R.I.P. Scout26
It would be nice if, just once, someone would take my word for something. (B) The term “armor piercing ammunition” means—(i) a projectile or projectile core which may be used in a handgun and which is constructed entirely (excluding the presence of traces of other substances) from one or a combination of tungsten alloys, steel, iron, brass, bronze, beryllium copper, or depleted uranium; or(ii) a full jacketed projectile larger than .22 caliber designed and intended for use in a handgun and whose jacket has a weight of more than 25 percent of the total weight of the projectile.And SS-109 projectiles don't count as AP because they have a lead knocker, so their core isn't "made entirely" from "one or a combination" of the listed materials.
Barnes banded solids were classified as AP by the ATF.In October 2011, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) classifiedtwelve individual Barnes Banded Solid projectiles as armor piercing ammunition. Followingthese classifications, Barnes submitted individual “exemption request” petitions to ATF. If thepetitions are approved, the projectiles will be removed from the statutory definition of armorpiercing ammunition, and therefore Barnes will have clearance to continue manufacturing andselling these projectiles.As of today’s date, ATF has not ruled on any of the petitions requesting the removal of theBanded Solid projectiles from the statutory definition of armor piercing ammunition.Accordingly, the following eleven Banded Solid projectiles (currently listed in the 2012 BarnesCatalog) are subject to exemption requests that are pending with ATF.And here's that section you say I left out (even though it was the immediately following paragraph of the section I cited for anyone who clicked the link.)(C) The term “armor piercing ammunition” does not include shotgun shot required by Federal or State environmental or game regulations for hunting purposes, a frangible projectile designed for target shooting, a projectile which the Attorney General finds is primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes, or any other projectile or projectile core which the Attorney General finds is intended to be used for industrial purposes, including a charge used in an oil and gas well perforating device. The short of it is: The ATF does what they want.
*shrug* As far as I know the ATF got their panties in a twist over Elite Ammunition uses some .224" barnes solids in 5.7x28mm ammunition, and then proceeded to go all Schutzstaffel on both EA and Barnes.