Thursday, August 16, 2012

Social Security Administration To Purchase 174 Thousand Rounds Of Hollow Point Bullets

What does the Social Security Administration fear?

The SSA is set to purchase 174,000 rounds of hollow point bullets that will be delivered to 41 locations across the country, Infowars is reporting.

Hollow point bullets are designed to expand as they enter the body, causing maximum damage by tearing apart internal organs.

A solicitation posted by the SSA on the FedBizOpps website asks for contractors to supply 174,000 rounds of “.357 Sig 125 grain bonded jacketed hollow point pistol ammunition.”

An online ammunition retailer describes the bullets as suitable “for peak performance rivaling and sometimes surpassing handloads in many guns,” noting that the ammo is “a great personal defense bullet.”

The ammunition is to be shipped to 41 locations within 60 days of purchase. A separate spreadsheet lists those locations, which include the Social Security headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland as well as major cities across the country including Los Angeles, Detroit, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Denver, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Seattle.

The DHS also recently purchased a number of bullet-proof checkpoint booths that include ‘stop and go’ lights, says Infowars.

30 comments:

  1. The "Hollow point bullets" hysteria is laughable.

    Jacketed Hollow Points are standard rounds used by anyone not regulated by the Geneva Convention, to include Mr. B. Fife of Mayberry. They provide effective performance against life-threatening assailants while reducing the instances of ricochets and over-penetration injuries.

    This tidbit is a hysteria-inducing straw man not worthy of the bandwidth expended on repeating the story.

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    1. Ok, so please explain why the SSA needs them?

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    2. When the Death Panel rejects your application for an operation, you report to your local SSA office for "treatment."

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    3. Yeah, WHY!?!?!?

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    4. If you compare the amount of text devoted to the type of bullet purchased versus the amount devoted to asking why they need them in the first place, you will understand the impetus for the comment.

      Asking why every .gov agency in existence needs its own LE branch is a valuable discussion. Getting into a flap about buying "deadly hollow point bullets" is a smoke screen that prevents worthwhile conversations.

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    5. Yes, why are hundreds of thousands of ammo rounds, and indeed weaponry needed at Social Benefit agencies? Do they expect to be stormed when benefits are reduced(or COLA's do not keep up with inflation)? Are the millions now qualifying for Social Security Disability under the pretext of Mental Maladies of concern? Similar to the Federal Reserve(http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2012/08/the-federal-reserve-fears-people.html), does SSA now have their own police force that needs projectiles so low functioning rent-a-cops can 'Man Up?'

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    6. Who cares if they are rubber bullets. For what reason would the SSA need weapons at all?

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    7. Finally ..A logical Republican answer for reducing the quantity of people on social security..

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    8. The simple reason they are buying all those bullets is the US is / has already withdrawn from Iraq and Afghanistan. They need to continue feeding the bullet manufacturers with orders. And maybe just-in-time for some campaign contributions as well.

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  2. actually, hollow points are a safety measure wenzel. they expand so that they stay inside the person you are targeting. Otherwise they may rip right through the targeted person and into an innocent bystander or someone's property.

    in fact the air marshalls and most other federal thugs use full metal jackets. you know, in case they need to blast straight through some kid or some old lady in order to subdue their "threat".

    to your real point though, it's terrifying that every federal agency under the sun is loading up on ammo, you hit the nail on the head the other day when you alluded to a mass exodus once some dictator goes to sound money & strong property rights. Get me the hell out away from this facist empire, its starting to get real scary...

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  3. Land of the free, home of the brave!

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    1. You mean land of COWARDS and home of the SCARED!

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  4. I'm kind of wondering if part of the reason for all these agencies buying ammo is just to reduce the supply available to the general public, thereby driving prices up, thereby limiting the amount purchased by the citizenry. Sort of a round about way of gun control perhaps?

    Just a thought.

    The only other reason I can think of that the SSA would need ammo is if they foresee a need to use the ammo sometime in the not so distant future. If the SSA thinks they are going to have to shoot people, then the gov't must know a big time crash is imminent and are trying to prepare for widespread chaos.

    Recommend stocking up on ammo ourselves. Looks like WE may have a huge need for it soon.

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    1. .gov agencies use most of their annual ammunition budget for qualification purposes. Between 500 and 1000 rounds per year are used for pre-practice and qual day. The remaining rounds are usually issued for carry by officers in their day-to-day work. Very little is left in storage.

      This happens EVERY year. ALL agencies do this. Which is why this is a non-story as a breaking news item.

      The news story is really about why each agency needs its own set of cops. Why can't the FBI, the US Marshals, the BATFE, the Secret Service, or any of the other primary LE agencies at the federal level handle this? They are the specialists with the established training programs and policies to support it.

      What if your mayor had to check with the chief of police, the fire chief, the head of building inspection, the sanitation department, and the head librarian to find out which set of cops were responsible for a given mistake?

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    2. Please stop the propaganda. Why do you need hollow point bullets for target practice?

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    3. Eric,

      Because the way to develop the necessary muscle memory for proper firearm handling is to practice with the exact same type of weapon and ammo that one will carry on a daily basis. As the poster pointed above, these bullets are likely used for practice and qualification. One can easily go through a few hundred bullets in a one-hour practice session. As others have pointed out, the real issue is why does the SSA need armed guards?

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    4. The SSA and most other gov't agencies do not have their own armed security personnel. Heck even the Army's local Redstone Arsenal now uses rent-a-cops as security personnel at the gates. The gov't does not provide the ammo for those security guards. The company they work for provides the ammo as part of their overhead expenses. Nor does the gov't provide the training for them. The idea that these large ammo purchases are for routine training of gov't agency security personnel is ridiculous. I think it's possible to go back and search past RFQs on FedBizOps.gov. How often do these agencies purchase large quantities like this of so called training ammo? It should be regularly... like every year (or two perhaps) to handle yearly qualifications and practice that all security personnel must go through. I don't think the evidence supports that's what's been going on. This is about something else entirely.

