ATF Agent's CHILLING Warning on Glenn Beck Show: 'You CANNOT Trust Your Government'

I have always had what I consider to be a "healthy" distrust of government.  I've seen nothing to change that and this interview with a just retired ATF agent solidifies that distrust.

The agent, John Dodson, is the whistleblower who revealed the ATF “gunwalking” scandal known as Operation Fast and Furious that led to the death of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. John’s decision to speak up was extremely risky, and he tells Glenn why he was afraid to start his car every morning after his family left. John also talks about the chilling reality of what’s happening at the southern border. Why hasn’t the illegal immigration problem been solved? John jokes that “the Mexican drug cartels must be huge donors to the Democratic Party." Take a look.

Gutowski: What's in Biden's "Ghost Gun" Kit Ban

 (Editor's note: The article discussed here is part of the Member Exclusives at TheReload.com)

Earlier today, The Reload founder, Stephen Gutowski posted an analysis of what's in Joe Biden's rule that redefines the definition of a firearm under federal law and thus expanding ATF’s power.  According to Gutowski, the bulk of the rule did not change much from when he posted a leaked draft of the rule last year. He notes that ATF did modify significant portions, and clarified others, however. He wrote that in some things, ATF has pulled back, while expanding their "theoretical" authority in others. Below is a list of things included in the new rule that Gustowski discusses:

Expanding the ATF’s Power to Determine What is a Receiver or Frame:

The most significant change is in vastly expanding the definition of what could constitute a regulatable “firearm” under federal law. While this hasn’t gotten nearly as much attention in the political sphere, it is really the core of this new rule. That’s because, in recent years, the ATF and Department of Justice have run into legal trouble over how they’ve long applied the definition of “firearm.”

Banning “Ghost Gun” Kits:

The other aspect of the definition change in the rule deals with an even greater expansion of the ATF’s authority. This time into the territory of determining what’s “readily convertible” into a firearm frame or receiver. The target is unfinished and unserialized “ghost guns.”

Homemade Guns Are Transferable, Even Sellable:

Somewhat surprisingly, the rule also explicitly states that homemade guns (which they call Privately Made Firearms or PMFs) are legal to both make and sell. The ATF points out that people who are not otherwise prohibited from possessing guns due to a disqualifying criminal or mental health record can legally build them in most states. They can even give or sell them to other people depending on the circumstances.

Increasing How Long Gun Dealers Have to Keep Background Check Records:

If the PMF serialization requirement sounds like extra work, mainly for licensed dealers, that’s because it is. The same is true for the new record-keeping requirements in the rule.

Reducing Silencer Regulation:

The rule isn’t all about implementing more burdens on gun owners and the industry, though. The ATF is also seeking to reduce the amount of paperwork and regulation involved in silencer manufacturing, dealing, and ownership. Instead of treating every part of a silencer, often called suppressors, the same as a fully completed and functional silencer, the ATF wants to pick just the outer tube as the regulated part.

Gutowski closes by noting that while Biden announced the rule last week, it has not been published in the federal registry. After the publication, it is going to face lawsuits from multiple pro-rights organizations that could delay the rule's implementation or repeal it out right.

Th article expands on each of the topics beyond what is shared above.  If you want to read the entire article and full analysis, as well receive more of his member exclusives, you can subscribe to The Reload.

Liberal Group Joins Call for Abolition of BATFE

The Washington Post reports that the Center for American Progress is joining the chorus to abolish the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE).

The lead federal agency responsible for tackling gun violence should be merged into the FBI to better protect public safety and reduce firearms crime, a liberal think tank with strong ties to the Obama administration said.

The Center for American Progress — after a two-year investigation and more than 50 interviews with people in both agencies — concluded that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is plagued by inadequate management, insufficient resources, burdensome restrictions and a lack of coordination. The center’s 182-page report, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post, is scheduled to be released Tuesday.

Someone needs to tell the Washington Post that the purpose of the BATFE is not to "tackle gun violence," it is a regulatory agency.  Then again, if BATFE views itself as the lead agency to fight gun violence, that could explain why it has been scandal ridden the last six years - it has lost site of its actual mission.

