Well, not to split hairs but it was made for the military by private contractors and were to be paid for by US taxpayers.

But that doesn't mean that the item was ever purchased by the military, or that US taxpayer money was ever spent on them!

It may have not been purchased, or part of an 'overrun', or simply sold by the private contractor to other private firms for sale to the public.

Here in DFW, a couple of years ago, Channel 5 went to a gun show and secretly filmed the items for sale and who was selling them.

They found a bunch of USGI mags, still in the plastic wrappers and repeatedly asked this young girl who was helping at the dealer's table, 'Don't you know these are stolen items from the US military?'

The young lady was almost crying, and yet the news reporterette kept the accusations flying!

'Aren't you aware that these items were stolen from National Guard Armories, and should never be sold to the public?'

The young lady actually ran away, leaving her table unattended, as if she really did have something to hide!

Of course, she simply didn't know the correct answer to give the reporterette!

Eric The(Bumfuzzled)Hun