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MLeake · March 27, 2011, 02:14 PM

Saw the link in Tom Servo's post, and decided to give it a whirl. Sent this to the address in the link:

To whom it may concern,

I've recently read about ATFE's intention to ban the importation of the Saiga-12 shotgun. Apparently, the agency is doing a study, and looking for some feedback, so here's mine.

First, as far as "sporting purpose" goes, the majority of shooting sports these days have nothing to do with hunting. IPSC, IDPA, and GSSF are not at all hunting-related. Similarly, neither are Three-Gun competitions. The Saiga is particularly well suited to Three-Gun, and to me that means it has plenty of "sporting purpose."

Note: I do not own a Saiga at this time, though I may choose to acquire one later, as I'm considering getting into Three-Gun.

Second, a large percentage of American gun-owners think the whole "sporting purpose" issue was just a bunch of legalistic double-talk, which the government used to circumvent the Second Amendment. I'm not quite sure how ATFE or anybody else thinks the recent Heller decision doesn't mean that "sporting purpose" will eventually be completely thrown out, but I'm quite confident that it will.

I swore an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States back in 1989, and I have a keen dislike for politicians who do their best to circumvent that document. I spent over twenty years in uniform doing just that. These days, I'm in defense contract work, upholding and defending in Afghanistan, though not in uniform any more. And I resent feeling that my efforts can be arbitrarily undone at the whim of any bureaucrat.

Thanks for your attention,

M.D. Leake
LCDR USN (ret)

March 27, 2011, 02:14 PM	#19
MLeake Senior Member Join Date: November 15, 2007 Location: Outside KC, MO Posts: 10,128	email to ATF shotgun study Saw the link in Tom Servo's post, and decided to give it a whirl. Sent this to the address in the link: To whom it may concern, I've recently read about ATFE's intention to ban the importation of the Saiga-12 shotgun. Apparently, the agency is doing a study, and looking for some feedback, so here's mine. First, as far as "sporting purpose" goes, the majority of shooting sports these days have nothing to do with hunting. IPSC, IDPA, and GSSF are not at all hunting-related. Similarly, neither are Three-Gun competitions. The Saiga is particularly well suited to Three-Gun, and to me that means it has plenty of "sporting purpose." Note: I do not own a Saiga at this time, though I may choose to acquire one later, as I'm considering getting into Three-Gun. Second, a large percentage of American gun-owners think the whole "sporting purpose" issue was just a bunch of legalistic double-talk, which the government used to circumvent the Second Amendment. I'm not quite sure how ATFE or anybody else thinks the recent Heller decision doesn't mean that "sporting purpose" will eventually be completely thrown out, but I'm quite confident that it will. I swore an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States back in 1989, and I have a keen dislike for politicians who do their best to circumvent that document. I spent over twenty years in uniform doing just that. These days, I'm in defense contract work, upholding and defending in Afghanistan, though not in uniform any more. And I resent feeling that my efforts can be arbitrarily undone at the whim of any bureaucrat. Thanks for your attention, M.D. Leake LCDR USN (ret)