ATF Director First Casualty of Ammo Ban Fiasco

The Hill reports that ATF Director B. Todd Jones is resigning following the fiasco that led to the agency temporarily pulling the "green tip" ammo ban proposal:

Jones, who in July 2013 became the first ATF director to be confirmed by the Senate, is departing shortly after the agency dropped a controversial attempt to ban certain armor-piercing bullets used in AR-15 rifles.

The episode was the latest in a series of flaps that has put the Obama administration's ATF at odds with many congressional Republicans. In recent weeks, GOP lawmakers have introduced legislation seeking to tamp down on the agency's authority — and to abolish the ATF altogether.

Attorney General Eric Holder lauded Jones for his service and "groundbreaking" law enforcement initiatives, including an effort to strengthen ballistic imaging technology that recently played a critical role in the investigation of the shooting of two police officers.

Townhall's Katie Pavlich had a great idea on the subject when she posted this comment on Twitter:

Instead of wasting everyone's time confirming a new director, now would be a great time for Congress to abolish ATF http://t.co/2m99ttGH0S
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) March 20, 2015

Gun Ban Groups Keep Distance from ATF Bullet Ban Proposal

The Hill reports that two gun ban groups, Everytown for Gun Safety and Gabby Giffords' Americans for Responsible Solutions, deny having any part in the ATF proposal to ban 5.56 M855 ball ammunition commonly used AR-15 rifles:

"We have sent dozens of recommendations to the administration on what they can do to prevent gun violence — this ammo proposal has never been one of them," Lamb told The Hill.

Meanwhile, the gun safety group linked to Giffords, Americans for Responsible Solutions, also said it is not interested in any such bullet ban.

"We are focused on keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people and protecting the rights of responsible, law-abiding gun owners, not banning bullets or other forms of hardware," spokesman Mark Prentice told The Hill.

ATF's facade of transparency began to crumble over the weekend when reports surfaced that the agency had already removed the exemption for the ammunition from their new regulation guidebook.  They have since claimed it was a publishing error.  In the end, the weight of the over 80,000 comments submitted and the questions related to the missing exemption in the new guidebook was more than the agency could handle. 

ATF Temporarily Shelves Ammo Ban Proposal

Fox News and The Hill are reporting that the ATF has decided to shelve the controversial proposed ban on green tip ammunition commonly used in AR-15 rifles. From The Hill:

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) said it will not seek to issue a final framework for the rule “at this time” after receiving more than 80,000 comments on the proposal, the “vast majority” of which were negative.

"You spoke, we listened," the ATF tweeted.

You spoke, we listened. @ATFHQ plans more study on the proposed AP Ammo exemption framework. See more http://t.co/SmRKMYvw7J
— ATF HQ (@ATFHQ) March 10, 2015

This comes on the heels of Katie Pavlich's article over the weekend pointing out that the new regulations released showing the green tip ammo was already removed from the list of exempted ammunition.  ATF then called that a "publishing error."

While this is good news for now, the ATF release says that the proposal deserves "further study," meaning it may be back at some point in the future.

Goodlatte Wants Answers from ATF on Ammo Ban Proposal

Katie Pavlich reports that Virginia 6th District Congressman, and House Judiciary Chairman, Bob Goodlatte wants answers from ATF Director B. Todd Jones on the agency's proposal to ban on commonly used AR-15 ammunition.

Last week on behalf of the bipartisan House Judiciary Committee, Chairman Bob Goodlatte sent a letter to ATF Director B. Todd Jones demanding answers about a pending ban on commonly used AR-15 ammunition, better known as 5.56 M855 ball ammunition. ATF recently proposed the ban and broadly cited law enforcement officer safety as its justification, saying the ammunition is "armor piercing," but provided zero evidence to back up their endangerment claim. 

As has been pointed out by numerous sources from gun bloggers to the NRA, this proposal is nothing short of rendering the nation's best selling rifle useless. Obama can't get legislation to ban modern sporting rifles so he is doing the next best thing, making sure they can't be used due to lack of ammunition.

Rep. Goodlatte spoke with Fox News about this issue late last week.

