Opinion
Virginia – -(AmmoLand.com)- Virginia Citizens Defense League member Chris Weaver sent me this email about his positive experience turning in his bump stocks to the BATFE in Chesterfield, VA for safekeeping until a final determination of the legality of the ban could be decided by the courts.
I wanted to share my good experience with ATF on surrendering my Bump Stocks.
I called the Richmond office (actually Chesterfield) and spoke with Justin Jacobs about surrendering my bump stocks. He was very professional and courteous. He seemed to empathize with my situation and went out of the way to make it convenient for me to turn them in. I expressed concern that ATF would come looking for me and he said he had a lot of other work and that the powers-that-be had not formalized any process.
I mentioned I would not be surrendering them to be destroyed, but only turning them over to avoid any legal issues. He completely understood and told me he’d place them in the evidence safe and not execute a surrender document.
Very professional, caring and compassionate individual.
Chris followed up with another email. Here are the pertinent parts:
[Mr. Jacobs] escorted us into the conference room where we were joined by another agent. We had a nice chat about the process.
I produced my letter with pictures of the bumpstocks to document their condition at turn in (protects both of us). The other agent commented that he had turned his bumpstock in the week before. I was told that there were several agents in the office with similar situations.
Mr. Jacobs completed a transfer sheet, we both signed and the other agent witnessed. Mr. Jacobs asked if he could give my daughter a “badge”, which of course I said yes to. He went to make a copy of the transfer sheet and brought my daughter a lapel pin with the ATF logo. She was super excited. We chatted a few minutes more and then Mr. Jacobs escorted us to the door.
Both agents were super friendly, courteous and compassionate. They certainly do not deserve the picture of gun haters that we often think of when we talk about ATF agents. [Philip Van Cleave: Just another reminder that we should never paint any class of individuals with a broad brush. The bad apples make us forget about the many, many excellent government employees that serve us, from the BATFE to the IRS, and all the agencies in between. My limited experience with the BATFE in the Richmond area has always been very positive.] The whole process took around 15-20 minutes.
All in all, a very nice meeting with a great couple of Agents. I was very pleased with the process.
About Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL):
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right.
For more information, visit: www.vcdl.org.
In Washington state, there has been at least one FOIA request made for the names and addresses of those who have surrendered bump-stocks. This information was then going to be published online so that those who surrendered bump-stocks would be known to anyone who cared to find out. The attitude of the requestor was that people who owned bump-stocks are undesirables and should be subjected to shame (or worse) in their communities. Food for thought when contemplating going on the record.
The BATFE may have employees that are human, but it’s controlled by bureaucracy, which was invented by Democrats to circumvent constitutional law will little to no accountability. The BATFE, on paper at least, is supposed to be enforcing the laws of legal gun and property ownership. However, as stated, it is controlled by Democrats. And they use it in a “secret police” way. Proof of this is Operation fast and furious. Where the Osama administration (shit I always get those guys confused, my bad) literally used the BATFE to sell guns to cartels through a complex scheme. This scheme, masked… Read more »
“Mr. Jacobs completed a transfer sheet, we both signed and the other agent witnessed. Mr. Jacobs asked if he could give my daughter a “badge”, which of course I said yes to. He went to make a copy of the transfer sheet and brought my daughter a lapel pin with the ATF logo. She was super excited. We chatted a few minutes more and then Mr. Jacobs escorted us to the door.” Who’s a cute little sheeple begging for tyranny? Oh *you* are you cute little thing you! And here’s a little badge for your little lamb so she knows… Read more »
You’ll be the first one onto the boxcar.
Federal employees may be kind and courteous when dealing with you, as has been my experience with any IRS rep that I speak with. Make no mistake, though; when it comes to breaking down your door and arresting you at gun point (if you are fortunate and are not shot), they will execute their orders whether they feel it is ‘constitutional’ or not. I lived in Virginia for a good while, and knew never to mess with law enforcement, especially State Troopers.
He may be wishing he kept the damn thing someday soon. It seems that the Economic Migrants are flooding in down at New Mexico these days. They know that some parts of California are blocked, but they know there are thousands of miles of border to pick a crossing from. Everybody’s attention is fixed on California where Trump has troops, but it seems they are coming across in droves in other States. The other day, a small group of armed militia stopped a group of 300-400 South Americans. The militia asked them to sit down and wait for the Border… Read more »
Will you be as polite when you turn in your AR-15?
