USA Today: Feds Allow Drive-Up Gun Sales to Ease Dealers', Buyers' Coronavirus Worries

Over the weekend, USA Today reported that the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), in new guidance to federally licensed firearm retailers, said Friday that dealers can provide drive-up or walk-up service to reduce health risks posed by the coronavirus.

Licensees "may carry out the requested activities through a drive-up or walk-up window or doorway where the customer is on the licensee’s property, on the exterior of the brick-and-mortar structure at the address listed on the license," the ATF said in a Friday bulletin.

Transactions may not be carried from "a nearby space" that is not part of the dealers' property unless they are participating in qualified gun shows.

Larry Keane, general counsel for the firearms industry trade group National Shooting Sports Foundation, said Friday that the organization raised the issue with the ATF more than two weeks ago as dealers sought to navigate various government orders limiting business activity.

The new guidance comes as gun sales continue to spike due to the Wuhan Coronavirus. While indoor ranges are closed in many states (including Virginia) guns stores remain open in states with the exception of Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York and Washington. The new ATF guidance in no way alters the requirements for background checks.

USA Today went on to suggest that the new guidance may help the sales surge to go higher:

The new guidance could only further fan the surge in gun sales that has shadowed the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

Last month, the FBI reported 3.7 million background checks, the most in a single month since the launch of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) in 1998. The March numbers surpassed the previous single-month high of 3.3 million checks in December 2015.

Firearm retails have provided anecdotal evidence that many of those sales are to first time gun owners.  NSSF last week announced a list of resources for first time gun buyers and NRA announced that they have some distance learning alternative firearms training to fill the gap left from indoor ranges being closed in may places.  The NRA courses are live video conferencing and are basic safety courses that are easily delivered in a distance learning environment.  Video conferencing offers a way to interact with students.

Chris Cox Corrects the Record on NRA and Bump Stocks

After NRA released a joint statement yesterday from Wayne LaPierre and Chris Cox, some took it that NRA was in favor of banning "bump stocks". I heard such a report on a local radio talk show here in Richmond.  But on last night's Tucker Carlson Tonight program on Fox News, Chris Cox corrected the record and told Carlson that the NRA will not allow a Dianne Feinstein, Chuck Schumer-led legislative circus to threaten the right of every law-abiding American to protect themselves with a firearm. He said Congress should let the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) review whether bump stocks comply with federal law and instead focus on passing National Concealed Carry Reciprocity.


t

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.

Senate/House DOJ Oversight Hearings Garner More Media Attention of Failed ATF Program

Recent Oversight Hearings of DOJ by the House and Senate have increased the media exposure of the failed ATF program known as Operation Fast and Furious. The best coverage of the story however continues to be bloggers and NRANews.

Gun Probe's Tactics Criticized - WSJ.com

LaPierre Calls for Holder's Resignation

One way to get the national media to cover a story they have otherwise ignored is to bring up the subject (ATF's Fast and Furious) while all of the national media is watching, then call for the resignation of the guy at the top of the food chain.
NRA chief wants Holder resignation - James Hohmann - POLITICO.com

Tidewater Public Radio Station Features Program on Gun Laws

Hampton Roads public radio station WHRV ran a program on June 22nd where the topic was "Gun Laws." The show featured a discussion on gun laws in Virginia, the "gun trafficking" issue, and guns in the community. A BATFE agent was one of the guests on the show as well as Joseph Samaha, the father of Rema Samaha, a victim of the Virginia Tech shootings. Of course Samaha made a pitch for closing the non-existent "gun show loophole." Not sure where they got the number that 40% of all gun sales in Virginia are through private sales. Since there is no background check or registration of firearms in Virginia, I can't imagine how they came up with that number unless it was fed to them by the anti-rights crowd. The show host did also attribute some of the "trafficking" in firearms to those that are stolen.

A Lt. with the Kennesaw Police Department was also a guest on the show. Kennesaw is the locality in Georgia that in 1982 passed an ordinance that required every head of households to maintain at least one firearm in the home along with ammo. The Lt. said one reason for the ordinance was a response to Morton Grove, IL, banning handguns. Another reason was the fact that the population in the metro Atlanta are led the community to be concerned about the impact on crime. He also noted that when you compare the crime rate now to that prior to passage of the ordinance passed, the rate of crime is lower.

Over all it is worth the hour it takes to listen to the program.

Hat tip to VA-Alert.

Red's Trading Post Ordeal May Finally Be Over

The Casper Star-Tribune reported on May 23rd, that Red's Trading Post, an Idaho gun shop that went to federal court to keep the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from stripping it of its gun license has reached a tentative settlement with the government. No details are available as of today but it appears that Red's will be able to continue operations. I noted when looking for an update on the case that Red's has shut down their blog.

This was just one more case of BATF overreaching. If you have not already done so, please contact your congressman and ask them to co-sponsor and support H.R. 4900 - the “Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Reform and Firearms Modernization Act of 2007.” You can find talking points here that you can use when you contact your congressman.

Red's Trading Post Saga

I try to post on items directly related to Virginia gun rights or of interest to Virginia gun owners. I think this is one such item. The number of Federal Firearms Licensed (FFL) dealers has been reduced dramatically since the beginning of the Clinton years, and the Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE) has been directly involved in this phenomenon. There is a direct relationship between the number of gun dealers and the availability of firearms for law-abiding citizens.



Readers of the VSSA blog may be familiar with the ongoing battle between BATFE and Red's Trading Post in Idaho but if you are not it is worth a few minutes visit tothe blog of Red's owner, Ryan Horsley. Red's Trading Post is a longtime staple of the business community in Twin Falls, Idaho and Ryan is continuing the family business against the unlimited wallet (i.e. yours and my tax dollars) of BATFE.



Ryan has been featured on NRA News several times as well as numerous other news outlets that report on gun related news. Check Red's blog for regular updates on this abuse of power by the ATF Seattle Field Division.