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DHS takes the shot
Author: TriSec
Date: 05/05/2012 10:34:38
Good Morning.
It's an early blog, but no platelet donation today. (In fact, I've changed habits - there's a donation center in Worcester a mere 4 miles from the office. I was out there last Monday evening after work. You should still donate.) Nay, it's a "classroom day" for ol' Mr. Bean. It's almost kayak season and we'll be reviewing all our policies and procedures to get ready for opening weekend this Memorial day.
In any case....I've been made aware this week of a story that seems to be gaining traction among the conspiracy websites, and I'm wondering what everyone might make of all this. Dan Rea of WBZ, host of the "Nightside" program here most evenings, has started running an add wondering about where all his liberal friends are on this issue. Like I said...I never heard about it until I went digging for it.
It seems that the Department of Homeland security has signed a fairly significant contract with a small bullet manufacturer called "ATK" to purchase many millions of bullets. When I first looked for the story the other day, I found one "straight" resource that pitched it as a business deal, but I neglected to save it, and now I've got nothing. In any case, here's something from Business Insider:
Note that this deal is for "hollow-point" ammunition. Digging around a bit,
here's the bullet:
The flower-like object on the right is what it will look like after it hits something. I'm no ballistics expert, but that looks like it's only going to do one thing if it hits a person. (point of reference...hollow-point bullets were used to assasinate John Lennon.)
More troubling than that though....these bullets are illegal in war, but evidently not illegal in the United States. These aren't covered by the Geneva conventions, but rather the far less known Hague convention.
I won't bore or insult you by posting anything from our conspiracist or right wing friends (you can check that yourself by Googling "DHS + hollow point", but I suppose that I must yield the point that such a purchase by the government is troubling indeed.
It's an early blog, but no platelet donation today. (In fact, I've changed habits - there's a donation center in Worcester a mere 4 miles from the office. I was out there last Monday evening after work. You should still donate.) Nay, it's a "classroom day" for ol' Mr. Bean. It's almost kayak season and we'll be reviewing all our policies and procedures to get ready for opening weekend this Memorial day.
In any case....I've been made aware this week of a story that seems to be gaining traction among the conspiracy websites, and I'm wondering what everyone might make of all this. Dan Rea of WBZ, host of the "Nightside" program here most evenings, has started running an add wondering about where all his liberal friends are on this issue. Like I said...I never heard about it until I went digging for it.
It seems that the Department of Homeland security has signed a fairly significant contract with a small bullet manufacturer called "ATK" to purchase many millions of bullets. When I first looked for the story the other day, I found one "straight" resource that pitched it as a business deal, but I neglected to save it, and now I've got nothing. In any case, here's something from Business Insider:
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office is getting an "indefinite delivery" of an "indefinite quantity" of .40 caliber ammunition from defense contractor ATK.
U.S. agents will receive a maximum of 450 million rounds over five years, according to a press release on the deal.
The high performance HST bullets are designed for law enforcement and ATK says they offer "optimum penetration for terminal performance."
This refers to the the bullet's hollow-point tip that passes through barriers and expands for a bigger impact without the rest of the bullet getting warped out of shape: "this bullet holds its jacket in the toughest conditions."
Note that this deal is for "hollow-point" ammunition. Digging around a bit,
here's the bullet:
The flower-like object on the right is what it will look like after it hits something. I'm no ballistics expert, but that looks like it's only going to do one thing if it hits a person. (point of reference...hollow-point bullets were used to assasinate John Lennon.)
More troubling than that though....these bullets are illegal in war, but evidently not illegal in the United States. These aren't covered by the Geneva conventions, but rather the far less known Hague convention.
The Hague Convention of 1899, Declaration III, prohibited the use in international warfare of bullets that easily expand or flatten in the body.
This is often incorrectly believed to be prohibited in the Geneva Conventions, but it significantly predates those conventions, and is in fact a continuance of the St. Petersburg Declaration of 1868, which banned exploding projectiles of less than 400 grams, as well as weapons designed to aggravate injured soldiers or make their death inevitable. NATO members do not use small arms ammunition that is prohibited by the Hague Convention.