If you live in the 6th Congressional District, please take a moment to thank Congressman Goodlatte for standing up for your rights.  Also, if you have not already done so, please comment on the proposal before March 16th by contacting ATF at APAComments@atf.gov, or by fax at (202) 648-9741. Comments can also be sent through the mail to:

• Denise Brown, Mailstop 6N-602, Office of Regulatory Affairs, Enforcement Programs and Services, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, 99 New York Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20226: ATTN: AP Ammo Comments. 

Update: AmericanRifleman.org reports this morning that the Fraternal Order of Police opposes the proposed ban.

Congress Pushing Back on Obama Ammo Ban

The Hill has the story here.  Rep. Tom Rooney introduced the Protecting Second Amendment Amendment Rights act on Friday which "would prohibit the ATF or any other federal agency from issuing or enforcing any new restriction or prohibition on the manufacture, importation or sale of ammunition in the United States."

Knowing how slowly legislation can move through Congress and the fact the it would have to secure 60 votes in the Senate to advance, the more prudent action would be to attach it to "must pass" legislation as and amendment and then dare Obama to veto it.

Obama's Squeeze Play on Ammunition

Kevin Williamson of National Review has a great article titled A Pincer Movement on Ammunition that discusses how gun owners are now dealing with the ATF on one side and the EPA on the other trying to limit our access to ammunition.

The upshot of all this maneuvering is that the ATF intends to revoke the sporting exemption for certain popular kinds of .223 ammunition, allowing it to be reclassified as armor-piercing and therefore banned, even though it is not designed as armor-piecing ammunition and has no special armor-piercing characteristics. The reason for this is that the feared and hated AR-style rifle has been enjoying a new career as a handgun. This is yet another consumer response to federal regulation: Some people prefer short-barreled rifles, particularly for home-defense situations when they will most likely be used indoors, but federal law makes short-barreled rifles a special category of weapon that requires additional permits and taxes, and some jurisdictions ban them outright. But if you remove the shoulder stock from an AR-style rifle, it’s not a rifle — it’s a handgun, albeit one of the clumsiest and goofiest handguns on the market. But the fact that there is a multi-shot handgun commercially available for those non-lead .223 rounds means that such ammunition can be banned as armor-piercing, even though it is not armor-piercing ammunition, by use or by design. So, everybody goes back to lead, right? Wrong

Environmental groups have been pressuring the EPA to begin regulating — or to ban outright — lead ammunition under the Toxic Substances Control Act. They lost their most recent round when the D.C. Court of Appeals ruled that the EPA lacks statutory authority to regulate lead ammunition, but when has statutory authority stopped the Obama administration? The FCC has no statutory authority to enact net-neutrality rules — that’s why it has reached back to a 1930s, New Deal–era law for justification. You can be sure that the campaign to use the EPA or other federal agencies to ban lead ammunition is far from over. The U.S. Humane Society already is petitioning the Interior Department to ban lead ammunition on public lands.

Obama can't get what he wants legislatively so he is relying on his agencies to do his bidding.  Gun owners have a habit of reacting when there is a direct challenge as they did after Obama's big gun ban push after the Sandy Hook school shootings but unfortunately, when there is no perceived direct threat, we tend to be less attentive.  We need to understand, this is a direct threat.  If we can't buy ammo, what good are our firearms?  Kevin Williamson spoke with Cam Edwards of NRANews in an extensive interview yesterday about what this threat means.

Obama Administration Collecting Race and Ethnicity Information on Gun Purchase Forms

When I first saw this article in the Washington Times reporting that ATF Form 4473 was collecting race and ethnicity information, I wasn't going to write about it because the article noted that the change to form 4473 was done back in 2012 and I believed that anyone who purchased a firearm in the last two years would have noticed it. 


But today I noticed that Dave Workman, the Seattle Gun Examiner writer, also wrote about this issue.  Workman noted the quote by New Jersey firearms attorney Evan Nappen in the Times article, so it made me wonder if there is more to the story that I originally thought:

New Jersey attorney Evan Nappen is quoted by the newspaper raising a serious question that nobody in the gun prohibition lobby seems inclined to answer. After observing that requiring this information is offensive, Nappen added, “If there’s no need for an amendment, then there’s usually a political reason for the change. What this indicates is it was done for political reasons, not law enforcement reasons.”

