BATFE

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You Can Still Buy A Cannon!

February 4, 2022 by 3 Comments

As Tom Gresham often says on Gun Talk, a lie repeated often enough becomes the truth. I think that is Joe Biden’s mantra especially with regard to all things Second Amendment and firearms.

Even though his lie about the Founders not allowing you to buy a cannon was debunked, he still repeated it again yesterday. Joe, Joe, Joe. SMDH.

Even the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives will tell you that you don’t need a license or have to pay a tax to own a muzzle-loading cannon. Moreover, for a $200 tax plus registration, you can own a more modern artillery piece. My friends Cheryl and Danny Todd have one.

So Joe’s Big Lie got me to wondering where I could go if I wanted my very own muzzle-loading cannon. Turns out I didn’t have to look too hard.

Hern Iron Works of Couer d’Alene, Idaho is offering a Model 1861 3″ light artillery rifle for only $3,951. While that doesn’t include the carriage, I’m sure anyone handy with wood could make their own.

Let’s say you want to go a little bigger. Dixie Gun Works has their Civil War Field Cannon with an 8″ muzzle diameter for a little bit more. This steel-lined, cast iron beauty weighs a mere 875 pounds.

If you want something a little smaller but with lots of style, Steen Cannons of Ashland, KY offers their US Model 1857 12-pounder Napoleon in bronze. Price, unfortunately, is on request but Steen has a lot of models from which to choose.

These are all legal and all are working cannons. You just need a supply of black powder, fuses, and some ammunition. If you want an idea of your choices, Wikipedia comes through!

So do the guys on Myth Busters.

If you do buy a cannon, play it safe. We don’t want a Moms Demand Action Against Cannon Violence to be Shannon Watts next new gig.

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ATF’s PR Campaign Against Self-Made Firearms

February 3, 2022 by

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is engaged in a public relations campaign using the mainstream media to build support for their proposed rulemaking that includes identification of privately made firearms. Of course, the mainstream media and the leadership of the BATFE are calling them “ghost guns” as that term is meant to scare those who are uninformed.

A case in point is a report that aired tonight on the CBS Evening News. The report by Jeff Pegues included an interview with Acting BATFE Director Marvin Richardson. The report slyly included the Glock auto switch in with 80% frames and 3-D printed frames. I say slyly because the Glock auto switch is considered a machine gun and would be illegal to make or own for an ordinary person given the Hughes Amendment. What the story also doesn’t really say is that no matter the origin of any firearm, self-made, stolen, or purchased, it is still illegal for a prohibited person to possess one as well as the ammunition. Nonetheless, they continue to blame the firearm for crime and not the illegal possessor.

You can see this for yourself in the video below:

Bear in mind that over 249,000 comments were received on this proposed rulemaking. While I don’t have the final breakdown between those in favor and those against this proposed rule, I am going to make an informed guess that that 90% or more were against it. In the end, the BATFE will do what the Biden Administration wants and enact the rule. They will ignore our comments and will basically tell the American people who don’t want it to f*%$ off. Court cases will be filed, money wasted on enforcing an unenforceable law, and nothing will stop those who are prohibited from possessing a firearm from doing whatever they want.

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Junior Special Agent? Yikes!

November 28, 2021 by 8 Comments

Thanks to a Facebook post by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, I found that they actually have an online giftshop.

ATF said:

Many people reach out looking for collector items such as coins and patches. Here is the perfect place to stock up on all your official ATF memorabilia.

Official ATF memorabilia? I could be snarky and ask if that includes photos suitable for framing of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco but I won’t.

What did catch my eye was this T-Shirt for kids.

Forcing a kid to wear that T-shirt is pretty darn close to child abuse. Who in the world would want their child to wear that thing other than David Chipman?

Some of the other stuff includes ATF caps and polo shirts with logos. Maybe I’m giving criminals too much credit but I would think that would be ideal cover to get someone to open their door prior to a home invasion. All they would need to do is pair that with a navy windbreaker and a fake badge to complete their impersonation.

All in all it seems a stupid idea to have such a giftshop even if some of the proceeds go to the blind.

