Ammunition as explosives followup

This last Monday, July 9th, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) extended the comment period for their latest round of brilliant stupidity... classifying ammunition as explosives. (Mentioned before in this weblog entry.)

Officially known as Docket No. OSHA-2007- 0032, this proposal will quickly become a very big problem if it is not shut down before the mainstream media gets wind of it. I can already see the people who have never handled a firearm, let alone seen a real one, come out in a big ignorant celebrity studded show of support. After all, a .22 rimfire and a block of C-4 both go "bang", right? Just at different volumes!

I am still convinced this is an attempt at backdoor regulation of ammunition and, by proxy, firearms. I have yet to see the round of ammunition that can level a building, destroy a tank, or take down a wall of reinforced concrete and brick. That is what explosives do. Explosives are volatile, very temperamental, and must be handled with extreme care. Ammunition needs to be pointed at something to destroy it. Explosives work in a wide area and do not work on a direct linear path.

Another big difference between ammunition and explosives? Time. Old ammunition can be packed tightly in a box and left alone for years and never discharge. Old ammunition can be shipped anywhere in the world with a civilian carrier service and never discharge a single round. Old ammunition can be picked up casually and tossed into a jacket pocket with dozens of similar rounds and never discharge. Try any of those things with sticks of old dynamite.

The only time ammunition discharges by itself is when it is on fire. But everything tends to discharge when on fire. Passenger cars, cans of Cheez Whiz, deodorant, aerosol cans... if its under pressure, or has flammable contents sealed inside of it, its an explosive device when heated enough.

OSHA knows all of these things. So why the new regulation after all this time?

According to the main opposition link at

http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Federal/Read.aspx?id=3151&issue= ,

you can submit comments on Docket No. OSHA-2007- 0032 by any of the following methods:

• Electronically: You may submit comments and attachments electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, which is the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Follow the instructions on-line for making electronic submissions.

• Fax: If your comments, including attachments, do not exceed 10 pages, you may fax them to the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-1648.

• Mail, hand delivery, express mail, messenger or courier service: You must submit three copies of your comments and attachments to:

OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-2007-0032
U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625
200 Constitution Avenue, NW.
Washington, DC 20210

telephone (202) 693-2350 (OSHA"s TTY number is (877) 889-5627).

Please take a moment and let these bozos people at OSHA know what you think. Even though the comment period now ends on September 10, 2007, the more people that voice their opposition now, the better the chances this thing will be shut down early.

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