Posted on 01/26/2022 12:16:16 PM PST by Sopater
So far no arrests have been made and authorities are keeping mum about a raid on a property in the heart of Pennsylvania’s Amish country around Lancaster, but the local paper has some intriguing suggestions about what’s going on, and it sure looks like the BATFE is getting ready to accuse an Amish farmer of being an unlicensed gun retailer.
The raid on the property known as the Cattail Foundry took place two weeks ago, with agents carting off an untold number of guns. This week, LancasterOnline.com spoke with Rueben King, who says the guns were all his private property, though he admits that he had also sold several guns.
“This is my business: I’m a dairyman,” he said inside a barn filled with cows as he swept the concrete floor with a pushbroom. He has about 50 dairy cows.
Rueben King said he primarily sold long guns to the Amish for hunting, though he admitted he sold some to non-Amish, too.
“I was not dealing in handguns, positively not,” Rueben King said.
Federal laws require photo identification when purchasing a firearm from a licensed dealer. The Amish contend their religious beliefs prevent them from being photographed, so they cannot buy a firearm from a licensed dealer. However, private sellers don’t have to require the buyer to present photo identification.
Reuben King declined to say how many guns he had or sold, but that more than 600 — which is what a tipster told LNP — didn’t sound right. Agents did not take all his firearms, he said, adding he’s been collecting guns over the years and hunts.
Reuben King’s brother, Emmanuel King, said about 15 agents with a warrant removed firearms from a room above the first-floor foundry and spent about five hours there.
“They were jotting them down and loading them up,” Emmanuel King said.
Reuben King said he has been talking to lawyers, but does not have one yet, and doesn’t know what will come of the investigation.
We don’t have enough information to weigh in on the specifics of this case, but I’d definitely encourage King to speak with an attorney, and one who knows the ins-and-outs of both state and federal firearms laws. The Biden administration has warned that it’s going after “rogue gun dealers,” and while I don’t think busting an Amish farmer would be the public relations coup that Biden’s looking for, the ATF and DOJ could very well decide to make an example out of King if they have evidence he was selling a large number of firearms without obtaining an FFL.
As King correctly told LancasterOnline, there’s no hard or fast rule that specifically designates when an individual must become an FFL, only the cautionary language stating that “persons who are engaged in the business of dealing in firearms be licensed by the bureau.” Was King engaged in a gun business, as opposed to just making a few incidental sales from his collection? To answer that question we need a better idea of how many guns he’s believed to have sold. If it was anywhere close to 600, it’s going to be awfully hard to argue that this was just a hobby or a way for King to occasionally offload some of his collection.
At the same time, I’m sympathetic to the fact that the Amish can’t purchase a firearm from their local gun store because they generally don’t have a photo ID, which in essence requires them to purchase from a private seller.
It wouldn’t shock me if there are some Amish gun owners out there who are in that grey zone of making more than a few incidental sales while not engaging in the same volume that you’d typically see from someone making a living as a gun dealer, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see the Biden administration claim they’re “doing something” to address violent crime by cracking down on them.. even if most of those sales are to other friends and family living in an Amish paradise.
“Kenyon Ballew”
I remember that very well! The ATF said he took a shot at them and that is why they shot him!
Problem: The only shot fired from his black powder pistol was into the wall about a foot from the floor, 90 degrees away from his attackers, showing he was already falling from being shot when he pulled his trigger.
Do you remember the bumper stickers after that time...
“KENYON BALLEW COULD BE YOU!”
And why did he have a black powder pistol... cartridge firearms were illegal in Washington D.C.
Another ATF cluster-flock eventually going to the USSC.
Recent rulings by the federal courts concerning the 2nd amendment haven’t been favorable towards the criminal fascists occupying Washington.
Here in PA, state law is that you can buy long guns — rifle or shotgun — in a private sale, with a simple receipt; no FFL involvement needed. Revolvers and semi-auto pistols do require an FFL transfer.
Odd the ATF didn’t kill all the cows. “
That’s utterly impossible
.................
Just to note, the article didn’t say that the ATF didn’t go a-head (pun intended) and kill the cows just for good measure.
It might still be possible to cry over spilt milk.
Amish don’t vote.
No joke: The bureaucrats are Nazi-like when it comes to fresh milk. But they’d have called in the FDA to do the deed.
The FDA has a SWAT team.
https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/a39bnm/i_was_raided_by_an_fda_swat_team_never_charged/
LOL. That was the punchline and the reason for my comment.
That sounds like the ATF were on the horns of dilemma.
Amish don’t vote.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They certainly do and they are almost 100% conservative.
You might want to read up on that.
AND burn down the barn!
No, wait - that would be the FBI...
600 guns is a lot of private sales for Rueben King to track down just so he can resell them to his Amish friends.
Could YOU buy 600 guns through private sales in a year? Could you even track down 600 people that have guns for sale that other Amish want to buy?
Something ain't right with this story.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.