Gun makers baffled by ATF criteria

[Dan W]

Models OK’d on case-by-case basis

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jan/2/gun-makers-baffled-by-atf-criteria/

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is in charge of determining whether a gun model is legal, but the agency won’t say much about its criteria.

Despite overseeing an industry that includes machine guns and other deadly weapons, ATF regulations for the manufacture of weapons are often unclear, leading to reliance on a secretive system by which firearms manufacturers can submit proposed weapons for testing and find out one at a time whether they comply with the law, critics say.

The ATF recommends that manufacturers voluntarily submit weapons for case-by-case determination. But those judgments are private and, it turns out, sometimes contradictory. Critics say nearly identical prototypes can be approved for one manufacturer but denied for another.

That process, known as “letter rulings,” results in various findings about what makes a weapon. Program critics, including the ATF’s former assistant director of criminal investigations, said one determination contended that a shoestring was a machine gun.

The letters are sent only to the person submitting the weapon, making it hard for other gun manufacturers, designers and dealers looking for guidance to make judgments about the agency’s evolving interpretations of the federal code. That lack of publication also means that no one knows when the agency issues rulings at odds with similar cases.

‘Definitely contradictory’

“When the rules are subjective and continue to change, we cannot expect these business owners to comply with moving target regulations. These inconsistent rulings from the bureau are confusing and result in a waste of time and resources,” said Rep. Phil Gingrey - Georgia

~Read more at the link~ http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jan/2/gun-makers-baffled-by-atf-criteria/

[bkoenig]

I was talking to a certain gun dealer here in town and he said the worst thing about the ATF from an FFL's perspective is you can never get them to commit to anything.  They always want to waffle on everything, so you never know if you'll be in violation or not.

[armed and humorous]

Sounds sort of like the building codes division in Lincoln.  They wouldn't ever answer a question about what was up to code and what wasn't.  You had to bring in a plan, and they either approved it, or they didn't.  They wouldn't tell you what you needed to do ahead of time to get it approved.

[sparky]

Sounds sort of like the building codes division in Lincoln.  They wouldn't ever answer a question about what was up to code and what wasn't.  You had to bring in a plan, and they either approved it, or they didn't.  They wouldn't tell you what you needed to do ahead of time to get it approved.

Its not just Lincoln's, Omaha's is the same way. 

[JimP]

Critics say nearly identical prototypes can be approved for one manufacturer but denied for another.

No room for corruption there at all, is there?

I am firmly of the belief that most Federal LE agencies are led by, if not mostly made up of, folks that have lost sight of the intended goal the agency was created for..... they are more concerned with the Organization than the purpose of the organization..... Much time and money is spent justifying the time and money spent .......

[armed and humorous]

JimP:

Agreed.