MONTPELIER, Vt., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A report released earlier today by Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell (entitled "Get the Lead Out of Vermont") attacking traditional firearms ammunition has been met with objection and firm resistance by experts in environmental management as well as the country's most significant and respected ammunition, firearms, hunting and shooting organizations. Experts from the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute (SAAMI), the organization founded in 1926 at the behest of the federal government and charged with establishing and publishing industry standards for safety, interchangeability, reliability and quality of ammunition, have been the most vocal in pointing out the myriad errors, omissions, misquotes and disinformation in Sorrell's opinion.
The most outrageous and inaccurate claim mentioned in this report, and what some consider to be proof that the attorney general never did his homework on the issue, is language stating that lead in ammunition is absorbed by the skin and therefore not safe to handle. This allegation is unfounded and is serving to bolster claims by opposition groups that General Sorrell's report is nothing more than a scare tactic from a politician beholden to anti-gun and anti-hunting interests.
"General Sorrell is misrepresenting the issue of lead firearms ammunition," said Rick Patterson, managing director SAAMI. "Claims of 'safer' lead substitutes demonstrate a fundamental misunderstanding of the make-up of ammunition, ballistics and how ammunition affects the environment. Whereas lead has been studied for decades and we know the potential risks and -- more importantly -- how to manage those risks, the same cannot be said of lead substitutes. Dogmatically promoting the use of any material that isn't lead could create unintended consequences."
Also voicing strong opposition to the attorney general's proposal was the National Association of Shooting Ranges (NASR). Richard K. "Dick" Peddicord, Ph.D. representing the group, said, "Encouraging the abandonment of lead ammunition would be without sound basis in science, and would fail to recognize the fact that proven measures are in place for environmentally safe and effective management of lead ammunition."
Experts agree that lead is the best material for ammunition and that the potential risks are easily managed with already proven protections -- practices and policies that have been developed and approved by industry and federal and state regulators. The metallic lead used in ammunition, contrary to the attorney general's proposal, is not dangerous to individuals or animal populations.
When pressed for a reason as to why the attorney general would push such a dubious proposal, Patterson concluded, "We can only speculate, but the completely unsupported recommendation to limit child exposure to ammunition -- and therefore the shooting sports -- is telling."
Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute
