I wonder just who they're buying it for (if the plan is to distribute it) or if they're storing it to create a shortage. Weaponized IRS has just taken on a new meaning. I don't know about the legalities of this, but it seems like a rather suspicious purchase for a tax collecting organization.
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$700,000 / $500 = 1,400 cases of 1,000 rounds of ammo.
1.4 Million rounds of ammo with armed agents that need to practice at least weekly, is going to be gobbled up pretty quickly. If they have 500 agents, and each agent expends 100 rounds a week on the range - that's 50K burn a week, which is 28 weeks of practice. If each agent only burns 50 rounds on the range; that's a year's worth of ammo.
Caveats - they are buying 556mm NATO rounds, at a price similar to what I just purchased. They have ~500 agents, who never burn more than the allotted amount, and no ammo goes "stray" to be shot at home.
I appreciate the numerical analysis, as u/Rooks, myself and others have done in this thread. Looking at it from a 30K ft perspective, so to speak, there are some other factors to consider that seem relevant. The Townhall article I cited, from Nov 2021, has information available from Jan 2019 and even at that time - three-and-a-half years ago - the IRS had already stockpiled five million rounds of ammo. If this latest purchase is any indication I'm guessing that number is over seven-and-a-half million rounds. Consider that Obama had agencies stockpiling ammo during his term, purportedly because he was unsuccessful with a gun grab and wanted to deprive law-abiding citizens of being able to (afford to) purchase it, as several anons here have mentioned. Consider that the IRS claims it doesn't have enough people to process their paper returns (hence just shredded them) and one wonders just what their priorities are, what their real purpose is. Consider the Congressman Gaetz found this recent, nearly $700K purchase in just the prior three months to be worthy of looking into. Consider other factors like the marxist infestation of our government, education system, judicial system, corporations and so forth.
My question to you - since, from a brief, cursory scan of your comment history you seem to have a real good understanding of lots of facets of this and related/other topics - why does the IRS need to stockpile this many firearms and that much ammo? We hear about raids by government agents, these usually involving the FBI, ICE, ATF and the like. I don't recall any huge IRS-predominant raids where a large number of armed IRS agents descend upon, for a hypothetical example, a gang (mafia, cartel) operation to arrest everyone. It would seem to me that if such an operation were to be necessary, the IRS could easily call in local LEOs, the FBI, ATF, etc to do the dangerous disarming of the violent bad guys. Maybe I just haven't heard and the IRS is in frequent gun battles with dangerous tax-evaders. Are armed IRS agents usually on site for big drug busts? Do you have any insight on this?
There is an IRS Department in Ogden, UT. Outside the building, they have armed guards - I do not know if these are FBI, or DoJ Employees, or if they work for the IRS. I know the IRS hires software and computer engineers, legal and contract specialists, etc. I do not know if they maintain their own security force as well.
The Federal Buildings I have been in, have generally have had a Federal Court on one of the floors, and there were armed security in each of these buildings. I believe they were part of the Federal Court system.
I have friends who work with the FBI, and the US Marshal Service; I know they have allotted range time, and are assigned some NICE weaponry. I mean, the service pistols they have are Pro-series ($3,000+) and body armor is better than most of us can afford. Then again, for what they do, they need it.
I work for NASA, so I sit behind armed guards; but they are all commercial security (generally ex-military police). I don't know if commercial guards are assigned range time - and I don't know how many IRS agents carry. I do know that agents assigned to commercial scale tax fraud generally are armed, and may travel with an undercover security contingent.
Maybe I am naïve' but I like to think that a good percentage of IRS workers are normal Americans. People who just want to earn a living, obey the law, pay their taxes and make sure that everyone else does the same. Yes, there are some evil jerks in there; but I find it hard to believe that there is a horde of Federal Agents just waiting to enslave us all.
Those are all the correct questions to be asking.
Specifically, I cannot think of, and have not read/seen any justification for that kind of stockpiling other than which you have surmised (removal from circulation, additional paramilitary forces).
The IRS is not a militant arm for anything, in any way, shape or form, nor are they chartered or tasked to be that i am aware of. Only ones really is the secret service, and that has already been discussed elsewhere. IIRC, SS are independently supplied, and maintain their own armory and training systems, and coordinate that with FBI, DHS and the like.
I recall during Obama era a large stockpile of civi ammo being accumulated, then when questioned about it they "destroyed" it all. Was reportedly millions of rounds.
I have no doubt they will do anything to restrict 2A, including buying up civilian ammo, and/or price fixing ammo.
As for the IRS specifically, I can only deduce, as many have, they are arming yet more federal agents under the guise of self defense/security of federal agents and locations.
If it is actually for paramilitary reasons, it becomes pure speculation on my part, other than a couple facts: it seems to be a pretty small force. ~2600 is about 50 per state spread evenly. ~560 rifles, a handful of shotguns, not a lot of hardware.
If it's gun confiscating, or special operations, BATFE or anyone else is much better equipped and trained.
.....Another thought: both sides know the IRS has a good chance to go away when/if we win. Maybe, thinking like a criminal, they just want more of their foot soldiers/thugs armed to help fight back, cause chaos, give off intimidating air?