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Update On Investigation Of ATF For Waste And Fraud

October 11, 2021 by 1 Comment

Catherine Herridge of CBS News had an update on her investigation into waste and fraud at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. She reported that Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) has become involved. Sen. Grassley is the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and is very serious on protecting whistleblowers in government.

Sen. Grassley has now sent letters demanding answers to Attorney General Merrick Garland and BATFE Acting Director Marvin Richardson. He has also sent a letter asking the Office of Personnel Management about their suspension of BATFE’s ability to classify certain law enforcement positions. All the letters were quite detailed and indicated his office had significant knowledge of the affair.

It should be remembered that Sen. Grassley was one of the very first politicians that demanded an investigation into Operation Fast and Furious aka Project Gunwalker. He worked closely with then-Chair of the House Government Oversight and Reform Committee Darrell Issa to get answers.

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Waste And Fraud At ATF?

October 6, 2021 by

The CBS Evening News ran an investigative report on Tuesday, October 5th, that featured a whistleblower accusing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives of waste and fraud. The whistleblower alleges that BATFE paid a large number of administrative people an extra 25% for supposedly being available on call for law enforcement operations. The problem is that this certification was false. When the whistleblower brought it to the attention of higher ups and management, he got lower performance evaluations that led to his termination. Given how hard it is to fire any one in Federal employment, it seems BATFE went out of their way to terminate this whistleblower.

I am somewhat surprised that CBS News ran any report that was critical of BATFE. However, the reporter, Catherine Herridge, did come over to CBS from Fox.

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Chipman Nomination Formally Withdrawn

September 9, 2021 by

While speculation earlier today was that the White House would announce the withdrawal of the nomination of David Chipman to be the director of BATFE next week, it came to an end much quicker. The White House formally withdrew the nomination this afternoon.

The formal announcement by the White House:

David Chipman spent 25 years in distinguished service to our country as an ATF agent. He’s a gun owner himself, and someone who has the backing of law enforcement groups. And, he’s spent most of last decade as a leading voice for commonsense gun violence prevention legislation that will save lives. He would have been an exemplary Director of the ATF and would have redoubled its efforts to crack down on illegal firearms traffickers and help keep our communities safe from gun violence.

Unfortunately, Republicans in Congress have made clear that they intend to use gun crime as a political talking point instead of taking serious steps to address it. That’s why they’ve moved in lockstep to block David Chipman’s confirmation, and it’s why they side with gun manufacturers over the overwhelming majority of the American people in opposing commonsense measures like universal background checks.

They even unanimously opposed the Rescue Plan, which has given cities and states $350 billion that they can use to put more cops on the beat so that they can really know the neighborhoods they patrol, and invest in proven community anti-violence programs – among other uses. While my administration has worked to strengthen law enforcement and crack down on gun crime, Republicans have opposed us at every turn.

We knew this wouldn’t be easy – there’s only been one Senate-confirmed ATF Director in the Bureau’s history – but I have spent my entire career working to combat the scourge of gun violence, and I remain deeply committed to that work. Since taking office, my Administration has taken numerous steps to combat gun violence, and we’ll continue to use every tool at our disposal to fight gun violence and keep Americans safe. I am grateful for Mr. Chipman’s service and for his work.  

I find it interesting that they are blaming firearms manufacturers and Republicans for the defeat. The reality is that David Chipman was a bad nominee, had plenty of baggage, and represented an extreme viewpoint. He was so extreme that you could not come up with enough Democrats to back his nomination.

On a snarky note, I think the person most upset by the failed nomination has to be Gabby Giffords. She thought she was finally going to be rid of Waco Dave and finds she is stuck with him.

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Chipman Nomination Being Withdrawn?

September 9, 2021 by 2 Comments

In breaking news, the Daily Caller and Politico are reporting that the White House plan to withdraw the nomination of David Chipman to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

From the Daily Caller:

Senate Republicans across the board opposed Chipman, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell calling him an “anti-gun extremist” and Independent Maine Sen. Angus King previously noting he was not okay with the nomination, Politico reported. While Democrats like Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana didn’t openly oppose Chipman, they wouldn’t give a definitive answer on where they stood, the report added.

The White House may withdraw Chipman’s nomination in the coming days, although an official date remains unclear, according to Politico.

