The law defines these projectiles in two ways: one describes a fully jacketed projectile that is “designed and intended for use in a handgun,” where the jacket constitutes more than 25 percent of the projectile’s total weight.
The jacket of the M855 does not constitute 25% or more of the bullet weight. The jacket is copper. There is a small core of steel inserted into a hollow in the lead base of the bullet.
The other, the one BATF is applying to M855, says; “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.”
The bullet is made of three things, that does not make it ENTIRELY constructed of any of the listed materials.