Worried over the possibility of a gunpowder shortage, members of Congress are announcing legislation Thursday to prod the Biden administration to conduct an inventory of the U.S. supply chain and offer suggestions for how to ensure there will be enough for both the military and the average consumer.
Sen. James E. Risch, Idaho Republican, and Rep. Tom Emmer, Minnesota Republican, are leading the effort, saying they fear law-abiding Americans could struggle to get ammunition amid a global crunch of nitrocellulose, a key ingredient in manufacturing powder.
“This administration creates as many ridiculous hurdles as possible to restrict law-abiding gun owners’ access to affordable guns and ammunition,” Mr. Risch said.
He said the legislation will force transparency on the White House about what’s going on.
“This is vital to protect our right to bear arms and to ensure our military has the ammunition it needs to protect our country,” he said.
Nitrocellulose, or guncotton, is the key material in producing modern gunpowder and other munitions propellants.
Few nations produce it, with Thailand, China and India seen as the biggest players. The U.S. is a net importer.
The problem with nitrocellulose lies on both the demand and supply sides. Ukraine’s war with Russia has created a massive new sinkhole for munitions, just as China has tightened its supply.
Gun aficionado websites lit up in January after an industry trade show, where an ammunition dealer said he was told nitrocellulose was in short supply.
The consensus was that China is reluctant to sell to the U.S. because so much of the supply is being pumped into munitions for Ukraine. What supply is reaching the U.S. is being scarfed up by defense industry manufacturers.
Sam Gabbert, owner of SGAmmo, said factories seemed to have gunpowder stockpiled, but “this issue is expected to catch up to them no later than the summer of 2024 and possibly within a few months.”
He said if demand for ammunition were to go up, factories may not be able to fulfill it.
Mr. Emmer said the U.S. must work to ensure a stable supply of gunpowder.
“As threats to our nation’s security evolve, it is more important than ever to take proactive measures to secure our ammunition supply chain. This is not only about enhancing our military readiness but also supporting American manufacturing and ensuring law-abiding Minnesotans and Americans can exercise their Second Amendment rights,” the Minnesota Republican said.
The new bill states that “Congress remains concerned about the domestic supply and production of nitrocellulose” and worries that a supply chain failure “could restrict ammunition manufacturing for large and small calibers, harming the commercial marketplace and placing the war fighters at risk.”
The legislation would require a report, due within 180 days, on sources of nitrocellulose, nitroglycerine and acid production, and recommendations for how to broader production and prevent supply chain chokepoints.
Co-sponsoring the bill in the Senate are Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Mike Crapo of Idaho, Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy of Louisiana, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, Steve Daines of Montana, Marco Rubio of Florida, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Deb Fischer of Nebraska and John Cornyn of Texas.
House cosponsors are Reps. Pete Stauber, Michelle Fischbach and Brad Finstad of Minnesota and Eric Crawford and Bruce Westerman of Arkansas.
The bill has the backing of industry organizations including the Kinetic Group, an ammunition dealer, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation, an industry lobby group.
“The ammunition industry relies on robust and dependable sources for parts and material to provide the finished ammunition to Americans exercising their Second Amendment rights, hunters and target shooters across our country as well as to state, federal and Tribal law enforcement agencies protecting our communities and America’s warfighters protecting our nation,” said Lawrence G. Keane, the foundation’s senior vice president, who said the legislation will prod the government to ensure more resiliency in the ammunition supply chain.
Concerns over nitrocellulose supply come as the ammunition industry is still working its way out of a shortage of percussion caps, which like gunpowder are a crucial component of a usable round of ammunition.
Gun rights supporters are also salty over a new Biden administration regulation, finalized last fall, that will ban the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle at certain wildlife refuges in the coming years. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says it has concluded the lead harms wildlife and human health.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.