450 Million Hollow Points Ordered

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&tab=core&id=bfd95987 a1ad9a6dfb22bca4a19150cb&_cview=0

Social Security Administrations turn?


https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportun...tabmode=list&=

https://www.fbo.gov/utils/view?id=df...fb1fd4fb244ae5

https://www.fbo.gov/utils/view?id=20...167fe586ee5216

Why in the world would the SSA need ammunition? They expecting a riot from retirees when the goverment pulls the plug on SS benefits completely? Well, yeah, I guess that DOES answer my own question.....

I think you're onto something there Rich...

Page #5 attached.

Yeah, no kidding. 174K for a non law enforcement agency?

While this guy talks about the subject of this thread in the first part of this video, I really agree with him on the second point he makes about what happens after a party change in office. I have seen it over and over again myself in peoples attitudes.

Anyway, I found him entertaining in his delivery and some of his earlier videos are hilarious and agreeable with me.

Agencies tamp down speculation over hollow-point ammo purchases

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012...mmo-purchases/

Obscure federal agencies triggered a firestorm of conspiracy theories this week after they put out orders for thousands of rounds of deadly hollow-point bullets.

But the agencies, most recently the Social Security Administration, are trying to put a damper on the speculation -- noting the ammunition is "standard issue" and simply used for mandatory federal training sessions.

"Our special agents need to be armed and trained appropriately," said a message on the official blog for Social Security's inspector general office explaining the purchases.

The bullet purchases drew widespread attention as the website Infowars.com published several stories on them that were linked off the widely read Drudge Report and other sites. Infowars.com catalogued a string of recent purchases -- first by the Department of Homeland Security, then by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and then the Social Security Administration.

The Social Security Administration solicitation, posted Aug. 7, called for 174,000 rounds of ".357 Sig 125 grain bonded jacketed hollow point pistol ammunition."

Infowars.com speculated that the purchases were being made in preparation for "civil unrest," imagining a scenario of economic collapse where seniors could cause "disorder" if denied their Social Security benefits.

But the Social Security Administration statement, posted Thursday, noted that their agents need firearms and ammo in the course of training, investigations and responding to threats against offices and employees.

"As we said in a recent post, our office has criminal investigators, or special agents, who are responsible for investigating violations of the laws that govern SSA's programs," the office said.

The agency said it has 295 special agents across 66 offices in the country. "These investigators have full law enforcement authority, including executing search warrants and making arrests," the statement said.

As for concern about the type of bullets -- hollow points, which expand upon impact -- the statement said the type is "standard issue" and is used during "mandatory quarterly firearms qualifications and other training sessions."

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, found itself scrambling to respond to a similar report this week about an order for 46,000 rounds of ammo. Though the agency initially indicated it was for the National Weather Service -- leading to questions about why the National Weather Service could possibly need so many bullets -- a spokesman clarified the bullets are actually meant for the NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement. A "clerical error" resulted in the order saying the ammo was for the weather service.

Spokesman Scott Smullen said the error's been fixed in the bidding system. He, too, said the ammo is "standard issue" and will be used by 63 enforcement personnel at NOAA during qualifications and training sessions.

"NOAA officers and agents enforce the nation's ocean and fishing laws to ensure a level playing field for fishermen and to protect marine species like whales, dolphins and turtles," he said.

According to NOAA, the specialized agents are supposed to have 200 rounds in their "duty bag," and qualification and training requires another 500-600 rounds per agent.

I'm not sure I can buy that explanation.

Hollow point .357 Sig ammunition is about 30 percent more expensive than the equivalent ballistics of the truncated cone version (full metal jacket) of this round, which would work just as well for practice and training shooting.

With budgets being cut and all government agencies scrambling to try to make budget ends meet, why in the world would these agencies unnecessarily order the much more expensive version of this round?

It was the Hague convention (not Geneva) that addresses the use of expanding ammo. Supposedly, the ammo is for training. I served as a SWAT physician for a time, and we trained with .45 ACP hollow point rounds. They also carried .45 ACP in their duty weapons. So I kinda get the whole training thing..... But, SSA?!?!? Really? Not sure why so many "non peace keeper" agencies are going through simultaneous training cycles.