Posted on 03/12/2012 12:09:03 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
Federal regulators found numerous serious violations at Badger Guns, prompting them to take the rare step of revoking the gun store's license last year, newly released documents show.
The West Milwaukee gun shop long has been under fire because of its high number of crime gun sales, including those used in shootings of Milwaukee police officers. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives revoked Badger Guns' federal license last year.
The store stopped selling guns Dec. 31. The ATF has refused to say why the store's license was revoked, citing a law passed by Congress that shields public release of information about gun stores.
The documents released to the Journal Sentinel through an open records request show the store had nine violations found during the ATF's 2009 inspection. Several were repeat infractions from an earlier inspection.
The violations included failing to complete federally required paperwork on gun sales and keep accurate inventory records - two areas considered crucial for tracking guns and allowing the agency to quickly trace guns used in crimes.
"That is the heart of why good records must be kept," said Michael Bouchard, former ATF assistant director for field operations.
~snip~
Badger Guns and its predecessor, Badger Outdoors, have been the top sellers of crime guns recovered by Milwaukee police for at least the past decade, according to Milwaukee police data obtained by the Journal Sentinel. In less than two years, six Milwaukee police officers were wounded with guns sold by Badger Guns or Badger Outdoors. Four of those officers have sued the owners.
Despite the revocation, the operation continues on S. 43rd St. in West Milwaukee.
(Excerpt) Read more at jsonline.com ...
Wisconsin Badger Gun License Revocaton pin
FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.
Tyranny by the ATF and State.
You called this one way off.
Let us see, they have failed to keep proper records. At least ten instances.
At least 10 sales to purchasers who were not legally able to own weapons.
Sounds to me like the gunshop is like the one we have right outside of Oakcliff that everyone knows is supplying weapons to street gangs. They will supply to anyone who can meet the inlflated prices on some guns, where magically all the paperwork dissapears. Or the mythical guns in back with the canvas grips over drawn nylon, that feel almost like a pistol grip but leave no prints. However, they’re not so mythical that the police don’t pick two or three up a week.
It’s also common practice for a fee, to learn where a certain customers with might live, and where they might keep that gun.
Just because it’s a gun shop, doesn’t mean it’s a good one, or even that it’s practices are legal. Not picking on gunshops, as the same can be said for just about anything. It’s just next to a pharmacy, there is very little as problematic as a crooked gunshop.
In a large barrel of apples (or whatever), there are bound to be some “bad ones”, which need weeding-out or culling from the herd.
Probably had “Insufficient donations to commiecrats”
Clearly the attitude, if they were charged they were guilty attitude is alive and well.
Failed to keep records is a highly elastic label and questionable definition.
So is claiming a gun sales there lead to crime guns. If the store sells to someone who resells to another and resells to another and is then stolen, and gun is used in a crime and is then traced back through this string of events to the store, is the store really guilt?
Shame on those who just take word of the ATF (those good people who have been selling firearms to Mexican drugs cartels and tried to cover it up)at face value.
I was thinking along similar lines. We won’t know for sure until (and if) all the charges become public. My spidey-sense is tingling on this one, though. The record keeping issues are already not a good sign. It could be these guys are also knowingly making illegal sales to convicted felons, etc. IF something like that is indeed the case, then ‘eff ‘em. We don’t need operators who supply the dirtbags and (by extension) jeopardize the rights of lawful gun owners and respectable gun dealers.
Anytime the premise begins with “crime guns” what follows is commonly referred to as a straw man argument.
The ATF is making noise to divert attention away from it’s own highly documented and organized attempt to gin up an excuse to impose a new round of gun control regulations after it’s failed attempt with “gun walker” was brought to light.
Fair point.
Do you believe government has the constitutionally enumerated power to require that every purchase of a firearm be documented and then have those records available until the business ceases to exist (and then must turn in all records)?
Make the record-keeping complicated enough, which the BATFE has, you can guarantee finding some discrepancies when you want to go after somebody.
At least 10 sales to purchasers who were not legally able to own weapons.
Ever hear of Project Gunrunner?
You don’t cross every t and dot every i - and that’s an “infraction.”
When the BATFE want to close you down, they can easily find nine or ten forms filled out “incorrectly” from a stack of several hundred.
An object lesson in the facts of government power.
“At least 10 sales to purchasers who were not legally able to own weapons.”
Kind of like Obama illegally selling guns to Mexican drug cartels that have since been used to kill Mexican and American citizens and federal agents.
What struck me about this article is that they were nailed on “paperwork” with the implication that they’d lost track of guns that they’d sold. But the ATF lost track of 1000’s of guns in Fast and Furious and they do not seem to be suffering any consequences.
If they passed the background check then they have to sell it to them.
I believe that was the point Ratman. Sounds to me like this is a gun shop that isn’t adverse to selling under the table to the criminal element. It might shock some who’ve posted in this thread, but said shops do exist.
Exactly.
Sounds to me like this is a gun shop that isn’t adverse to selling under the table to the criminal element. All the article said was that they sold to someone who, by a unconstitutional law, they were not supposed to. If they had actually done a sale without the check then they would be in jail. The feds do not allow that to happen.
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