Whatever We SAY It Is

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Director Steve Dettelbach was unable to define the term “assault weapon” during his agency’s Tuesday budget request hearing before a House Appropriations subcommittee. [More]

To channel Nancy, they have to pass the rule before they can tell you what it bans…?

And people can go to prison or be killed over it? How is this not the definition of tyranny?

[Via Jess]

A Symbolic Gesture

House Judiciary Committee to Vote on Overturning ATF’s Pistol Brace Rule [More]

That was yesterday. I’m not seeing anything on the committee’s news release page or Twitter feed yet.

In any case:

“The bill with the resolution will face a tough battle to get through the rest of Congress before heading to the President’s desk. Even if it does get to Biden’s desk, there is almost no chance that the President will sign it into law since he has been openly hostile to gun rights. The Republicans do not have the votes to override a veto, even if some Democrats switch sides.”

The true test will be what Republicans do if and when they have the power to see things through.

Pot Luck

Another Federal Judge Rejects the DOJ’s Argument That Cannabis Consumers Have No Second Amendment Rights [More]

And then there’s action on the restraining order front

I’ll bet a lot of “prohibited person” exclusions could be overturned with the right case, starting with the “one year” nonsense that has no bearing on proven proclivities for violence.

A High Hurdle?

The firearm industry wants to keep firearms out of the hands of those who cannot be trusted to responsibly possess them. That includes prohibited individuals, those suffering through a mental health crisis or suffering suicidal ideations and unsupervised children. “Red flag” laws have utility in protecting the public but must be carefully administered so these orders aren’t abused to disarm lawful gun owners. [More]

Define “unsupervised children.”

Yeah, listen to the latter-day Judenrat and collaborate with the jackboots. What could go wrong?

And continue ignoring the only thing that will work.

[Via Andy M]

A Public/Private Partnership

“Don’t Lie” is a cooperative program between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and NSSF. [More]

So if a trusted friend or relative is a “prohibited person” because they ran afoul of some unconstitutional citizen disarmament edict, or have been “red flagged” and disenfranchised without due process, the industry “solution” is to turn your back on him? Sounds like fascism in action to me.

If someone has been proven a truly dangerous character, why would they be anyplace they could receive a gun — from any source? We all know what prior restraint “background checks” enable, and how that will be exploited once Democrats have the votes. And since when is the mantra that “gun control” works?

Every time I see NSSF bragging about licking jackboots, kapos and drivers come to mind.

The Only Thing ‘Rogue’ is the Government

However, the ATF points out that the actual reason for the revocations may include but are “not limited to, the above list.” That is a massive understatement, since the real reasons for the majority of recent FFL revocations are far less serious. They are, in fact, minor clerical errors, which the ATF now considers willful violations of its self-written rules rather than simple mistakes, because of its zero-tolerance policy that Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland announced in June 2021. [More]

Shades of Red’s Trading Post (five full pages or blog posts for those who want to see what it took for just one gun shop to prevail)…

I’m remembering the time a U.S. Marshal tried to scare me away from covering that.

Compare and Contrast

Mr. Holden had to complete ATF Form 4473 to purchase the firearm. ATF Form 4473 asks whether the purchaser is under indictment and Mr. Holden answered no. [More]

Now try:

Mr. Biden had to complete ATF Form 4473 to purchase the firearm. ATF Form 4473 asks whether the purchaser is an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance and Mr. Biden answered no.

It’s a big club and you ain’t in it.

[Via Herschel]

Call Me Erresponsible…

ATF is proud of our partnership with @NSSF to irradicate straw purchasing activities in the St. Louis area through education using the “Don’t Lie” campaign. #DontLieForTheOtherGuy [More]

Hiring the best and the brightest, are we? Hey, if we expect them to irrase irroneous tweets, their whole account will have to go.

And, of course, NSSFs compromise is not enough.

We’re (Joseph T. Davis) the Only Ones Sealing Enough

A special agent with the U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) has decided to enter a plea deal in a Cochise County court to resolve an allegation he engaged in nonconsensual sexual contact with a bartender while off-duty at a Bisbee hotel in 2020. But first, Joseph T. Davis wants most of the case documents sealed from the public, purportedly due to potential career and safety issues. [More]

Set loose the Streisand Effect!

[Via WiscoDave]

UPDATE

You complain, we listen. Received via email:

Normal American
You
David:

I was distressed and disturbed to read your post about the ATF agent who wanted his court documents sealed, especially when I read his full name in the body of your post.

This is inappropriate. The correct approach is to put his full name in the headline of the post, which carries with it more SEO weight.

I hope you fix this unfortunate oversight.

NA

There Goes the Narrative

ATF had installed undercover agents in a house across the street from the Davidians, to observe them. This is the agents’ report for Feb. 19, nine days before the ATF raid and initial gunfight, describing what they did that day. They went shooting. With David Koresh. [More]

David Hardy’s FOIA has uncovered a bit of inconvenient history the DSM will be sure to ignore.

Repelling the First Wave

“After we questioned their motives and informed them of Oversight and Republican controlled Appropriations, they all left,” Greene added. “Protect the Second Amendment and the law abiding businesses. [More]

It feels like they were looking for a prize. Expect them to be back with a vengeance when she’s not there. And expect adverse action findings to “justify” their large presence.

I’m actually surprised they didn’t arrest her for obstruction. General counsel must have told them the optics weren’t right… yet.

Government Has Known from the Start There is a Right to Own Machineguns

“You see, if we made a statute absolutely forbidding any human being to have a machine gun, you might say there is some constitutional question involved.” [More]

Now, what are all those “staunch supporters of the Second Amendment” in Congress going to do about it?

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