They wanted the names of his clients so they can do midnight Ninja raids on the customers!
The list, Ping
Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list
All they want is a copy of the sales records. If you purchased from them, now the Feds know you have a rifle.
Much easier to go after the good guys....who have to pay for their own attorneys and stand under the sword of government to pursue their business, by virtue of selective licensing. Out of control. Disgusting.
The lower receiver on an AR is legally considered to be ‘the gun’ and requires a serial number, NICS, and all the rest. Not sure what they are referring to regarding the “80 complete” claim.
Of course, even though they’re raiding his property “looking for illegal guns”, you can bet your ass he’ll get charged for anything and everything they can find. He better hope his building is up to code & regulations, and the inspection sticker on his car is still good.
So the ATF can run an operation designed to funnel thousands of firearms into the hands of Mexican drug cartels and there is no problem, but one company makes an incomplete receiver and they descend on him like a swarm of locusts?
I hope this will lead to a year’s worth of orders thanks to the free advertising. I will be checking them out myself (or perhaps I shouldn’t bother given my bad luck with boating accidents).
“”That means they can be legally sold to anyone, without background checks, without the necessity of a serial number,That means they can be legally sold to anyone, without background checks, without the necessity of a serial number,”
The lower receive, whether stripped or not is where the Serial number and background check is required.
The “80% complete” just means the trigger assembly and magazine components are not installed.
Did they find any Fast & Furious guns?
They are harassing legitimate owners, hoping to put them out of business, or to find some technical infraction and roast their a$$e$.
I'm guessing this was a trial raid to see what information could be gleaned.
We are often remind that the Second Amendment is to protect us from tyranny. But it isn’t so.
We have too many pond pirates with badges in America.
I guess they have successfully disarmed 100% of the criminals and terrorists, so they have the time to do this...
80% polymer lowers, which EP produces, are much easier to finish than the normal aluminum lower. Polymer lowers are color marked to make the finishing process easier and can be done with a dremel. Here is a video which shows one such build.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxcSlOVeXlQ
I have been following the 80% receiver story for several years. There have been 5 or 6 80% receiver manufacturers raided during that time.
I am not aware of any of them who have ended up in jail, but every one of them were broken financially with the cost of defending themselves, not to mention seizing all their inventory, freezing their bank accounts, etc. And yes, the BATF does get the sales records and has notified the people with “illegal” 80% receivers to turn them it. I wonder how many did.
Most of the 80% receiver manufacturers have exited the business in an agreement with the BATF to get the BATF off their back (I can only remember one that is still in business and he seems to be a stubborn cuss). I am thinking that is what the intent was all along.
They don’t have to send you to jail. All they have to do is break you financially to get what they want. With the full power of the Federal Government behind them, that is childs play.
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/e2d2d17b77c74c23aed2310be8703075/CA—Homemade-Guns-Arrests
This might explain the purpose of the raid.
Within days of registering my LLC as a machine shop two ATF goons stopped by because “they heard” I was making guns and wanted to look around. That was convenient, wasn’t it. I told them they need to present a warrant or leave immediately. They didn’t like that. I am sure they are working on it.
By the way I do not manufacture anything related to firearms.