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    5. Yes, let's fit the hysteria to the scale, rather than dip to the level of MSM exploitation of their audience's innumerate ignorance of large numbers for the purpose of spreading fear.

      The Social Security Administration lists its armed force as:

      " Types of Inspector General Jobs

      We have a staff of approximately 600 employees, 70% of whom are criminal investigators and auditors. However, we also employ information technology specialists, attorneys, program analysts, and management analysts."

      http://oig.ssa.gov/sites/default/files/Brochure%20-%20Criminal%20Investigator.pdf

      CI's and Auditors have LEO authority. .7 * 600 = 420 LEOs.
      174000 rounds divided amongst / 420 LEOs = 414 rounds apiece. About one morning of decent practice. Which also probably explains why US law enforcement are amongst the worst shots in the country.

      "The average police officer effectiveness is at the level of 17% proficiency. (Morrison, 2002)"
      http://faculty.ncwc.edu/mstevens/205/205lect02a.htm

      That's one hit in six, and is rated by the standard points system as "Danger to Bystanders."

      So, among the objects of fear and dread to be found here is the present and non-hypothetical danger that cops - of any stripe - can't hit the broad side of a barn in broad daylight. On that score, I'm glad they're practicing, even if only for half a day. The stray shots are at the moment the greater present danger than the creeping stupidity of those to whom they report, and those who keep electing their bosses.

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    6. 400+ rounds is a morning of decent practice? Only if you are just firing away without taking time to review your shots. As a Marine, I received 50 rounds per day of practice on the range. We went through the course of fire start to finish daily for a few days prior to qual day. That means no more than 250 rounds in an entire week.
      Taking shot after shot without self-critique or critique by a coach or marksmanship instructor, is simply throwing away ammo with no lesson having been learned. Take a well aimed shot, call the shot, compare what you called with where the shot actually landed. If they are not close to the same, you should figure out why, with the help of your coach if necessary, then move on to the next round.
      The range where I am a member offers free range time to LEOs. Very few ever avail themselves of the opportunity to practice and improve.

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    7. I don't doubt your arithmetic, Jeff. I was presuming a high-throughput, realistic, CQB pistol drill for experienced operators. Something like this:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SASDcZFCXzQ

      Of course, it is also possible that at the SSA, most of these guys ride desks most of the year, and would be lucky to reach something like this:
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FDI0tltNq0

      The SSA Blog updated that they have 295 armed agents; so about 600 rounds each. Let's call it a couple of days to a couple of weeks. Either way, armed LEOs who have the power to shoot at citizens should be practicing at least weekly all year round. That they seem to be squeezing this in toward the qual day supports the original assertion - an unqualified force has been issued guns for largely imaginary, and intimidatory, purposes.

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  5. I find it interesting that NOBODY is as paranoid as the Govt. Starting from cops and working up the the FedGov.
    I mean, sure, security has been beefed up in the "private sector" a bit over the years, but JEEPERS. I've had automatic weapons aimed at me (in earnest) accompanied by "FREEZE" for just bending over to pick up my passport at a border stop.
    They are running scared. I can only conclude that they fear the herd will spook.

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    1. --It's the mindset, they know they're doing things that harm the population and feel the need to not only install every known form of monitoring us but to prepare themselves like they're facing an invading hoard. Last weekend, I went to a CAR SHOW and found that the police have a tank equipped with a battering ram, etc!
      Then there is the California National guard---!

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  6. As I said on my blog, they are prepping for the legions of elderly that will come as a zombie apocalypse when the checks no longer cash and the coffers are dry.

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  7. I suspect that when the oldsters checks stop or become worthless they worry they will burn DC and every social security office to the ground, then get in their buicks and go home.

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  8. I served 13 years in the Army it's true that you do go through 2 to 3 hundred rounds in practice and qualifying, but you do not qualify with hollow points, you qualify with ball rounds. I now work for DPSS in LA. One thing that is very puzzling is that they always stress to be prepared for any disaster, to have 3 days worth of food in our cars w/change of clothes and good shoes. In our General Staff Meetings we discuss budget's, error's in production, and have SECURITY BRIEFINGS a little weird for the Welfare Office. We have Private Security & Sheriff Security. Might be overkill or are they expecting something worse?

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  9. This Muslim Socialist President (along with Hilory Clintons full backing)that is currently dictating to us is saying, lets take the weapons out of the individuals hands and place them in big governments hands.......Yea, over my dead body!

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  10. Every govt. has its day, Rome fell trying to rule the world, it is up to every individual who still has a mind of its own to fight and protect yourself and families, do not let these dictators run us down with their propoganda, we are free and will stay free as long as we keep alert and unite, remember there is strength in numbers, and we are many

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  11. How many rounds have been used by SSA in previous years? How long has SSA been buying ammo?

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  12. Here's a suggestion. Don't Americans live in a democracy? Aren't state employees and congressmen accountable to the People (you know - the ones we hear about every election)? Why doesn't an American - or better still a U.S. newspaper - ASK the SSA exactly how they came to this decision, and based on which forecasts? And if they get no straight answer, get their congressman/woman to do it for them? I recall y'all have 'freedom of information' over there. Go use it.
    Or, conversely, what price your democracy?

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  13. I this act is quite justified in current circumstances, when terrorists and criminals have advanced firearms and ammo then security services should at least be equipped with such tools.

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