A “nice chat”?!…’we’re from the Gov’mint and here to help you”
Lion to the Mouse comes to mind, like Spider to the Fly!!!!!!!! Opens a whole new way to limit any accessory to up grade any firearm, just food for thought, but don’t choke on it, they will keep jamming it down your throat, saying we will keep you safe with our rules???????? The Bump-Stock ruling has to be over turned or it will forever change the better mouse trap in upgrading manufacturing parts!
How nice the agent was nice to you as you were deprived of your property without recompense.
I’ll never forget the victims at Ruby Ridge. There’s no amount of money that can replace a human life. And they’ll kill you with no regards of lives they’ll hurt in the process when the raids begin. And no this government doesn’t care about any of us gun owners. It’s looking just like Nazi Germany, turn in your guns and we’ll protect you. I don’t agree with these bans, and this is just the tip of the iceberg folks I fear. God bless America
And what makes this even more egregious is that VCDL, a supposedly stalwart State gun Rights organization, has advocated surrender of these ever since ATF put this “regulation” into effect as law! They could have simply remained mute, but NO, they were openly explaining to the public that the ONLY avenues available were destruction by the owner or surrender to ATF. What would VCDL tell the public if ATF suddenly said “all semiautomatic rifles are illegal” and THAT regulation took effect? Would their position be the same? If not, why not? Why is it different now and not then? They… Read more »
Nice article Phillip Van Cleave. I’m glad your experience was a positive one. I agree that not all agents are bad or “the enemy”. I know plenty of law enforcement officers that would not be a part of any gun confiscation if it ever came down to it. They just wouldn’t. It would take local and state LE officials to cooperate if they ever outlawed guns and many would not oblige. My point is, not all officers or agents are members of the SS. Do I agree with the ban? No. Would I turn one in if I had one?… Read more »
Why would you do that?
Tell thatSh*t to the 80+ men, women and children who were burned or shot to death at the Mt. Carmel Church in Waco, TX by agents of the ATF! After all, The6 were jus5 doing their jobs!
The final slaughter of people where the church was burned people machine gunned, ran over by ifv’s, and the women and children who were in the bunker were blown up by c4 charges was not conducted by atf. Lon horiuchi, of ruby ridge fame by shooting mrs vicki weaver in the face while she was holding her baby and not able to actually see what he was shooting at, was in an fbi sniper blind with several spent cartridge cases as per texas rangers. The assault went in the back and was at the orders of the Whitehouse. The military… Read more »
Chris Weaver, evidently no relation to Randy Weaver.
A pro-BATFE article, really? WTF? I wonder if either of the nice BATFE guys were at Waco or participated in the “Fast & Furious” fiasco. How soon we forget about the rogue agents and agencies, or the fact that Federal agents/employees never are held accountable for their actions, regardless of the level of criminality. BTW, virtually all law enforcement agencies at all levels, including the Federal level, consider the BATFE to be the bottom of the barrel of law enforcement, with most of the BATFE agents viewed as individuals who couldn’t qualify for a Mall guard.
Of course they were just wonderful. Did you expect them to be anything but while you were giving up your legally purchased property? Lets see how they behave if and when its time to reclaim your property. Will there be a paperwork error and it’s missing? You will have no recourse as gov’t agencies have passed legislation protecting themselves from any error they may have made.
Still waiting for documentation & photos of criminals turning in or destroying their bump stocks from Donald, Wayne or Chris? Another ridiculous law that only adversely infringes on law abiding citizens?
Come on little steeples, trust us, we’re the government… and guess what? Our agents actively post phony steeple articles on gun sites to lure other steeples to do things they wouldn’t normally do. Steeple agents get to do steeple jobs, while the REAL ATF will kick your door down at 3:00 am and shoot your dog without batting an eye. Never ever forget what government agents did at WACO and Ruby Ridge… ask Randy Weaver how nice he thinks the government is, but you can’t ask his wife because they murdered her, shot a son and a dog. The bumpstock… Read more »
I was at the range the other day with my AR-15 and decided to bump fire it. It worked without a hitch, except someone came up to me and said that full auto weapons were illegal. I told him I was bump firing it, which he replied that bump fire stocks were illegal and hand to be turned in. My reply was I was using my finger and a pocket to bump fire it, and I sure as hell aren’t going to chop off my fingers to make it so I can’t bump fire my AR-15.
