The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed new rules that would have a dramatic effect on the storage and transportation of ammunition and handloading components such as primers or black and smokeless powder. The proposed rule indiscriminately treats ammunition, powder and primers as “explosives.” Among many other provisions, the proposed rule would:Prohibit possession of firearms in commercial “facilities containing explosives”—an obvious problem for your local gun store.
Require evacuation of all “facilities containing explosives”—even your local Wal-Mart—during any electrical storm.
Prohibit smoking within 50 feet of “facilities containing explosives.”
It’s important to remember this is only a proposed rule right now, so there’s still time for concerned citizens to speak out before OSHA issues its final rule. The National Rifle Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation, and Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute will all be commenting on these proposed regulations, based on the severe effect these regulations (if finalized) would have on the availability of ammunition and reloading supplies to safe and responsible shooters.
At the NRA Legislation site they have a pre-made letter you can send.
Go now and send it and write your congresscritters. We must end this blatent attempt at gun control through ammunition restrictions.
Black Powder is alread considered an explosive, which is why it's so dang hard to find in stores. I have to mail order it and UPS gets a little jump handling a box that has the HAZMAT Placard on the side that states it's a class A explosive. As for the rest, that's just stupid.
Yet one more letter for me to send.
Posted by: Contagion at July 12, 2007 08:30 AMGrrrrr....
Posted by: That 1 Guy at July 12, 2007 08:56 AMThat's bloated government for you -- these are completely unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats that are trying to do this. There's almost no way to stop them. We can comment and send letters (and I will), but in the end the best option seems to be to just ignore them. I know I do -- and yes, that makes me break the law nearly continuously, every day. Such is life in these United States today.
Posted by: Ogre at July 12, 2007 09:54 AM One would think that I would have seen the stories about the great gaping holes in the highway where a truck full of ammo and black powder blew up, killing dozens.
The huge gaps in the landscape where a gun shop used to be.
What? This didn't happen? Oh, my.
The main letters should be to your congresscritters.