Social Security Administration Requests 174,000 Bullets

Look out grandma. The people who cut your retirement check may be packing some heat.

The Social Security Administration recently posted a purchase request for 174,000 .357 Sig 125 grain bonded jacketed hollow point bullets. The SSA only employs 295 special agents with law enforcement authority, according to CNSNews. These agents are divided among 66 offices across the country.

In a statement released to the public, the SSA stated that the ammo is intended for training and security purposes only:

SSA is processing more applications than ever, which means more traffic in SSA offices. Employee and visitor safety is the highest priority for OIG, which, together with the Federal Protective Services and local law enforcement, has jurisdiction over SSA workplaces.

In a further attempt to explain the purchase request, the federal agency said SSA agents have duties comparable to state and federal law enforcement officials. The agency also makes a similar purchase every year, according to the SSA.

That hasn't stopped the Internet from spreading conspiracy theories. Take The Examiner, which has connected the purchase of ammunition with the Department of Homeland Security's recent request for 450 million bullets.