Category: ATF

We’re the Only Ones Hush-Hush Enough

Defying presidents and Congress, the ATF, DEA, FBI and U.S. Marshals shroud their shootings in secrecy – Despite nearly 30 years of demands for transparency, the DOJ’s law enforcement agencies release little data about whom they shoot, why and when, and they rarely use body cameras. [More]

They could tell us but then they’d have to kill us. Funny, how this kind of “gun violence” is fine with those who want to disarm you and me.

Anybody else get the feeling this is not what the Founders had in mind…?

[Via Steven H]

Without Further Comment

Once the comment period has ended, the ATF will consider the public comments before deciding whether to adopt the rule, modify it, or drop it. [More]

Y’know, I was nodding along with you right until this last line. Does anyone seriously believe the decision wasn’t made before the required rule was posted for comment?

The only reason I submitted one was to show my solidarity with those making their refusal to bow down a matter of record. That’s why I urge you to come and stand with us, regardless of the coordinated Astroturf campaign.

I just wish I could believe the poor showing from “our side” is because most consider it a useless effort and believe Bruen will save us, instead of what “experience hath shown” to generally be the case.

[Via Dan Gifford]

The Eye of the Beholder

The Case That Could Destroy the Government [More]

So essentially it’s the same principle as ATF having no lawful authority to effectively “legislate” bans…? In other words, this is a case that could force government back in its delegated powers chains — if the usurpers were inclined to obey such rulings, which they’d never do without a fight unless cowed into it.

But leave it to the government control cultists at The Atlantic to act like the “swarms of officers” are the injured party here…

[Via Dan Gifford]

It’s a Trap!

ATF Claims Solvent Traps Were Always Unregistered Silencers… The ATF says that end caps by themselves are suppressors, even if an end cap is the only part an end-user has. The ATF clearly believes that a silencer does not have to be complete or functional before the owner crosses the line. Just the mere possession of a single part can send a person to prison if the ATF decides to prosecute. [More]

And some may be surprised with what they mean by “part.”

Slap Down

The Fifth Circuit panel ruled that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Final Rule is illegal. Circuit Judge Kurt D. Englehardt wrote, “An agency cannot label conduct lawful one day and felonious the next—yet that is exactly what ATF accomplishes through its Final Rule. Accordingly, the judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED to the extent it holds unlawful the two challenged portions of the Final Rule, and VACATED and REMANDED as to the remedy.” The case is known as VanDerStok v. Garland. [More]

A Justice Department that was true to the Constitution would be enforcing rights and punishing government transgressors.

What a novel idea that would be.

We’re the Only Ones Chronic and Habitual Enough

“The Justice Department will do everything in its power to find and hold accountable the gun traffickers who are arming the cartels.” [More]

Good one! And they’re headline whoring for the same reasons.

Why does Sir Wilfrid’s cross-examination of Frau Helm come to mind…?

Up in Smoke

Did the ATF Just Make Airsoft Smoke Grenades Illegal? [More]

I’d read the notification and made the wrong assumption that this only applied to “government contractors and subcontractors performing explosives operations exclusively pursuant to a current and valid contract with a government agency,” but I guess that part just means they no longer have de facto exemptions.

Having zero experience with the Airsoft community, I wasn’t aware of that aspect.

[Via Jess]

Where Credit is Due

The Supreme Court Should Not Let Bureaucrats Invent Crimes by Rewriting the Law – The Trump administration’s unilateral ban on bump stocks turned owners of those rifle accessories into felons. [More]

Let’s not forget the role Wayne LaPierre and Chris Cox played in paving the way (and good luck finding their joint statement on the NRA website anymore).

Pointing all that out and more seems to make some people uncomfortable. One angry reader canceled his subscription over it.

You know the type.

[Via Michael G]

Unauthorized Means Unlawful

The US Department of Justice made a major concession involving whether licensing officials working for executive agencies may exercise “discretion” over CCW permits. [Watch]

That is big.

And using that rationale, I’d argue they can’t exercise executive “discretion” in “rulemaking” not backed by legislation, either.

Or in creating new classifications of “prohibited persons.”

[Via Jess]

Cert Granted

Cargill v. Garland [More]

Issue:

Whether a bump stock device is a “machinegun” as defined in 26 U.S.C. § 5845(b) because it is designed and intended for use in converting a rifle into a machinegun, i.e., into a weapon that fires “automatically more than one shot … by a single function of the trigger.”

Guess what that will determine.

Semantic Gymnastics?

ATF Director Calls for Universal Background Checks, Assault Weapons Ban at Harvard IOP Forum [More]

Then there’s this:

And then we scan them, right? But as far as I know, we are the only customer of Adobe Acrobat that actually pays extra money to have search capability taken out of that software.

I see some influencers treating this like a newly admitted database violation “Gotcha.” I must not be grokking something because this has been out there for years:

How can a database be “non-searchable”? Trick question: The system can’t really be considered a database. (There is a reason the ATF uses the phrase “data systems” instead). There is no ability to search the text of a file, and no effort is made to tag files with identifiers that could later be used to sort and search. “We compare it to an electronic card catalog system, where records are digitally imaged, but not optimized for character recognition,” ATF spokesman Corey Ray says.

Am I completely missing a point?

[Via William T]

Willful Tyranny

He and many other dealers complain that ATF changed their definition of what constitutes a willful violation. The ATF now says that every gun dealer has been told to submit only proper paperwork, so any error – even clerical – constitutes a willful violation of ATF rules. [More]

There is no new thing under the sun.

The functionaries carrying this out must be pretty confident they’ll never be held personally accountable for their “willful violations.”

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