Posted on 11/13/2010 7:02:25 AM PST by marktwain
Breaking News: Between the time I began composing today’s Gun Rights Examiner column and finishing it, Mike Vanderboegh reported ATF has rescinded their ruling declaring selected Airsoft-type guns as firearms. What in the world is going on, and how is the bureau so out of control they can issue top level directives under the signature of their acting head guy, and then pull it back with no detailed explanation?
Per Vanderboegh:
The ATF Pressroom admitted to me by phone this morning that ATF Ruling 2010-4…has been rescinded!
I’ve decided to go ahead and present what I wrote before this news broke as an object lesson in the Bureau’s unchecked machinations—and the impact they can have on the lives, property and liberty of Americans who are simply enjoying their freedom and minding their own business.
Here’s what I wrote earlier this morning:
A ruling from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives classifying certain replica M-16 airgun lower receivers as “firearms” was quietly introduced on November 5. Even more quietly, it was—if not withdrawn—at least removed from public Internet access.
Why?
The ruling first came to my attention via this post on Mike Vanderboegh’s Sipsey Street Irregulars blog, prompting an entry at my War on Guns journal, and I have since found original commentary at John Richardson’s No Lawyers-Only Guns and Money.
Here’s one of the questions I asked at WoG:
Why can't the original page be found? What's with a cached version only? Perhaps it's just an innocuous glitch, but where BATFU is concerned, I make no assumptions.
(Excerpt) Read more at examiner.com ...
Maybe they heard about me killing rats and pidgeons (AKA flying rats) with my Gamo.
Ban the ATF
Their expert is a crazy anti gun liar. He knows absolutely nothing about how to build an AR or M-16 and make it work. I’m a gunsmith and nave put together many “black guns,” This guy is a stupid and well paid liar.
From what I’ve read (back in October before they took any action), there is a certain model of airsoft that is so similar in construction to a real AR-15 that the ATF believed that you could mate the lower receiver of the airsoft gun (after some modifications) to a real upper (which is available without an FFL). The immediate reaction from people with clear heads was that the modifications required are more than they originally claimed and even after the mods would amount to little more than a single shot zip gun.
Because where there is air there is fire! Doesn’t everyone know that????
Well, I don’t have to worry about my son’s gun. Five months after getting it he took it apart, lost 1 spring and no more workie. Looks good, though. :)
Maybe it was all BS designed to produce public anger against ATF ?
Maybe it had to do with AIRSOFT’S new ‘NERF’ gun?
Maybe ATF thought that using actual firearms components that could be easily refitted to make unregistered firearms was just going a little too far?
Hard to say, at this point.
Because they are the BATFE. They answer to no one!
Waco... Ruby Ridge....
“Waco... Ruby Ridge.... “
They were proclaimed to be hero’s in both cases.
What a waste of time and effort. Anyone with the skills to convert one of these to a functioning weapon could build a gun from stuff you can buy at the hardware store in not much more time.
I think my use of ‘easily refitted’ might not fit the facts.
Although that is what the ATF was implying.
I do think that making ‘toy’ guns indistinguishable from real guns, at this time in our history, is something we should give serious thought to.
If you want your kid to have a ‘real’ looking gun, give him a ‘real’ gun, and teach him to use if safely, and what to use it for. He (or she) will probably live much longer.
...use if it safely.
If you’re just making it up as you go along, occasionally you’re going to get your foot stuck in the stupid bucket.
Airguns are NOT firearms and the ATF was wrong, however they can be deadly and have been used to take down fairly large game. Lewis and Clark reportedly carried one.
But none of them could have anticipated that Lewis's brief visit would culminate in an incident which would come within a few hundredths of an inch of inflicting death upon a bystander, and could have cast a pall upon the forthcoming Expedition.
Lewis carried the air gun ashore, and while friends and crew looked on,charged it and fired myself seven times fifty five yards with pretty good success;
after which a Mr. Blaze Cenas being unacquainted with the management of the gun suffered her to discharge herself accedentaly the ball passed through the hat of a woman about 40 yards distanc cutting her temple about the fourth of the diameter of the ball;
shee feel [fell] instantly and the blood gusing [gushing] from her temple we were all in the greatest consternation supposed she was dead by [but] in a minute she revived to our enespressable satisfaction, and by examination we found the wound by no means mortal or even dangerous; called the hands aboard and proceeded.
Happened on Brunot's Island on the Ohio near Pittsburgh. Pretty cool!
I've used airguns on groundhogs, snakes, rats and other varmints. The problem I have with them is that unless you are VERY accurate - I'm not - the target isn't dispatched quickly. A small caliber firearm is much better.
I remember when i was 8 my dad let me try shoot pigeons with his air gun for the first time. First time I shot it when it was on the ground from about 40 yards away i got it in the eye, felt a little bad afterwards. Just thought of my old dog too, he was a poodle and was awesome at chasing down pigeons and killing them, i miss that dog :(
IIRC the L&C weapon was 40-50 caliber(!) and couldn't have had much muzzle velocity but probably had some knock down power.
I wonder if anyone makes a large caliber portable airgun with today's tech.
I saw a news story from a nearby town where someone shot at a group of people with a pellet gun; he was arrested and charged as though he had used an AK-47. I have no problem with arresting him, charging him with the attack, taking the gun, etc., but the firearms charges themselves seem a bit much.
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