Reagan Signs Ban on Armor-Piercing ‘Cop-Killer’ Bullets

President Reagan signed legislation Thursday that bans armor-piercing “cop-killer” bullets and urged law officers to further reduce threats to their safety by wearing bulletproof vests.

“Those officers who in the past may have used the threat of armor-piercing bullets as a justification for failing to wear soft body armor should no longer have that excuse,” Reagan said.

The legislation signed by Reagan in Los Angeles was endorsed by a variety of law enforcement organizations and is similar to proposals submitted by the Justice and Treasury departments in 1984. It bans the production and importation of armor-piercing ammunition capable of penetrating most bulletproof vests worn by policemen.