There is nothing in federal law that requires the collection of race or ethnicity.  ATF claims the change was made because it needed to update its forms to comply with an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) reporting standard put into effect during the Clinton administration. Just an aside, that begs the question as to why it took 10 years to comply with an OMB standard.  Prior to 2012, the 4473 forms had been collecting race data.

Workman addressed the issue from the standpoint of Initiative 594 (I-594), currently on the ballot in Washington State, that would require anyone simply loaning firearms to one another, which is perfectly legal, to go through a federally licensed firearms retailer for a background check. If I-594 passes, it could all but outlaw hands-on firearm training because an instructor would have to go to a dealer to do a background check on his/her trainee before handing off the firearm to the trainee, then the trainee would have to have a background check conducted on the trainer before handing the firearm back to that person.  Additionally, privacy is a concern being raised by I-594 opponents, including the two major statewide law enforcement organizations that oppose the ballot initiative, the Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs, and Washington State Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors Association.

So, just what is ATF and the Obama Administration up to?

Universal Background Checks and the Black Market for Guns

Forbes Magazine's Frank Miniter wrote this piece sharing more information from his new book The Future of the Gun. Miniter interviewed ATF staff to find out their views on how criminals get guns.  He also interviewed some former inner-city gang members.  He heard much the same from the two different groups, that criminals will always find a way to get access to firearms.  Miniter came to the following conclusion after hearing the ATF staff explain data related to stolen firearms:

Now, as a condition for the interview I’d agreed not to ask these cops policy questions, as ATF agents are enforcers not policy makers, so I couldn’t ask them for recommendations on how to make the system better. Still, these findings make it clear that requiring all private sales of firearms be put through the National Instant Background Check System (NICS) wouldn’t do anything to stop criminals from getting guns, as criminals are already largely getting their guns through thefts, straw purchases and other illegal means.

You can find more of Miniter's findings by picking up a copy of his book.

Government Shutdown and Firearms

This from today's NSSF Bullet Points:

      Federal agencies that provide customer services to the firearms and ammunition industry are affected by the shutdown. The FBI's NICS Section is maintaining normal business hours. On the other hand, ATF's Office of Enforcement Programs and Services (EPS), which includes the imports, firearms technology, NFA branches, the licensing center and firearms industry programs branch now processing marking variances, is effectively shut down, operating with minimal staff. The State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) is accepting licenses, but only acting on them in genuine emergency situations. The Commerce Department Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is no longer accepting export license applications, classification requests (CCATS), encryption reviews, encryption registrations or advisory opinion requests. Similarly, BIS will not be issuing any final determinations. All pending export license applications, commodity classification requests, encryption reviews, encryption registrations and advisory opinion requests will be held without action by BIS until the shutdown ends. NSSF will continue to update the industry as additional details on the government shutdown become available.

Pro-rights Funding Riders Pass with Budget

Tucked safely into legislation that even the most ardent gun banners considered must pass were several riders that controls how the federal government is allowed to regulate firearms.  This from NPR:

One rider prevents the Department of Justice from requiring gun dealers to conduct an inventory to see if guns are lost or stolen. Another requires the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to make it clear that any data from criminal traces on guns can't be used to draw broad conclusions about firearms-related crime. A couple deal with curios and relics —collectible guns.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers notes none of these are new. But by tucking the policy riders into funding legislation, the antis have to decide if fighting them is worth shutting down the government.  

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn, said there was not much they could do this time but promised to fight harder next time.

He shouldn't expect the outcome to be much different.

Gun Ban Groups Turn Attention to Firearm Related Budget Riders

Predicted to have little success in passing high profile gun ban legislation, the gun banners are turning their focus to spending bills with “riders” limiting how the Justice Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are able to infringe on our rights through regulation.  This from the Washington Post:

Some of the provisions in question have been adopted in the president’s budget year after year, after having originated as legislative riders to spending bills on Capitol Hill.

But gun-control advocates are focusing on the practice as part of their broader strategy of confronting the NRA. President Obama’s 2014 budget proposal is scheduled to be released early next month, and the new focus on budgeting minutiae in the already emotional debate over the nation’s gun laws could create a flash point between Obama and his allies on the left.