Despite the ban on military use, hollow-point bullets are one of the most common types of civilian and police ammunition, due largely to the reduced risk of bystanders being hit by over-penetrating or ricocheted bullets, and the increased speed of incapacitation. In many jurisdictions, even ones such as the United Kingdom, where expanding ammunition is generally prohibited, it is illegal to hunt certain types of game with ammunition that does not expand. Some target ranges forbid full metal jacket ammunition, due to its greater tendency to damage metal targets and backstops.
The state of New Jersey prohibits the possession and use of hollow-point ammunition by private citizens, specifically in firearms carried outside the home, but with many exceptions.
I won't bore or insult you by posting anything from our conspiracist or right wing friends (you can check that yourself by Googling "DHS + hollow point", but I suppose that I must yield the point that such a purchase by the government is troubling indeed.
Comments:
Order comments Newest to Oldest Refresh Comments
Comment by 
trojanrabbit on 05/05/2012 14:08:48
trojanrabbit on 05/05/2012 14:08:48
If you're gonna shoot, might as well shoot to kill......
Another Saturday at work, mostly self-imposed now that my test chamber is up and running. I still have a lot of software tweaking and other procedures I want to automate and it's damn near impossible to do it during normal hours. Until recently all the results I was getting were being questioned, but now I think I've proven that everything is as it should be.
If anyone cares I can go into detail about how a device is tested for "radiated emissions". but it suffices to say that if one isn't careful during design, when it comes time for the final regulatory tests a device can easily fail these emission tests and then it gets very $$$ to fix not to mention playing havoc with production schedules.
We're already reaping benefits from the chamber, in two days we were able to solve a tough problem that would have taken weeks of time if I had to go to our Andover facility every time someone had an idea (I could easily see tens of thousands of $ in lab time).
So now I'm very high-profile, which for the moment is very good. I just have to make sure it stays that way and stay on top of things.
It's a nice feeling when your CEO gives you a high-five....
Another Saturday at work, mostly self-imposed now that my test chamber is up and running. I still have a lot of software tweaking and other procedures I want to automate and it's damn near impossible to do it during normal hours. Until recently all the results I was getting were being questioned, but now I think I've proven that everything is as it should be.
If anyone cares I can go into detail about how a device is tested for "radiated emissions". but it suffices to say that if one isn't careful during design, when it comes time for the final regulatory tests a device can easily fail these emission tests and then it gets very $$$ to fix not to mention playing havoc with production schedules.
We're already reaping benefits from the chamber, in two days we were able to solve a tough problem that would have taken weeks of time if I had to go to our Andover facility every time someone had an idea (I could easily see tens of thousands of $ in lab time).
So now I'm very high-profile, which for the moment is very good. I just have to make sure it stays that way and stay on top of things.
It's a nice feeling when your CEO gives you a high-five....
Comment by 
BobR on 05/05/2012 14:23:28
BobR on 05/05/2012 14:23:28
Here is a possibility as to why the government is buying so much ammunition:
Those right-wing militia nutjobs will have a hard time overthrowing the government if they can't get "cop-killer" bullets.
According to Gallup, 41 percent of all Americans said that they owned a gun in 2010. But when that question was asked again in 2011, that number had risen to 47 percent.
Clearly, a lot of Americans are feeling the need to arm themselves.
Unfortunately, they may find themselves short on ammunition for those guns considering how much ammo the government is buying up.
Those right-wing militia nutjobs will have a hard time overthrowing the government if they can't get "cop-killer" bullets.
Comment by trojanrabbit on 05/05/2012 14:33:48
trojanrabbit on 05/05/2012 14:33:48
I suppose those cop-killer bullets will do those militia guys a world of good when the military has to come after 'em. Some bright bulb will import a bunch of Chinese made bullets that are "almost as good" and a lot cheaper.....
Wasn't able to get any work done last Saturday because the local electric company was replacing the main switch box for the building so they shut all the power off all day.
This Wednesday, we had a power failure at work (and half of Burlington). Turns out that the new switch failed and took down half the town. Good jorb there, NStar!
To make matters even more fun, when the power went out, the room I was in was plunged into darkness, the only light being my laptop. No emergency lighting at all. I suspect that they disabled the generator when they disconnected power on Saturday and forgot to turn it back on. Took 'em half an hour to figure that one out.