Politico is attributing this to three sources “close to the process.”

They went on to add:

The White House declined to comment on the imminent yanking of the nomination. It’s unclear when the formal withdrawal of Chipman’s nomination will take place, though it could happen as soon as this week…

Nonetheless, the decision to pull the nomination sparked frustration from gun control advocate Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter was killed in the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Fla. “I am truly upset,” tweeted Guttenberg, a Biden ally. “We have weak people serving the Senate such as @SenAngusKing who chose to listen to ‘regulated industry.’ Sadly the White House failed to put up a fight on this.”

While I say good riddance, I am fearful that the White House will nominate a stealth candidate who will be just as bad but without the baggage of David Chipman.

UPDATE: The Washington Post also is reporting on this story. They are putting the timeline as this week.

They added this:

The White House declined to comment. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about Chipman, who currently is a senior adviser to the Giffords gun control group. White House officials are trying to find another role in the administration for Chipman, said the people familiar with the matter.

Perhaps they can send him to Afghanistan to urge the Taliban to register all their confiscated M4s with the BATFE under the NFA. Yeah, right.

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Comments On Pistol Brace Ban End At 11:59pm EDT Tonight

September 8, 2021 by 1 Comment

The comment period on the BATFE’s proposed rule that would make virtually all firearms with a pistol brace a NFA item requiring both registration and a $200 tax closes tonight at 11:59pm Eastern Daylight Time.

If you have not submitted a comment, do it. The numbers are important and you know that Giffords, Brady, and the rest are pushing their useful idiots to submit comments. The latest reported number of comments was over 180,000. It needs to be more.

First, your comment needs to have the proposed rule number on it – ATF 2021R-08.

Second, while you can say “I oppose it” or “mah rights”, those will get overlooked. It is much better to pick one thing and expound on it. For example, you could say it discriminates against the disabled in violation of the Americans with Disability Act.

Third, the Second Amendment Foundation has put out a good “how to” list on making comments. Read it and then comments. Your comment need not be long.

Fourth, you might pick something from the public comments submitted by the SAF, the FPC, or the NRA and use that.

Fifth, use this link.

Finally, if all else fails, GOA has a pre-written comment which you can add on to that makes it easy to comment.

UPDATE: I have commented probably more than once. However, this is the comment that I submitted today. You can copy it if you wish.

Re: ATF 2021R-08

I object to the proposed rulemaking entitled “Factoring Criteria for Firearms With Attached “Stabilizing Braces””.

The factoring criteria are vague and contradictory. For example, what are features that prevent use as a shouldering device? Is it a spike that would make it painful to shoulder the pistol, is it a bare buffer tube for an AR pistol, or may it have a crutch tip on it? When you are creating factoring criteria for rulemaking that would involve criminal penalties, any hint of vagueness calls its constitutionality into question.

This rulemaking is not entitled to Chevron deference. As stated by Judge Karen Batchelor of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in GOA v. Garland, “But in 2014, the Court said, “we have never held that the Government’s reading of a criminal statute is entitled to any deference.” United States v. Apel, 571 U.S. 359, 369 (2014)(emphasis added) (citing Crandon v. United States, 494 U.S. 152, 177 (1990) (Scalia, J.,concurring in the judgment)). “Never” and “any” are absolutes, and the Court did not draw any distinctions, add any qualifiers, or identify any exceptions.”

By reclassifying pistols equipped with a brace that fail your vague factoring criteria as “short barreled rifles” as defined under Title 27 CFR Chapter II, §479.11 and thus must be registered under the Title 27 CFR Chapter II, §479.84 thru 86, you have now made it a criminal offense not to register and pay the tax on these pistols. Per 26 US 5871, violations carry a penalty of a $10,000 fine and up to 10 years imprisonment. If Congress wishes to add pistols equipped with arm braces to the National Firearms Act, that is their job and not yours.

Finally, the numbers of pistols with arms braces in circulation as described by the BATFE is approximately 2-3 million. This conflicts with both industry reports and that of the Congressional Research Service which puts estimates in the 10-40 million range. Your proposed rulemaking would thus make up to 40 million American citizens potential felons if this rule is adopted.

