Huffington Post Sez Social Security Administration Wants to Buy 174000 Bullets

[SemperFiGuy]

Maybe the SSA is getting into reloading.   Make the bullets into cartridges.

Anyhow, the story is that the SSA is ordering 174,000 125gr bonded, jacketed hollow points for "training and security purposes".

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/17/social-security-administration-bullets_n_1797069.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular,social-security

That amount is either (a) a lot of perps to shoot or (b) a wastage of HPs on range practice.

Further, The Examiner sez that the TSA want to order 450 Million "bullets".
http://www.examiner.com/article/more-federal-agencies-buy-multithousands-of-rounds-of-ammo

Can't wait for all that ammo to go government surplus.   [Where is last year's government surplus, since they claim that the SSA "makes a similar purchase each year"??]

Can't wait to pick up all that brass!!!!!


sfg

[Ronvandyn]

It’s not the TSA buying it but DHS according to the article.  DHS is an agency that has many law enforcement components under its umbrella including Federal Air Marshalls, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Boarder Protection, the US Border Patrol, the United States Secret Service, just to mention a few.   While the TSA does have some armed officers, they work only in specific places and have very specific authority.  Yet even they need to practice, hence the reason why TSA might buy some rounds. 

Believe it or not, the Social Security Administration has armed federal law enforcement officers in its ranks.  I have no idea why, but they do.  I don’t believe it’s to protect granny while she cashes her check at the beginning of the month.   Many federal agencies do, many of whom have no visible reason for armed officers.  I look over the list every now and again and some just make no sense to me at all. 

Ron

[bkoenig]

It seems ridiculous that each individual agency has it own set of armed officers. 

[SemperFiGuy]

Ronvandyn:

Actually, I'm practicing sloppy reporting so that the major news agencies will hire me as a crime reporter and I can write articles about semi-automatic revolvers.

Yes, you are entirely on target.   it wasn't the TSA that was referenced in that particular Examiner article.   [Best bet would be that they also do buy a few rounds from time to time for whatever purposes.]

Many web articles say it's the SSA, HHS, and DHS.   Some writers have asserted that these major purchases might be affecting the supply of cartridges to the handgun consumer market.   Haven't noticed such in my shopping, however.

I guess if a federal agency is large enough and has enough offices, buildings, garages, grounds, whatever, then it will have a fairly large security staff, and many of them will be armed.

Situation is interesting.    It does raise the paranoia level of those who engage in that sort of thing.

Thanks for the calibration.

sfg

[Ronvandyn]

Ronvandyn:

Actually, I'm practicing sloppy reporting so that the major news agencies will hire me as a crime reporter and I can write articles about semi-automatic revolvers.

Yes, you are entirely on target.   it wasn't the TSA that was referenced in that particular Examiner article.   [Best bet would be that they also do buy a few rounds from time to time for whatever purposes.]

Yeah, we get more than our fair share. 

Here is a statistic for you.  Today we are finding more than double the number of firearms at checkpoints than we were 10 years ago.  Double.  And the passenger loads remain at about the same volume.  Interesting.  And just about 90% of those are loaded in some form (loaded magazine, one in chamber, etc). 

Many web articles say it's the SSA, HHS, and DHS.   Some writers have asserted that these major purchases might be affecting the supply of cartridges to the handgun consumer market.   Haven't noticed such in my shopping, however.

Me neither.  I stop off a Cabela’s every 2 weeks or so and the shelves are just as full each time I visit as the last.  Better to reload your own anyway, that way you always have a ready supply just in case.

I guess if a federal agency is large enough and has enough offices, buildings, garages, grounds, whatever, then it will have a fairly large security staff, and many of them will be armed.

Situation is interesting.    It does raise the paranoia level of those who engage in that sort of thing.

Thanks for the calibration.

sfg

Like I said, I just cant figure why some agencies have armed officers.  Maybe it’s a “status”  thing for the higher-ups, “Look, we have guns too!!”.  Go figure. 

Ron

[bkoenig]

Like I said, I just cant figure why some agencies have armed officers.  Maybe it’s a “status”  thing for the higher-ups, “Look, we have guns too!!”.  Go figure. 

Ron

I think you've pegged it.  If you don't have an armed division you're nobody in the hierarchy of the Federal government.

[BluejayLaw14]

http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/04/us/social-security-bullets/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

CNN's even talking about it. If you value keeping your blood pressure low, don't read the comments section.

[Kendahl]

Since Oklahoma City and then 9/11, security has gotten a lot tighter at federal facilities. A year and a half ago, when I went to the Social Security office in Omaha to fix an oversight, I noticed two security guards armed with what looked like Glocks. At the time, I assumed they were private guards hired by the SSA. However, it is entirely possible they were federal employees.

I suspect the contract is for up to 174,000 rounds rather than a firm order. How many they will actually buy and when remains to be seen.

[bkoenig]

A sane government would have federal marshals providing security, performing investigations, etc for all the different government agencies.  But in the screwed up world of Washington DC it makes sense to have a separate law enforcement arm for each individual agency, each with its own leadership, office and support staff, supply chain, you name it. 

Government has become a self-perpetuating entity.  It has become the end, not the means to the end.

[NE Bull]

http://www.examiner.com/article/zombie-alert-homeland-security-disaster-preparedness-tips-issued

I think this answers the questions brought up here.