By raising the riders issue, liberals also hope to put the NRA on the defensive, forcing the group and its lobbyists to publicly defend the practice of attaching riders on appropriations bills, while also fighting off fresh legislation to limit gun violence introduced in the wake of the mass shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

The strategy is outlined in a new report from the Center for American Progress that claims that pro-rights groups have "debilitated" enforcement of federal gun laws through the use of restrictive funding riders.

The group really does not like the rider that prohibits DOJ from conducting inventories of FFLs.  That would become permanent under the current continuing resolution that is being considered to fund the government for the rest of the year.  The gun ban lobby is hoping that with the Newtown shooting, they will be able to convince the Obama Administration to delete the riders from the 2014 budget.  Obama's team is remaining mum on what they plan to do.  The administration is late introducing their budget for the forth year in a row.

House to Vote on Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Bills with Pro-Rights Riders

Via NSSF:

Today the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on the 2013 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Spending Bill that contains ATF appropriations that include many pro-industry, pro-Second Amendment riders such as the so-called "Tiahrt Amendment" that protects sensitive law enforcement gun trace data from public disclosure. The ATF rider also includes the "Rehberg Amendment" that would block ATF from requiring firearms retailers to report "multiple sales" of (AR-platform) modern sporting rifles, a requirement that NSSF is challenging in court (NSSF v Jones).

Please contact your congressman and urge them to support the 2013 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Spending Bill (the bill does not have a number).  Additionally, it is expected that anti-rights representatives will propose amendments to strip out any provisions in the ATF rider.  Urge your respresentative to oppose anti-rights amendments.

To reach your representative, call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or refer to the list below:

01	Rob Wittman	R	Westmoreland
02	Scott Rigell	R	Virginia Beach
03	Robert C. Scott	D	Newport News
04	J. Randy Forbes	R	Chesapeake
05	Robert Hurt	R	Danville
06	Bob Goodlatte	R	Roanoke
07	Eric Cantor	R	Richmond
08	James P. Moran	D	Arlington
09	Morgan Griffith	R	Salem
10	Frank R. Wolf	R	Vienna
11	Gerald "Gerry" E. Connolly	R	Fairfax

Dissolving ATF Bad Idea

Sebastian makes some very good points over on Snowflakes in Hell regarding a rumor that DOJ may be looking to shut down ATF.

He correctly points out that if ATF goes away, the nation's gun laws aren't, so another agency will be tasked with enforcing them, and it will likely be an agency that has more respect on Capitol Hill than a former tax collector turned law enforcement agency.

Careful What You Wish For

Holder Meeting With Anti-gun Travor

As mentioned in a post last week, the expected departure of ATF Acting Director Kenneth Melson is not necessarily good news.  While it has become clear that Melson new more about Operation Fast and Furious than the agency or DOJ have wanted to admit, his likely replacement is vigorously anti-rights.

Obama Eyeing Anti-Gun Backer to Run ATF - President Obama - Fox Nation

Anti-rights Democrats Push Gun Control During Fast and Furious Hearings

Anti-gun members on the House Oversight Committee looking into ATF's gun walking scheme known as Operation Fast and Furious, faced with no way to defend the embattled agency, seized on comments made by some agents to push for more fun control.

Gun Control | House Oversight Committee | NRA | ATF | The Daily Caller

Among the members calling for new gun ban laws was Virginia's 10th District Representative Gerry Connolly. He  blamed the NRA for opposing regulations that would require tracking of multiple sales.  The problem with Connolly's charge is, tracking multiple sales is not the issue, ATF telling dealers to allow questionable sales to go through is the issue. 

Fast and Furious Takes Another Twist

A Phoenix CBS affiliate reported last week that federal drug agents discovered a cache of "AK-47-type assault rifles" wrapped in cellophane and hidden inside two giant trash barrels during a drug raid conducted in April. According to the report, the agents believe the confiscated weapons were heading to drug cartels in Mexico.  The problem is, a serial number on at least one of the firearms traces back to the ATF.  NRANews provides more on the story.

The News Just Keeps Getting Worse for ATF

CBS reported earlier today that Senator Grassley now has emails from a Phoenix firearm dealer expressing concern to ATF that firearms they urged him to sell may end up in the wrong hands in Mexico.

Gun shop owner expressed concerns early on in "gunwalker" scandal - CBS News Investigates - CBS News