Comment on FR Doc # 2026-08911

I believe the original ban on ammunition and arms imports from former Soviet countries is unreasonable. The reasoning behind this is that, for many years, the United States permitted the Russian Federation to import arms and ammunition. We also allow Azerbaijan, through companies such as TelaAmmo, and Ukraine, through Century Arms, to import ammunition. In a free-market society, there should be no unnecessary restrictions that limit potential diplomatic and economic growth between former Soviet countries and the American people. The Biden administration’s ban on Russian imported ammunition appears arbitrary and politically motivated. If the ban had truly been implemented in response to the assassination of Alexei Navalny, such action likely would have been taken much sooner, in 2021 or 2022. It is the firm belief of many gun owners in America that this ban was designed to target lawful firearms owners in the United States. Over the past twenty years, the ATF has repeatedly reinterpreted definitions established by Congress without direct congressional approval. For example, in 2014, the Obama administration banned the importation of 7N6 ammunition by classifying it as armor-piercing ammunition because it could theoretically be fired from a pistol, specifically the Polish Kbk wz. 89S Onyks, which was never imported into the United States. A similar attempt to ban M855 ammunition under comparable circumstances did not take effect due to significant public backlash. Yet M855/SS109 penetrator rounds produce similar results. In my view, it is hypocritical to permit the importation of SS109 penetrator ammunition while prohibiting steel-core projectiles from other countries. I believe we should open the door for former Soviet countries to import arms, ammunition, and other lawful goods into the United States. Doing so could strengthen foreign relationships, encourage disarmament through commerce, and create fair competition within a free-market economy. I respectfully urge policymakers to allow former Soviet nations to experience the benefits of capitalism by permitting them to sell arms and ammunition in the American market. This could also pave the way for broader trade opportunities and the importation of other foreign goods that may interest the American people. I urge you to take this reasoning into serious consideration and reconsider these restrictions, as doing so could open the door to stronger economic cooperation and expanded international trade.