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Disclosure Is A Problem For David Chipman

August 12, 2021 by

When you are a nominee for a position that requires Senate confirmation, it is incumbent upon you to disclose everything. By everything, I mean everything. You gave a talk to Ms. Miller’s third grade class, you disclose it. You gave a speech to a group of lawyers, you disclose it. You wrote an op-ed that ran in a free paper, you disclose it. You have blogged for years under a pseudonym, you disclose it.

Disclosure just doesn’t seem to be in David Chipman’s wheelhouse and now it is coming back to bite him in the ass.

Andrew Kaczynski and Drew Myers cover politics for CNN. That network is not considered a bastion of support for the Second Amendment. Neither are they the “anonymous bloggers and social media sleuths” that Mrs. Chipman holds in such disregard. Indeed they are as mainstream media as mainstream media gets.

Thus, when they have a story that illustrates the failure of David Chipman to disclose talks he gave and events in which he participated, it is an issue.

From CNN:

In one undisclosed 2019 talk given to a law firm titled “Can the Right to Bear Arms Coexist with Gun Control?,” David Chipman said his views and politics weren’t typical of most at the ATF and in law enforcement because the groups were mostly “a very conservative bunch, primarily of white men.”

The comments are notable because Chipman’s nomination has struggled to gain support – even from some members of the Democratic caucus who have yet to commit to his nomination. Senators have questioned if his past record as an advocate for stricter gun laws would make him a less effective director.

And then there is this interview from a podcast in 2017:

In another undisclosed 2017 interview on Jared Huffman’s “Off the Cuff” podcast, Chipman said the NRA depends on an “un-American” business model that involves making society “less safe.”

“If (the NRA is) no longer selling a lot of guns to sportsmen and hunters and (their) primary business model is you need guns for public safety. Well, then you need an unsafe society to need to buy a gun,” Chipman said. “If your business model depends entirely on people feeling unsafe and scared and need to buy a gun, why would you want to do anything that makes things safer?”

Chipman added he needed to retire from the ATF after 25 years to talk about his views on gun violence “in a way” that would not end him up in jail for speaking to the press without authorization.

These are just two of the previously undisclosed talks and interviews involving Chipman. As the CNN story makes clear, there are more and they give links to them. A thorough search probably will find more.

We know that David Chipman hates us, our organizations, our rights, and our freedom. His nomination needs to be either withdrawn or defeated. I would prefer defeat because it puts the rest of the politicians who hate us on record.

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The Trace: Chipman Nomination Hanging By A Thread

August 11, 2021 by 3 Comments

When even the Bloomberg-funded The Trace says David Chipman’s nomination to head BATFE is in trouble, you know it is in trouble.

The article is an attempt to rally support for Chipman and to put pressure on Sen. Angus King (I-ME), an independent who caucuses with the Democrat. King has said privately he is a “no” on Chipman.

They are now saying Chipman’s confirmation was always “a long shot.”

The Trace is now trying to portray the Chipmans as victims of “anonymous bloggers and social media sleuths”.

Tara Chipman told USA TODAY that she retired to avoid the conflict of working under her husband’s leadership or staying on in the aftermath of a failed nomination.

She cited cases of online harassment, including conspiracy theories tied to her mother, Olivia Cajero-Bedford, a former Democratic state senator in Arizona who proposed a ban on the bump stock devices now banned nationwide.

“The negative attention was more than either of us expected, especially me as a spouse,” Tara Chipman said Wednesday. “I don’t know why anyone would want a Senate-confirmed position in government. 

“I feel kind of powerless because, of course, I want to go after these people, but I don’t want to do anything to endanger David’s nomination.”

It is hard for me to believe that anyone who had been in DC as long as Mrs. Chipman can portray herself as so naive. It is rather disingenuous to say the “negative attention was more than either of us expected.” She would have been piling on to a Republican nominee and his or her spouse if they were affiliated in any sort of way with the firearms industry.

State of Mainers need to keep the pressure on King just as those in Montana and West Virginia need to keep the pressure on Senators Tester and Manchin.

By the way, I am not an “anonymous blogger”. My real name is on every one of the posts I’ve made about David and Tara Chipman. It is not my fault that they have left such a large presence on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.