*House Votes to Ban Sale of 'Super Bullets'*
                              
       Los Angeles Times, December 18, 1985, p. 1 & 16
                              
                          Paul Houston, _Times Staff Writer_
                                                            
WASHINGTON--The House Tuesday overwhelmingly approved long-
stalled legislation outlawing public access to "cop-killer"
bullets that can pierce armored vests.

"This is the biggest legislative victory in years for law
enforcement," Rep. Mario Biaggi (D-N.Y.), a primary sponsor
of the bill, said after the measure passed on a vote of 400
to 21.

Biaggi, who as a New York City police officer was wounded 10
times, said in brief debate that the House had an easy
decision to make. "Either you're for cops or crooks," he
declared.

But opponents contended that the best way to protect police
officers is to require death sentences for their killers.
The politically potent National Rifle Assn., which had
objected that such a bill would open the door to stronger
gun control, had been able to hold up action on the
legislation for several years.

*Sold Nationwide*

The measure was introduced out of concern that armor-
piercing bullets, originally designed for police3 use, are
available for sale nationwide to criminals and terrorists
who could use them to penetrate protective vests worn by
police and high government officials. An estimated 2 million
rounds are available over-the-counter.

The legislation would ban the manufacture, importation and
sale of armor-piercing bullets except for police and
military use, export or government approved testing. Anyone
caught possessing such bullets in the commission of a
violent crime would face a mandatory five-year prison term.

The Senate is expected to consider a similar bill soon. But,
while the House would bar sales of all existing "super
bullets," the Senate legislation would prohibit selling only
those bullets manufactured after the bill became law.

The NRA agreed not to oppose the House measure only after a
key change was made in the bill, a House aide said. The new
provision states that a gun shop owner could lose his
license only if he "willfully" sold banned bullets. Critics
had complained that, in the original version of the
legislation, a seller could be held liable if he simply
failed to identify the outlawed ammunition.

Thirteen states, including California, already have banned
public sale of armor-piercing bullets. The House legislation
defines such bullets as those made from seven hard metals,
although it excludes from the ban any bullets "primarily
intended to be used for sporting purposes."

In contrast with conventional bullets made of lead, a soft
metal, the hard-metal bullets can easily penetrate armored
vests.

*Police Shun Use*

Ironically, the bullets were developed as an aid to police,
particularly for use when shooting at moving cars. However,
most police agencies have dropped the use of the bullets
because of their awesome penetration, the ricochet hazards
they pose for bystanders and the fact that police prefer
using high-powered rifle ammunition in hostage or barricade
situations.

On the other hand, criminals are seeking out the powerful
bullets. Although no policeman ahs ever been killed by such
a bullet, congressional committees identified 18 cases over
the last 18 years in which a criminal either used or
possessed armor-piercing ammunition.

One such case involved James Huberty, the man who shot and
killed 21 persons at a McDonald's restaurant in San Ysidro,
Calif., in July, 1984. During the siege, Huberty fired 192
armor-piercing bullets made by a Czechoslovakian firm that
had exported 30 million rounds to the United States in the
1970s.

A House Judiciary Committee aide said that various
manufacturers of the hard-metal bullets had volunteered to
halt production.