Texas-Book-Gun Law Armed And Educated - Flipbook - Page 87
By definition, it should be noted that not all ammunition that can
pierce armor is actually armor-piercing. Both the federal and Texas
definitions contain specific requirements for a particular round of
ammunition’s composition in order to qualify as armor-piercing.
Federal law requires that the ammunition be composed of certain
alloys, while Texas law requires that the ammunition be designed
primarily for the purpose of penetrating armor. For instance, 5.7
millimeter ammunition for an FN Five-seveN handgun or a PS90
rifle, while capable of piercing armor based on its size and velocity,
is not ammunition that is armor-piercing as defined under the law
because such ammunition, sold commercially, is primarily for
sporting purposes according to the ATF.
D. Does modifying traditional ammunition make it illegal?
No. Outside of armor-piercing ammunition, there is no handgun
or long gun ammunition that is prohibited under federal or Texas
law. In fact, there are many examples of hollow-point rounds which
are modified in a way to become more lethal, such as the R.I.P.
ammunition, Critical Duty, etc., which star outward upon impact
in order to do more internal damage. Such ammunition, though it
looks different from traditional ammunition, is perfectly legal.
Factory and Expanded Hollow-Point Rounds
76 | CHAPTER FIVE
