Other Side Of The Line

Looks like someone has made a 5.45x39mm pistol and that's gotten importation of cheap surplus ammo stopped at the dock.

We've been here before with 7.62x39mm.  It looks like we'll be heading there again with 7.62x54mmR soon.

We're here because of NFA to be honest.

The people who are making rifle caliber "pistols" are essentially making short barrel rifles without the legally defining characteristics of a rifle.  These people are also kind of lucky I wasn't in charge of ATF; my position is that a stockless rifle isn't a pistol, so an AK without a stock is an SBR because the law says "designed to fire from the shoulder" and omitting parts doesn't change the design.

So a ruling from ATF that "pistols" in rifle chamberings are actually AOW or SBR would let the taps remain open for steel-core surplus commie ammo.

I am OK with that ruling.  Nothing is going to change with NFA until people get off their asses and make it an issue.  The NRA only just barely cares about it because hardly any of the membership gives two shits.  It's why 922(o) is still there; no peasants with pitchforks and torches at the castle gate.

The ammo rulings stand because the surplus shooters are still up against the majority.  Altering 921 to make sense would take political capital that I am not sure we have.  Look at how many A rated politicians are merely NOT anti-gun rather than actually pro-gun.  Why would a politician do anything for us when lukewarm lip service is enough to get the best rating?

Of course, if that self same lip service starts getting the C rating it deserves, those politicians would probably start being lukewarm anti.

It's a tightrope.

It's possible to get exemptions put into place.  M855/SS109 has such an exemption.  The question is; are there enough 5.45x39mm shooters out there to force the issue?