ATF Withdraws Pistol Brace Guidance
BY Herschel Smith
3 years, 11 months ago
The ATF has withdrawn its pistol brace guidance. This may have come from Trump. We have no way of knowing.
This may have come from the fact that bloggers like me have covered this in such detail and with such derision (although it’s doubtful). It may be from more public articles like ones written by David Codrea. This may have been due to multiple congressmen weighing in with derision.
This may have been due to videos like Mr Guns ‘n Gear weighing in with such derision (here is his take on the withdrawal). It may have been due to the utter derision with which reddit/firearms treated the ATF and its rule making.
I’ve seen and been involved with rule making before, and I confess that I’ve never seen such comments made to the FedGov before on a proposed rule. The ATF should have been rightly concerned. I predict noncompliance would have been 100%, and I frankly wouldn’t have wanted to be an ATF agent under such rules (but then I wouldn’t want to be an ATF agent anyway because I have moral scruples).
We may never know why the ATF chose to do this, and why they chose to do it now. But I do disagree with Mr Gun ‘n Gear, who claims that “we’ve won (for now).” No, we haven’t won. For those relying on the pen being mightier than the sword, that will not always obtain, and it may not have this time.
One thing we can be sure of, though, is that this is not over. Ryan Cleckner has outlined a number of gun control initiatives likely to occur in a Biden administration, and he’s right that they would love all of them. Whether they will get them all is another story. Another story still is whether, even if they get any of those initiatives, the public will care enough to oblige the FedGov with compliance.
But they will try for all these initiatives, and they will try this pistol brace ruling again at another time. When they do, the boys from reddit/firearms will send them the same brutal comments they did before, and probably worse. They were virtually daring the ATF to try something like that.
This was just a skirmish – the real battles are yet to come.
UPDATE: “TTAG has learned that the final straw that persuaded the ATF to back down and withdraw the guidance was serious pressure applied by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. A call took place over the weekend involving a number of firearms industry companies and McConnell’s office.
McConnell’s subsequent involvement in the matter, along with fast and furious (to coin a phrase) activism from the gun rights community in opposition to the ATF’s proposed move were what resulted in this evening’s win.
More details may be revealed over time, but this is an unqualified victory.”
That’s interesting detail, but no, it’s not an “unqualified victory.” This is a strategic decision by the ATF. This will come around again.
On December 23, 2020 at 10:51 pm, tballard said:
Exactly. This is most likely a strategic move on ATF’s part to avoid setting any legal precedents that hurt their gun confiscation efforts in the future. More than likely, they are withdrawing this for now counting on the GA Senate races to flip to the Democrats and the near-term passage of comprehensive gun control legislation that will give them the legal cover they need. They simply realized they had jumped ahead of the process in their eagerness to kick in the doors of all those newly created felons. Count on it – they will be back.
On December 23, 2020 at 11:24 pm, Fred said:
What’s the address of the ATF?
On December 24, 2020 at 1:37 am, Hedge said:
Yawn. More blather from one side or the other.
On December 24, 2020 at 8:50 am, Wes said:
McConnell likely slapped them for speaking out loud before the GA election. If the enemy ever ceased its efforts, after hearing from Eric Holder how a white person could by definition not be a victim of a hate-crime, we wouldn’t be hearing about Critical Race Theory taught in public schools & to the military.
They do not stop, ever, until they are physically dissociated from their ability to enslave.
On December 24, 2020 at 9:03 am, Bill Buppert said:
“They do not stop, ever, until they are physically dissociated from their ability to enslave.”
Words to live or die by, Wes wins the internet today.
On December 24, 2020 at 9:08 am, Herr Draufgänger said:
Fred et al;
This is what you really want to know, the locations of US field offices:
https://www.atf.gov/contact/local-atf-offices
For informative purposes only….
On December 24, 2020 at 9:53 am, Longbow said:
Just as with their proposed rule making of M855 ammo, they set it aside…for now.
They will be back. They will never stop.
What kind of a man works for an agency the primary function of which is a violation of he very oath of office? Or, to put it another way, what kind of man takes an oath of office, and upon completion of his oath, goes to work doing the very thing he just swore an oath NOT to do?
The answer to that question will tell you why they do what they do.
On December 24, 2020 at 10:41 am, Heywood said:
“… and I frankly wouldn’t have wanted to be an ATF agent under such rules (but then I wouldn’t want to be an ATF agent anyway because I have moral scruples).” Thank you Herechel. Had a crappy shift at work and that made mr laugh out loud.
On December 24, 2020 at 11:32 am, Heywood said:
Wow. I need to proofread.^^^^^^^^^
Herechel? mr?
On December 24, 2020 at 11:54 am, Barefoot Peckerwood said:
This is merely a minor obstacle. They will try again, within 180 days as there will probably be a major incident with a 80% kit
On December 24, 2020 at 1:58 pm, Randolph Scott said:
Bowmanize these pricks.
On December 24, 2020 at 4:03 pm, John Richardson said:
Using Sherlock Holmes’ logic in the the dog that didn’t bark, I find it interesting that there has been zero interest in the Req. for Comment from the gun control industry. They normally have tons of pre-written comments ready to be sent and they have not even mentioned it.
My level of paranoia is rising as a result. Something is in the works. We just don’t know the details yet.
On December 24, 2020 at 5:36 pm, Dirk said:
Who cares what ATF, says or does.
Dirt
On December 26, 2020 at 5:31 am, Roger J said:
Wow, Herr Draufgaenger, thanks, for an “underfunded” agency, ATF has a helluva lot of field offices. I never realized so many.
I agree with commenter “Barefoot Peckerwood.” There is nothing like a high profile arranged incident to convince the low information public believing CNN, WaPo and other disinformation operations that “something must be done.” It worked with bump stocks…