SPRINGFIELD, Ill., May 9, (UPI) -- The Illinois House has voted unanimously Friday to outlaw metal-piercing bullets. Manufacture, sale or possession of the bullets would be punishable by two to five years in prison. The recent popularity of the ammunition, also known as ``Black Rhino'' bullets, has caused concern in law enforcement agencies. The bullets render body armor used by police worthless, because they can break through the gear and seriously kill or injure the officer. The measure now waits approval by Gov. Jim Edgar. ==== Rhino Ammunition is a Hoax and a Criminal* Conspiracy! A) A former defense contractor, not previously in the ammunition manufacturing business, decided to create two types of "new" ammunition. One is fragmenting, the other supposedly armor-piercing and both are for handguns. Before these are even marketed, the manufacturer (Signature Products Inc.), sent advance press releases to Handgun Control Inc. and Congressman Charles Schumer and, later, sent press releases to the major news services telling how one of the rounds would defeat the ballistic armor used by police B) In fact, one of the "new" rounds is apparently a revisit of the 1970's Glaser Safety Slug (or of the MagSafe round) while the other is a 1930's vintage design upgraded with plastic to get around current - and poorly written - laws restricting armor-piercing ammunition. It is extremely doubtful that the armor-piercing design has the advertised expansion of the fragmentation round. Martin Fackler MD, President of the International Wound Ballistics Association and the Retired Director of the US Army Wound Ballistics Laboratory stated that the claims made by Keen regarding his Black Rhino - that it penetrates Kevlar and then fragments in softer tissue - is ludicrous. Even if David Keen, CEO of Signature Products, were able to demonstrate that his product could penetrate ballistic armor, it is important to pay attention to how the test is conducted. Kevlar in ballistics vests works by distributing the force of impact. A rigid backer prevents the distribution of force and so make it easy to defeat the vest - but bears no reasonable relationship to the real world. Of either of these rounds, the facts aren't being given out by the manufacturer and nearly all of the news media is either far too lazy to dig up the truth or is deliberately practicing political advocacy journalism. C) The fragmenting cartridge has never been noted for its ability to penetrate body armor vests. Furthermore, it is a far safer round to use in buildings and populated areas because it does not ricochet or penetrate walls effectively. Note that the first "cop killer" bullets were created by the request of police departments to penetrate hard surfaces (like glass and metal) at oblique angles and for dealing with criminals wearing body armor. The "cop killer" armor-piercing design is very ineffective and, because of its expense, has rarely, if ever, been used to shoot at police officers There appears to be no case in which a police officer was actually shot with a so-called "cop killer" bullet. D) Because of the expense of armor and armor-piercing bullets, neither has been used to any significant extent by criminals. E) One week before the new congress starts its session, the manufacturer gives unlimited interviews to pro-gun control reporters before his "new" products are even released and makes no effort to show that either of his copy-cat rounds will penetrate armor or that they have ever been significantly used by criminals. F) The manufacturer's CEO (and a chemist), David Keen of Huntsville, Alabama, admits that he is pro-gun control and is a member of Handgun Control, Inc. G) The news media confuses the issue more by presenting TV pictures of the fragmenting bullet load while telling viewers it is the armor-piercing bullet. Again, the manufacturer apparently makes no effort to undo the confusion and disinformation. H) A pro-gun control activist congressman, Rep. Schumer, just happens to have a bill to ban this ammunition ready to go for the first day of the 104th session of Congress. Although the new bill is being covered by the news media as a way to keep the "new" "cop killer bullet" off the streets, in fact, as the bill is currently written, it would also ban a lot of existing handgun cartridges and almost every rifle cartridge (since nearly all of these will defeat most of the body armor vests currently worn by police). I) The manufacturer then decides not to manufacture the body armor piercing cartridge, but to go ahead with the other round with the false implication that they had, at some point, been either on or ready to go to market. In fact, the manufacturer is still waiting for his federal license to manufacture any type of ammunition. J) ABC actually exposes the truth about the Rhinos on Thursday's (12/29/94) Nightline (hosted by Chris Wallace). Nightline went out to get their own ballistics tests on these rounds in both ballistic gelatin and on Level IIIa body armor. The results, which were discussed by some of the ballistic experts of H.P. White Laboratory Inc. (who performed the testing for Nightline, is one of the premier ballistic labs in the country, and is recommend by the FBI and BATF) gave the inescapable conclusion that the Rhino Hoax is appropriately named. The standard Rhino's were touted as being able to penetrate 9 inches of ballistic gelatin leaving a 4-5 inch diameter permanent wound cavity. Test results: 3-1/2 inches of penetration (less than half that was advertised) with less than a 2 inch permanent wound cavity (less than half that was advertised). In fact, the round is nothing more than the Glaser Safety Slug revisited and exhibited considerably less penetration than a standard .45 caliber full metal jacketed ammunition. Black Rhino's are supposed to be able to not only penetrate body armor, but also deliver the same wound which was to "explode like a grenade." The Rhino round (non-penetrating) did not penetrate the vest, and it's depth of penetration was only 2mm deeper than standard .45 caliber full metal jacketed ammunition. The experts concluded that this difference was insignificant. The testers expressed skepticism about the claim that the Rhino bullet would have caused extensive broken ribs, as claimed by the developer. (BATF experts also have examined the ballistic gel patterns of the Rhino ammunition and have states that it's no different than any other bullet of the same expanding type. Furthermore, the BATF doubts that the Black Rhino penetrating ammunition even exists.) Chris Wallace likened the armor piercing Black Rhino to the mythical Unicorn; there is no known evidence that it exists. The testers also noted that the three (or four) Rhino rounds tested had such different muzzle velocities (by 30%) that probable malfunction in a semi-automatic would occur. Also noted was that most of the parts used in constructing the round were obtained from Winchester. On the show, Congressman Schumer immediately distanced himself from the Rhino Hoax, saying that the Rhino's "...aren't the issue" and also referred to David Keen as a "charlatan." David Keen, the manufacturer's CEO, declined a request to appear on the show. K) David Keen has declined comment (or been entirely unreachable) since 12/29/94. L) In early January '95, the BATF announces that it approves the Rhino round for sale to the public soon, finding it to be no more impressive than any other hollow point on the market, and will license the manufacturer within 60 days. ***** Does any of this sound fishy? Doesn't it sound just like a hoax and a criminal* conspiracy of which the news media is a willing criminal* accomplice? Will the news media have the "ethics and courage" to admit to the hoax and the crime* on prime time and the front pages? ***** *Criminal and civil violation of Title 42, U.S.C., Sections 1983, 1985, & 1986 and/or Title 18 U.S.C., Sections 241 & 242 for attempting to deprive "citizens of rights, privileges, or immunities" secured by the U.S. Constitution. -- Johann Opitz