Wasn't able to get any work done last Saturday because the local electric company was replacing the main switch box for the building so they shut all the power off all day.
This Wednesday, we had a power failure at work (and half of Burlington). Turns out that the new switch failed and took down half the town. Good jorb there, NStar!
To make matters even more fun, when the power went out, the room I was in was plunged into darkness, the only light being my laptop. No emergency lighting at all. I suspect that they disabled the generator when they disconnected power on Saturday and forgot to turn it back on. Took 'em half an hour to figure that one out.
Comment by 
Raine on 05/05/2012 15:30:33
Raine on 05/05/2012 15:30:33
DHS made a purchase contract similar to this in 2009
Note the wording here as well:
I'm not justifying the use of Hollow point bullets, mind you, but this is nothing new. As you stated, ICE is supposed to be the main beneficiary of the contract. That said, the maximum amount is for a year, with a clause to extend. DHS is responsible for ICE, the Secret Service, The Coast guard, FEMA, Immigration and the TSA -- ICE appears to be a PART of the contract beneficiaries. From the press release: As I stated above, the DHS is a domestic agency, but it is required to also protect the borders.
Hollow point bullets are more lethal -- yes, but the likelihood of a ricochet and an innocent by stander being shot is also less likely. The Agriculture Department seems to have bought a lot of ammunition as well.
Hollow point bullets are meant to kill. I don't see a reason for private citizens to have them, to be quite honest. I just don't believe the government is arming itself to prepare for an uprising.
To be quite honest, even the BLAZE (shudder) seems to have a point here. I simply don't think this is a huge issue, I would rather not see private citizens have access to these bullets -- they call them cop killers for a reason.
Take a look at JT Ready -- I wrote about him earlier this week. These are the kind of people that want those kind of bullets.
To be really honest, I think the fact that this has not been news on the MSM is more of a pointer that this really isn't that controversial. It's icky, yes, but the government has a long history of buying ammunition. I digress.
Some sites think this was just a stupid purchase on top of all that.
Bottom line, this all feeds into the false belief that GummintObama is coming to take away your guns. I don't believe the hype.
Note the wording here as well:
8/20/2009
Winchester® Ammunition was recently awarded a contract by the Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (ICE) division of the Department of Homeland Security to supply a maximum of 200 million, 40 cal. rounds over the next five years.
“Winchester has a proud tradition of providing high quality ammunition to our nation’s law enforcement agencies,†said Dick Hammett, president, Winchester Ammunition. “No matter if they’re protecting our block, our city or our borders, each special agent is an invaluable resource and we are committed to giving them the best products available.â€
The load selected for this contract is a 135-grain, hollow point designed for the office of Field Operations of Customs and Border Protection. It will fall under the Winchester® Ranger® line of products.
I'm not justifying the use of Hollow point bullets, mind you, but this is nothing new. As you stated, ICE is supposed to be the main beneficiary of the contract. That said, the maximum amount is for a year, with a clause to extend. DHS is responsible for ICE, the Secret Service, The Coast guard, FEMA, Immigration and the TSA -- ICE appears to be a PART of the contract beneficiaries. From the press release:
Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (DHS, ICE) for .40 caliber ammunition. This contract features a base of 12 months, includes four option years, and will have a maximum volume of 450 million rounds.
Hollow point bullets are more lethal -- yes, but the likelihood of a ricochet and an innocent by stander being shot is also less likely. The Agriculture Department seems to have bought a lot of ammunition as well.
Synopsis:
Added: Sep 28, 2011 5:15 pm
(1) 40 caliber, 180 grain, 120,000 rounds or equivalent,
(2) 9 mm, 124 grain, 50,000 rounds or equivalent,
(3) .38 caliber, 135 grain, 10,000 rounds or equivalent,
(4) .380 caliber, 90 grain, 6,000 rounds or equivalent,
(5) .223 caliber, 64 grain, 87,500 rounds or equivalent,
(6) 12 gauge 00 buck, 15,000 rounds or equivalent,
(7) 40 caliber frangible, 10,000 rounds or equivalent,
(8) 9 caliber frangible, 10,000 rounds or equivalent,
(9) .223 caliber frangible, 10,000 rounds or equivalent,
(10) 12 gauge 1 oz slug, 7,500 rounds or equivalent
Hollow point bullets are meant to kill. I don't see a reason for private citizens to have them, to be quite honest. I just don't believe the government is arming itself to prepare for an uprising.
