Hm. Let's just look at this, shall we...
1.6 billion rounds... over 135,000 armed agents (remember, DHS includes the Coast Guard, the Secret Service, Customs/Border Protection, etc etc..), and over the five year terms of that contract, it factors out to be a lot less than you'd think. 1.6bil / 135,000 = 11851 and change. now divide that by five years, and you get a bit over 2370 rounds per agent, per year. Let's split that over 52 weeks... 45.58.... rounds per person per week. Hell, before prices skyrocketed, I was easily throwing that much ammo downrange, myself. Doesn't seem irresponsible or threatening to me if a federal agent who is required by their job to carry a firearm, would expend a box of ammo every week at the range to maintain proficiency. (God, I wish local PD would do that - maybe they'd shoot a few less innocent bystanders!)
Let's recognize, as well, that that much ammo wasn't a contract to buy, it was several GSA contracts, which were basically terms to ensure that the government was getting a good rate on ammo. Since that money comes out of OUR POCKETS, yeah, I'd rather they look at doing long-term contracts, instead of paying the kind of retail rates we sometimes see.
Hollow point vs. ball ammo? C'mon people, give that a rest. The military can't use hollow point ammo; it's a part of the Hague convention from the late 19th century... and JHP ammo isn't only NOT prevented for domestic use, hell, the FBI flat out requires it for their service pistols. In fact, the last I'd heard, they were using Remington Golden Sabres... same stuff I use in my EDC.
Now, let's talk tanks...
a) They're not tanks, they're "mine-resistant ambush protected" vehicles.
b) DHS didn't BUY them, they were just stupid enough to post on a DHS-centric website that there were 2717 MRAPs being refurb'd for the USMC, by Navistar Defense. Further, DHS *DOES* have some in service... 16 of them. They're used by Customs & Border Patrol to serve warrants to suspected violent offenders. Seems legit to me. Really.
All of this stuff just comes at a really bad time.. we're concerned about a rather pointed attack on our second amendment rights (and let me diverge for just a moment here: we've been allowing this for almost a century, now - the National Firearms Act, the Gun Protection Act, blah blah blah.. they all infringe, in various ways, on one's ability to have and bear arms), and as a result, we're dramatically more sensitive to what we perceive as a potential threat from the federal government.
Take heart in several things:
1. Local sheriffs in many cases are either staying out of the fight entirely - or they're flat out saying, "this is ********, I'm not enforcing this retarded law, it'd be suicide!" In a few (but growing!) number of cases, Sheriffs are flat out refusing to enforce, and are actively campaigning AGAINST further gun control.
2. Local LEOs don't train anywhere nearly as much as private firearms owners do. While this is a broad stroke, ask your local LEO how much time he or she spends at the range, maintaining skills... and then compare it to how much time YOU spend at the range. Yeah. Thought so.
3. MRAPs? Pfft. It's an SUV on steroids.. if any of this were true, and the intent was to create a federal security force.. What poor stupid idiot is actually going to buy into this and actively work it? You'd be out of your friggin' mind. There are WAY too many ways to assault these vehicles... Yup, they're mine resistant.. that means they're protected on the bottom.
I umm... worked with a.. let's just call them a rather well known group of guys. They were... firearms enthusiasts who traveled overseas, let's call them. I've picked up a couple of handy little things from them - one being, look for the obvious... and another being, stop thinking like a monkey in a cage.
MRAPs shows up to serve a warrant, the requisite number of jackbooted thugs jump out to bang on the front door.. I'm out the back door. By the time buddy has knocked down the front door, I'm already out of the house (that's what Go bags are for, my friend!) and I've shot a handful of buddies a text message. Before the vehicle leaves the neighborhood, there are friends who've shown up.
Yup, they've got "active shooter ports" in the glass. Friends, if you can't shoot through the side of it, and they need a port hole to shoot out? What happens to a round that gets shot *IN* through that porthole? (and come on, if you can't hit a 2" target from a hundred yards, even with iron sights? You need to spend more time at the range!) 55 grains of kinetic goodness, rattling around INSIDE that effectively bullet-proof cage... "ohnoes!" says the driver, "we can haz escape rootz!"
How long does an engine run, when the exhaust pipe gets a half dozen potatos shoved in it and wedged firmly in place? (if you use only one, it pretty quickly becomes a cannon!)
Course, there's also the consideration of visibility... the aforementioned gun ports are on the sides. Not the top, not the front... just the sides. heck, $99 at the local walmart will buy you a cheap paintball gun and a bunch of paintballs. You don't even have to get ON the darn thing, just light it up from a (relatively) safe distance. Do that on the sides, around the portholes, and... sure, you've got a hole to shoot out of, but.. you can't see what you're shooting at.
I could go more in depth, but.. you get the point. The guys lacing up the jackboots aren't superhuman SpecOps trigger pullers.. they're closer to the "GI Joe Wannabe" end of the spectrum. Nope, not all are Barney Fife, but... they simply don't do the same level of training, and aren't prepared to tackle an opposing force comprised of guys who can think fast on their feet.
Don't sweat this stuff. A domestic army and DHS tanks are the least of your worries.
If you want to worry about something? Start looking into why the hell the IRS, FDA, EPA, or Dept. of Education need armed agents. That'll give you something to get legitimately worked up over.
