# Pentagon Destroying $1B in Ammo



## spencerD (Jan 14, 2014)

This is a pretty scary storyhttp://www.ksl.com/?sid=29702914&nid=757&fm=home_page&s_cid=toppick1

The Pentagon is destroying $1B in ammo, after it went on a buying spree and collected so much. If they don't need the ammo, that's fine, but why not sell it to Americans who could use it? I know of a bunch of hunters who could use this, as well as recreational shooters. Just destroying it is incredible wasteful. 

Thoughts?


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

The link didn't work, here it is http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=29...y-1b-in-ammunition-report-says&s_cid=queue-10

I had read this earlier today and didn't fully understand it, (i didn't read the whole USA today article) but it sounds just as stupid as one could expect the government to be doing.


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## Gee LeDouche (Sep 21, 2007)

typical...


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

Typical is right. I'm sure they aren't destroying .22LR, 5.56, or any of the hard to find calibers though. It's probably referring to unused or outdated ordinances and explosives, which still seems somewhat wasteful to me.

News stories just don't ever clarify and I think they do it intentionally to keep you reading and to drum up some public outcry.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

I guess they never heard of selling it or a garage sale. I'm sure a lot of the ammo would be usable and sellable to someone or some country. Heck even if we only got 25 cents on the dollar 250+ million could buy a lot of stuff.:x


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## lifes short (Sep 11, 2013)

My understanding if this is during the Clinton administration the law was changed to make it illegal to sell US military surplus or old ammo, but there is a loophole that allowed the ammo to be broke down and the components sold. Until this latest ammo shortage-hoarding you could buy powder from pulled down 5.56(.223) or 7.62x51(.308)rounds and the pulled bullets pretty cheap, about 1/2 of retail pricing. Right now you can buy pulldown powder from 50BMGs for $6.00per pound, it is to slow for most calibers only seems to work in the overbore magnums. The .224 and .308 bullets have been hard to come by lately.
In 2009 they tried to make it illegal to sale the once fired or pulled down brass. The plan was to shred it and sell it to China to be recycled. Because of public outcry to elected officials the law was changed and 5.56 and 7.62x51 military once fired brass is easy to find and buy.
Hopefully this is where this ammo is headed and not the incinerator.


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

I sure hope they don't sell it to another country...

How humiliating it would be to get shot in battle by an american made bullet, that was sold to the enemy.


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## fishreaper (Jan 2, 2014)

KineKilla said:


> I sure hope they don't sell it to another country...
> 
> How humiliating it would be to get shot in battle by an american made bullet, that was sold to the enemy.


In world war I, because the 1903 springfield was so closely built after the Mauser, we actually paid Mauser royalties through out the war. I want to say like 3 million. Kind of the same thing.


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## spencerD (Jan 14, 2014)

Like all politics aside (even though I'm sure a lot of us here share the same views. I know all of us don't) this is worrying to see in a government. They buy billions of rounds, then decide to just destroy it all? I wish I had the ability to waste that kind of money on a whim. If the bullets are in working order they should be sold to us. Or, still used in the army. Or, as life's short said, broken down and sold off by individual parts. Just destroying it all doesn't make sense in my mind.


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