To be quite honest, even the BLAZE (shudder) seems to have a point here.
The order may seem unusually high, but gun experts I talked to said it is not necessarily unusual and simply reflects a long-running practice by DHS and law enforcement agencies to use any remaining budget surplus on items routinely used and that would not be called into question. The idea being that if an agency does not use its entire budget in expenditures, the government will lower its budget the following year.
On the other hand, the decreased retail availability for hollow points does drive up demand, and hence price for such ammunition. Whether the consequence is an intended one, remains to be seen.
So is this a calculated move by the government to curb ammunition availability to civilians or is it simply another way for it to spend money? Weigh in with your thoughts below.
Take a look at JT Ready -- I wrote about him earlier this week. These are the kind of people that want those kind of bullets.
To be really honest, I think the fact that this has not been news on the MSM is more of a pointer that this really isn't that controversial. It's icky, yes, but the government has a long history of buying ammunition. I digress.
Some sites think this was just a stupid purchase on top of all that.
Not only are these bullets not the best but they have a pretty poor expansion rate, and if the DHS purchased these for active duty rounds in order to project their agents then they may have made a poor decision. These bullets "clog" with material and do not expand. We had about a 70% proper expansion rate vs 30% clog rate. This means that the ammo is not so effective on persons with heavy winter jackets or vest. When they fail you get increased penetration (maybe even over), but less expansion.This expansion prevents over penetration and ensures that all the energy is deposited in the target. The end result smaller permanent cavitation, and in the case of over penetration (Bullet passes straight through target because it fails to expand) less of an "energy dump" into the target.
Bottom line, this all feeds into the false belief that GummintObama is coming to take away your guns. I don't believe the hype.
Comment by Raine on 05/05/2012 15:35:21
Raine on 05/05/2012 15:35:21
One more thing... For all that I rail on when it comes to the media, the fact that it has only been mentioned as a press release in Market Watch tells me that this isn't something nefarious that the government is doing.
Comment by 
livingonli on 05/05/2012 18:43:46
livingonli on 05/05/2012 18:43:46
Let's go, Rangers!!!
Comment by livingonli on 05/05/2012 19:09:48
livingonli on 05/05/2012 19:09:48
Well, at least the game ended in regulation since I'm doing the post-game.
Comment by trojanrabbit on 05/05/2012 19:20:41
trojanrabbit on 05/05/2012 19:20:41
Hmmm. I had some nice LED fixtures on my bench to replace the garish fluorescent light that gets me right in the eye. They aren't there any more. Oh well, I can just as easily order a few fixtures.
Just as likely that I'm suffering from CRS.....
Just as likely that I'm suffering from CRS.....
Comment by Raine on 05/05/2012 22:52:02
Well, it wasn't triple OT....
But I say -- YAY Caps! (sorry Liv -- I decided that since I was never a huge hockey fan, this was a good team to embrace. Bob used to be a thrashers fan, and well... he needed a team too)
So, here is the deal. GIANTS, (>falcons) Yankees, and Caps.
Looks like we have a good ol' rivalry. This is a REALLY good series!
And to be honest, my sister and her fiance are Devils fans... So-- until we have to face that drama, I'd like to see the devils do well.
Raine on 05/05/2012 22:52:02
Quote by livingonli:
Let's go, Rangers!!!
Well, it wasn't triple OT....
But I say -- YAY Caps! (sorry Liv -- I decided that since I was never a huge hockey fan, this was a good team to embrace. Bob used to be a thrashers fan, and well... he needed a team too)
So, here is the deal. GIANTS, (>falcons) Yankees, and Caps.
Looks like we have a good ol' rivalry. This is a REALLY good series!
And to be honest, my sister and her fiance are Devils fans... So-- until we have to face that drama, I'd like to see the devils do well.
Comment by Raine on 05/05/2012 22:52:57
Sorry buddy. BE glad it didn't continue until the next day.
Raine on 05/05/2012 22:52:57
Quote by livingonli:
Well, at least the game ended in regulation since I'm doing the post-game.
