguments for intervening.

Click here to read what recommends.

Tangentially related to all this, my editor at GUNS Magazine tells me my review of Bracken's latest, "Foreign Enemies and Traitors," has gone to press, so I should be able to tell you about that in the near future. (Hint: Thumbs up.)

You can read my reviews of the first two books in Bracken's trilogy at the following links:

"Enemies Foreign and Domestic" (Yes, I know CBS/BNET misspelled "domestic.")

"Domestic Enemies: The Reconquista"

[marktwain]

Matt's article is starting to go viral.

[Joe Brower]

Here is another response to ATK's retraction, from Gary Marbut of the Montana Shooting Sports Association. It was MTSSA who first broke the news of ATK's brass recycling program.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Update: Military Brass Destruction and ATK
March 27, 2010

Having suffered a "Zumbo moment," corporate giant ATK now seeks to redeem its image after its aggressive run at destroying all used military brass. Even though ATK was actively soliciting military installations to join its brass destruction program as recently as last Wednesday, ATK said in a fresh press release on Friday, "ATK fully supports the provision passed by Congress last year to ensure that demilitarized spent brass casings remain available for civilian use."

Industry and gun culture insiders report that ATK head Mark DeYoung is one of us, a gun owner and sportsman. Great. However, to refurbish its image and get beyond this "Zumbo moment," ATK will need to do more than simply post a statement announcing that it now fully supports a congressional ban enacted last year to forbid military brass destruction.

Two suggestions for ATK:

1) ATK could release a list of the military installations with which it has had Memoranda of Understanding to take and destroy fired brass, AND a list of the installations for which it has now canceled such MOUs; and

2) ATK could identify those employees responsible for both hatching and approving the ATK-sponsored program to destroy military brass, the people who approved pitching this program to military installations with the argument that allowing brass to be sold to the public somehow fosters domestic terrorism. Having identified those responsible, ATK could reassign those personnel to a commission-only job of hauling excess Lake City ammunition around the U.S. and selling that ammo to the public at shooting ranges and gun shows.

These two steps would go a long way towards reassuring the public that ATK is indeed a good corporate citizen, is actively complying with declared congressional intent and does not attempt to deamonize the ammo-buying public as domestic terrorists...

Even if ATK is willing to go the extra mile to get beyond its "Zumbo moment," that will still leave a pervasive problem in the U.S. military of non-compliance with the congressional prohibition of brass destruction. That problem will still need to be addressed, probably with further congressional action.

End

Gary Marbut, president
Montana Shooting Sports Association
http://www.mtssa.org
Source: http://www.progunleaders.org/ammo/Update1.html

[Wonder Warthog]

Poor Zumbo. Looks like his name is going to live forever in the gun-owners lexicon, and not as he would have wanted it.

Supposedly, he "saw the light" as regards is antipathy to "evil black rifles". Anybody got info on how that has been working out??

[Obadiah]

I don’t trust ATK. Private FR mail me if you need .223 once-fired brass.

[NVDave]

I don’t trust ATK either. The whole thing reeks of and end-run in the quest for profit. Brass is darned expensive right now, and this backroom deal “de-mil” of used brass conveniently works out in ATK’s favor - big time.

[Obadiah]

Completely agree. In the very least, I think ATK has been working behind the scenes to enact this change on the QT. Now that people got wind of it they are publicly denying it, saying, in effect, “Who me?”

Moreover, it certainly would be extraordinary if they say one thing publicly while doing another privately, even if they have to lay a little low for a while in face of the heat.

[T-Bird45]

Supposedly, he "saw the light" as regards is antipathy to "evil black rifles". Anybody got info on how that has been working out??

I understand he got some of his gigs back after a significant "time out" from the gun rags. I don't think he is quite back to where he was.

Nothing quite like breaking a guy's rice bowl to get his attention about a serious flaw in his thinking.

[Carry_Okie]

Re-Use, Recycle, Reload!

Uh... I think that's it... Isn't it?

[Gilbo_3]

can the article/post be linked please for those who missed ???

thanks for the fine work gents...

[Gilbo_3]

doh !!!...got in a hurry going to get baby and forgot to click the examiner link that has the other links...

thanks just the same...

[Joe Brower]

"Private FR mail me if you need .223 once-fired brass."

Many thanks for the offer; I think my & mine are all set. Perhaps someone else here can make use of your generous offer; "share the wealth", as it were...