Obama wants to ban "M855" bullets.

President Obama wants to ban "M855" bullets.

What is an M855 bullet?

There is a bullet called the "M855 Green Tip".

It is made of steel and lead.

It is used in a kind of gun called an "AR-15".

The AR-15 is a rifle. It is a semiautomatic.

The bullet is 5.56 millimeters wide.

The bullet can go through some kinds of armor.

The bullet is very popular. Many people buy it.

President Obama wants to ban this kind of bullet.

Why does Obama want to ban this bullet?

There is a new kind of gun. It can also use the M855.

It is a handgun. It is much smaller than the AR-15.

Because it is smaller, people can hide it easily.

Police are scared that the handgun will be dangerous.

"Police have always been worried about bullets that can go through armor." - Dan Gross, President, The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence

"New rules should help keep police officers safe." - Dan Gross

What is Obama doing?

The agency in charge is the Bureau of Alchohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It is also called the "BATFE".

The BATFE will not let people manufacture, import, or sell M855 bullets.

If you already bought M855 bullets, you can still use them ...

... but you will not be able to buy more M855 bullets.

Some people and groups are against the ban.

The National Rifle Association, or NRA, sent a message to their members.

The NRA says that Obama is not working with Congress.

"Obama has spent his life trying to destroy the Second Amendment." - Chris W. Cox, NRA.

"They couldn't ban rifles, so they're banning the bullets that the rifles need." - Lawrence Keane, the National Shooting Sports Foundation

"The M855 bullets are not more dangerous than other bullets." - Lawrence Keane

"Millions of M855 bullets have been sold. The BATF has not said that an M855 has ever been used in a handgun to kill a police officer." - Representative Robert Goodlatte, R-VA.

Why is Obama banning the bullet, and not the gun?

In 2012, there was a massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Obama tried to put limits on guns. Congress would not let him.

He wanted to ban assault weapons. Congress said "No."

He wanted people to get background checks before buying guns. Congress said "No".

He wanted guns to have smaller magazines. This would mean that they could only use a few bullets at a time. Congress said "No".

"The effort is not over. This was just round 1". -- Obama

Obama doesn't need Congress to ban bullets.