Sorry buddy. BE glad it didn't continue until the next day.
Comment by Raine on 05/05/2012 22:55:12
Posts like this are why I love this blog.
Raine on 05/05/2012 22:55:12
Quote by trojanrabbit:
Hmmm. I had some nice LED fixtures on my bench to replace the garish fluorescent light that gets me right in the eye. They aren't there any more. Oh well, I can just as easily order a few fixtures.
Just as likely that I'm suffering from CRS.....
Comment by livingonli on 05/05/2012 23:28:52
I was just glad I didn't have to do the post-game Wednesday. I got home just before the winning goal was scored that night.
livingonli on 05/05/2012 23:28:52
Quote by Raine:Quote by livingonli:
Well, at least the game ended in regulation since I'm doing the post-game.
Sorry buddy. BE glad it didn't continue until the next day.
I was just glad I didn't have to do the post-game Wednesday. I got home just before the winning goal was scored that night.
Comment by livingonli on 05/05/2012 23:49:07
I may be on the bandwagon now since the Rangers are having their best season since '94 after the last few seasons of squeaking in as the 8th seed and getting knocked out in the first round. Tomorrow I am actually working the Devils post-game on MSG Plus (MSG is doing the Knicks post-game that night), although the powers that be at MSG are only doing post-games for the home games since they didn't want to take the effort to send a crew 90 miles to Philadelphia.
I guess the New Yorker in me wouldn't mind seeing a Rangers-Devils Eastern Conference finals just like in '94. And surprisingly, I could now see the 8th seeded LA Kings taking the west and I'm sure NBC probably would love a Rangers-Kings Stanley Cup Final because it would put the two large media markets in it just like the old Yankees-Dodgers World Series.
livingonli on 05/05/2012 23:49:07
Quote by Raine:Quote by livingonli:
Let's go, Rangers!!!
Well, it wasn't triple OT....
But I say -- YAY Caps! (sorry Liv -- I decided that since I was never a huge hockey fan, this was a good team to embrace. Bob used to be a thrashers fan, and well... he needed a team too)
So, here is the deal. GIANTS, (>falcons) Yankees, and Caps.
Looks like we have a good ol' rivalry. This is a REALLY good series!
And to be honest, my sister and her fiance are Devils fans... So-- until we have to face that drama, I'd like to see the devils do well.
I may be on the bandwagon now since the Rangers are having their best season since '94 after the last few seasons of squeaking in as the 8th seed and getting knocked out in the first round. Tomorrow I am actually working the Devils post-game on MSG Plus (MSG is doing the Knicks post-game that night), although the powers that be at MSG are only doing post-games for the home games since they didn't want to take the effort to send a crew 90 miles to Philadelphia.
I guess the New Yorker in me wouldn't mind seeing a Rangers-Devils Eastern Conference finals just like in '94. And surprisingly, I could now see the 8th seeded LA Kings taking the west and I'm sure NBC probably would love a Rangers-Kings Stanley Cup Final because it would put the two large media markets in it just like the old Yankees-Dodgers World Series.
Comment by livingonli on 05/05/2012 23:50:55
livingonli on 05/05/2012 23:50:55
And at this point, we just want the Knicks to get swept by the Heat tomorrow so we could be done with that because it's going to take a lot (maybe that rumor they are looking at Phil Jackson to coach) to make that team a viable contender.
Comment by Raine on 05/06/2012 01:52:20
Liv, let your New York flag FLY!
Raine on 05/06/2012 01:52:20
Quote by livingonli:
I may be on the bandwagon now since the Rangers are having their best season since '94 after the last few seasons of squeaking in as the 8th seed and getting knocked out in the first round. Tomorrow I am actually working the Devils post-game on MSG Plus (MSG is doing the Knicks post-game that night), although the powers that be at MSG are only doing post-games for the home games since they didn't want to take the effort to send a crew 90 miles to Philadelphia.
I guess the New Yorker in me wouldn't mind seeing a Rangers-Devils Eastern Conference finals just like in '94. And surprisingly, I could now see the 8th seeded LA Kings taking the west and I'm sure NBC probably would love a Rangers-Kings Stanley Cup Final because it would put the two large media markets in it just like the old Yankees-Dodgers World Series.