FL Congressman says ATF planning to ban pistol braces?

[DMK]

Truth or ploy for votes in an election year?

They did it with bump stocks and nobody gave a damn because they didn't own a bump stock or thought they were a stupid toy. Think they are going to go after pistol braces now?

"We understand that ATF is currently considering restricting one arm brace model owned by over 700,000 Americans," Congressman Gaetz writes along with six other members of Congress. "We strongly urge ATF to cease taking any actions and reconsider or rescind any secret determinations which call into question the legality of firearms owned by millions of law-abiding Americans."

https://gaetz.house.gov/media/hottak...rm-brace-usage

[Tom Servo]

Gaetz is on the Judiciary committee and he's pretty well-connected. I"m guessing he's credible on this.

And frankly, it doesn't surprise me one bit. The current administration let the ATF off the leash when it came to bump-stocks, and they got away with reclassifying those as machine guns. The precedent has been set, and my guess is they'll just reclassify pistol braces as short-barreled rifles.

[jmr40]

So how would this affect people who bought a factory pistol with an arm brace. I'm not aware of any rifles that came from the factory with a bump stock. They were all modified afterward. It was easy enough to go back to a standard stock when bump stocks were banned. Not so easy when the firearm came from the factory that way.

[DMK]

So how would this affect people who bought a factory pistol with an arm brace. I'm not aware of any rifles that came from the factory with a bump stock. They were all modified afterward. It was easy enough to go back to a standard stock when bump stocks were banned. Not so easy when the firearm came from the factory that way.

That's a good point. If we do let this come to pass, there will be a lot of people who will unwittingly have become felons overnight by the stroke of a pen.

That definitely does not sound like what a land of liberty should be to me.

[RickB]

And SCOTUS isn't interested in 2A cases, when now would be the perfect time to determine that a piece of plastic isn't a machine gun, no matter how it's shaped.

[FITASC]

While it would be nice for SCOTUS to do something, I am not so sure the current make-up of the Court would be in our favor. Roberts seems to lean more left than right or center. Maybe they are waiting for a few more right-leaning folks to be appointed after Ginsburg and others retire??

I also do not think that all of the videos showing folks use a brace like a shoulder stock doesn't help this issue.

[44 AMP]

The precedent has been set,....

The precedent was set many years ago with the ATF's back and forth rule changes concerning stocked pistols.

And what was and was not covered under "curio & relic".

At one time, it was pistol + any stock = NFA firearm
Then we had a period of curio & relic + any stock = non-NFA weapon
Then we got pistol + ORIGINAL stock = non-NFA
but same pistol with a reproduction stock = NFA weapon...

I have no idea what the current ruling is today, only that they have changed their minds several times over the years, and I fully expect them to do it again, in regard to "pistol braces".

Lots of folks danced and giggled when they ruled braces were not stocks, and so not regulated under the NFA.

I said, "enjoy it while you can..." seems like the "while you can" is ending now...or will be, if certain people get what they want.

I do need to ask, seriously, don't we have more important things to do??
(we meaning the govt)

[Paul B.]

Why am I not surprised?
Paul B.

[Aguila Blanca]

The precedent has been set,....

Remember, this is the same BATFE that ruled a shoestring is a machine gun ...

You were expecting, maybe ... logic?

[5whiskey]

If you look back over the past 20 years or so, you see a pattern of “controversial” firearms oddly almost never being used in crimes until AFTER they became controversial. High capacity semi-automatic rifles had been basically relegated to the fluke one-off Hollywood bank robbery. The AWB sunset and there was some talk about continuing it, but ultimately nothing. Then Obama was elected and the first “Banic.” This very forum swirled with statistics that ARs have almost never been involved in crimes. But then... all of a sudden they started to be used in crimes. Sandy Hook being one of the most high profile. And we’ve seen more and more copycats. Then we discussed ad nauseam how bump stocks were impractical, of no tactical value, never been used in any crime, and are basically for nothing other than fun range time. Bam! Las Vegas shooting (which still baffles me how the media went dark on that after a week or so). We know here that short barrel rifles are practical, handy, and fun. Short barrel rifles and suppressors go together like peas and carrots, and there aren’t tons (or hardly any) crimes being committed with them. The pistol brace, depending on the ATFs mood as to whether it can be shouldered or not that month, offers a chance at using a AR pistol similar to a SBR and foregoing the punitive tax stamp and wait. I hope the trend doesn’t continue, but history is often interesting.

[JERRYS.]

so what is it going to be? $200 once, or every year?

[DMK]

so what is it going to be? $200 once, or every year?

It's unknown what the ATF will decide, but an SBR tax stamp is a one time $200.

[DMK]

If you look back over the past 20 years or so, you see a pattern of “controversial” firearms oddly almost never being used in crimes until AFTER they became controversial.

That's very true. Once the news media and politicians sensationalize something, it then gets "on the radar" of the crazies.

Most of the mass shootings are copy cat crimes anyway, thanks to sensationalist reporting and the media giving notoriety to the criminals.

[GE-Minigun]

Years back when the ATF reclassified the Street Sweeper as a DD (Destructive Device), the owners had to register them or make them inactive, if you wanted to register it, you requested a Form 1 from the ATF, filled it out and sent it in…no money due nor waiting period, was told to me by a C3 dealer/manufacture.

[RickB]

Once the news media and politicians sensationalize something, it then gets "on the radar" of the crazies.

I never saw a 10rd 1911 magazine on the range until the law "limited" capacity to ten. Not that it was "crazies" using them, but the law essentially created the market for a mag of higher capacity than normal.

[44 AMP]

I had an 11 rnd, and 15rnd stick mags for the 1911A1 and even a 25rnd drum, decades before they 10rnd law limit.

The main reason you never saw them at the range, etc., was because they worked like crap most of the time, and so people weren't very interested.

[10-96]

It's been a week since the last post and longer since the news rolled out. Does anyone know if there is a way to find out if the ATF dropped the matter, going full steam ahead, or what? Just curious.