well it was nice while it lasted RIP 5.45

[Kingjamez]

5.45 is .214 so really it is it is closer to a 204 ruger than anything.

Its only called 5.45 its not really 5.45mm. Pull a bullet and measure it, its larger than .220.

-Jim

 

[erwos]

Has there been any other company that's gotten a similar letter, that we know of?

Someone on ARFCOM claims to have called the BATFE and gotten a similar answer.

Back in December of 2012, the BATFE was supposed to have done a rethink of how all this was applied to rifle ammo; I guess Newtown completely blew it off the map, because that's the last I saw of that story:
http://www.smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=2003

Worst case scenario, I'll leave my existing cans sealed for SHTF purposes and just start shooting commercial again. If I don't shoot enough of it, I'll convert my AR back to 5.56x45.

 

[Kingjamez]

I googled the name of the ATF IOI Liaison and found a PPT on the Amazon cloud she did regarding importing NFA arms for repair. Additionally, I've gotten emails from the ATF with similar fonts and formats for the signature. I believe the email is real.

Desiree didn't say there was a ban, but sure did imply it.

-Jim

 

[Franklin]

Its only called 5.45 its not really 5.45mm. Pull a bullet and measure it, its larger than .220.

-Jim

Yeah just looked it up. It's 221. Still it would be a mute point. They said anything larger than .22. Well that is 220-229 so wouldn't a 230 bullet be the cut point?

 

[AlpineDude67]

Damn, I suppose I should have bought even more. I have a lot, but not exactly a lifetime supply. All those pre-Oct. 1 purchases put a dent in the ammo budget.

For what it is worth - I don't think this is a sign to run out and pay absurd prices for 5.45. I think Ukraine is going to sell us anything they can once the immediate crisis passes. So either they sell us their steel core surplus if that is allowed, or if that gets banned, they are going to crank out the commercial 5.45 like crazy. That country needs money bad and 5.45 ammo is something they can reliably sell everywhere.

The U.S. isn't going to ban imports from Ukraine for political reasons - they want Ukraine to be economically healthy and independent from Moscow. They may tell Russia to stick their ammo where the sun don't shine, but not Ukraine.

So if you can find another tin of 7N6 that isn't absurdly priced, grab it. But I say don't get robbed over this.

If Russian tanks start rolling into Ukraine proper, all bets are off, but I don't think that is happening.

 

[Franklin]

Heh...Ukraine might need all the ammo they can get...especially when Putin starts dropping JDAM's on them.

Damn, I suppose I should have bought even more. I have a lot, but not exactly a lifetime supply. All those pre-Oct. 1 purchases put a dent in the ammo budget.

For what it is worth - I don't think this is a sign to run out and pay absurd prices for 5.45. I think Ukraine is going to sell us anything they can once the immediate crisis passes. So either they sell us their steel core surplus if that is allowed, or if that gets banned, they are going to crank out the commercial 5.45 like crazy. That country needs money bad and 5.45 ammo is something they can reliably sell everywhere.

The U.S. isn't going to ban imports from Ukraine for political reasons - they want Ukraine to be economically healthy and independent from Moscow. They may tell Russia to stick their ammo where the sun don't shine, but not Ukraine.

So if you can find another tin of 7N6 that isn't absurdly priced, grab it. But I say don't get robbed over this.

If Russian tanks start rolling into Ukraine proper, all bets are off, but I don't think that is happening.

 

[armed ferret]

Bulgaria uses the ak74 variants as well.

RUSSIAN surplus may go away, but 5.45 won't be disappearing. If anything it means less cleaning since wolf and the bears are non corrosive....

 

[toolness1]

I'm gonna hang the jackass who makes the novelty 54r handgun by his pecker when they get cheap spam cans banned.

Producing a pistol in a ridiculous caliber just to say you did it, isn't worth getting a cheap caliber banned from importation. People suck.

Also, the ATF rule sucks the most....but manufacturers should give it a little thought before they screw things up for every Mosin owner in the US.

Sent from my XT901 using Tapatalk

 

[BLACKTALON]

confirmed from AIM and Copes both called ( copes didnt even have 5.45 just wanted to know like all of us)

 

[SKIP]

Whoever is developing a 5.45 handgun needs to be put out of business for this stunt.

 

[tball]

You can have your guns, but they are banning the ammo. What happened to shall not infringe? Pray for our country!

 

[mazinger]

damn, i haven't even shot my 5.45 build.

 

[armed ferret]

You can have your guns, but they are banning the ammo. What happened to shall not infringe? Pray for our country!

no, they're not banning the ammo. some jackass decided they wanted to make 5.45 ak pistols to sell, so the surplus steel core is now classified as "armor-piercing handgun ammunition" and can't be imported.

the caliber isn't banned, and neither is "the ammo". just one type of ammo thanks to some ****stick with no regard for the rest of the gun-owning community.

 

[BLACKTALON]

It could be one of three people and I am betting JBI

 

[niftyvt]

no, they're not banning the ammo. some jackass decided they wanted to make 5.45 ak pistols to sell, so the surplus steel core is now classified as "armor-piercing handgun ammunition" and can't be imported.

the caliber isn't banned, and neither is "the ammo". just one type of ammo thanks to some ****stick with no regard for the rest of the gun-owning community.

But the 'armor piercing' ammo is banned for some arbitrary made up 'feel good' reason and isnt actually going to do anything to lower/prevent crime. So, yes that is an infringement. In fact all of the import regulations are based off 'feel good' BS and are infringements that need to go.

 

[AlpineDude67]

I think the "armor penetration" abilities of that old 7N6 are pretty minimal, even out of a rifle. Remember the Russians first strengthened the 7N6, then stopped using it in favor of 7N10 and 7N22 to improve armor penetration. Add that to a pistol with a short barrel where you'll get even worse performance.

I imagine that if you took an AR-15 pistol, an AK-47 pistol and whatever Frankengun 5.45 some ass is selling and tried them against various types of body armor, armor chest plates and so on, the performance would be pretty similar. I'd be really surprised if the 7N6 is some fire-breathing dragon out of an 6 or 8 inch barrel, even though there is some steel in it.

All this does is make it more expensive to go shooting at the range - what else is new?

Maybe I will just buy commercial now, save all my 7N6 and sell it in 5 years as the "Ultra Rare, Armor Piercing, Poison Bullet" for $6 a round. That might fund a lot of things on the wish list.

 

[armed ferret]

I fully intend to keep my unopened tins of 7n6 for a rainy day fund.

 

[Kingjamez]

I fully intend to keep my unopened tins of 7n6 for a rainy day fund.

Me too. I've got a bunch of tins, but haven't shot corrosive 5.45 in a long time. I bought a bunch of Brown Bear 5.45 a while back for $0.20/round and it is very accurate and I don't have to stress about cleaning. Hopefully that stuff will continue to flow and get cheaper as ammo prices continue to settle.

-Jim

 

[Wayne1one]

Me too. I've got a bunch of tins, but haven't shot corrosive 5.45 in a long time. I bought a bunch of Brown Bear 5.45 a while back for $0.20/round and it is very accurate and I don't have to stress about cleaning. Hopefully that stuff will continue to flow and get cheaper as ammo prices continue to settle.

-Jim

All is not lost, this is my take on the 7N6 "crisis"..

 

[Bertfish]

The panic buying has clearly started although I'm not going to give up all hope until the ATF says something definitive. Surplus 5.45 is OOS everywhere I've looked