Wow, some balls on that guy. Come up to an obviously armed individual and tell you that. Seems there is a special kind of stupid running around the gun community. Seems everyone is just willing to do whatever for “safety”….. Benjamin Franklin said “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety”
It wasn’t that the guy had balls, it’s that he didn’t have a working brain. Too many morons out there who’ll comply with anything the government tells them to do without question and idiots like this one who are willing to help the government.
Most ranges I’ve attended do not allow full-auto, bump-fire or rapid-fire.
That’s why it’s best to have your own range on your property or at a friend’s place that has the room.
So , what if the Gobermint decided tomorrow that all black iPhones were illegal, would you turn them in? How about 2013 Toyota pickups? Maybe all homes with more than 3 bedrooms. What once perfectly legal is now making you a criminal just by possession. I know this sounds ridiculous, but it’s the camel nose under the tent. ( By the way, agenda 21 wants to make single family home ownership illegal, read the document. )
Agenda 21 2030 and 2050 all scary documents and erry locality in the country has a plan.
Frank, I may not be around for 2030, and definitely will not be for 2050. Unfortunately my children and grandchildren will have to deal with that B.S. if we don’t do something now to fix it once and for all..
I understand all the hate for the unconstitutional law banning bump stocks . I turned mine in, as well . My thinking is, I can’t keep an item in my house that would get me convicted of a felony if it were ever discovered. No Shooting Range will let me use it, and if I shoot it on my friends property out in the country, what if I get stopped and searched on the way going or coming? So I can’t use it. If I ever get into a dispute with my neighbor, or a family member, or a policeman,… Read more »
Sounds like living in a Paranoid, Police State! Fear every way you turn….Perfect example of Government ALREADY Gone Too FAR!!
Yep. Another TKO scored by Uncle Sugar.
@ Docduracoat I understand your position. I had to have a license to participate in my chosen profession for a twenty year period and without that license the income stops and the chances of finding another source of income becomes more evasive. Due to economic and personal reasons, a person protects that license from all predators whether it be the government or the idiot walking the street.
What idiot complies with a blatantly unconstitutional “law”, where the DOJ is literally misinterpreting the law to say what they want it to say?
There are no serial numbers and no way to track these, so unless you put proof on the web and stood outside the ATF office, making your possession known with a megaphone, there’s no way they would have known without subpoenaing every single retailer’s sales records.
$5 says the agent was lying about turning in “their” bumpfire stock just to make you feel better.
Do not be a sheep like this person.
So nice to read they showed you their “Smiley” faces, especially in front of your daughter. You do know that these same agents would have been just as willing to kick in your front door at 4 A.M. and point a gun at HER face, don’t you?
These were not good guys. Just agents of the facist State playing a role. Say bye bye to your bump stock AND liberty.
No.
So glad the nice agents were polite, and COMPASSIONATE as you bent over and let them rape your and countless unborn gemerations rights away. That just makes it all better, that he whispered romanticly in your ear before he stuck it in you. Hahaha! I guess I am am just a bad apple think that these men and women swore a oath to protect and defend the constitution, and instead work daily to trample all over it. But again I sure am happy you and your daughter had a good time throwing your rights away. Tell her to treasure that… Read more »
You’re So Correct ! Just another BATFE inspired “Sheep Shot”.
Will there also be a balancing article talking about not complying with this unconstitutional federal regulation. I believe an alternative to turn in was destruction, and adults always clean up after themselves. If the government ever came to one’s house, they must not find any object that is arguably illegal.
Seriously? You turned one in? Why?? It’s a gadget. A thing. All it does it make something called BUMP FIRE more easily performed. The technique can be achieved using your belt loop and a finger. Shall we all turn in our fingers because they can be used to bump fire a semi auto? I know, let me break out my permanent marker, a shsrpie, and I’ll scrawl a registration number on my stupid finger. Index Finger #001. How’s that.
MOLON LABE, mic drop.
FTG
It’s nice that he made it convenient for you to surrender your rights. Self-abasement shouldn’t be a chore, for those so inclined.
^^^ this ^^^
Yes, using the handles on the way into the cattle car is ok.
It is not the individual that is hated, but the agency they represent. When you willingly put on the uniform of the enemy, you become the enemy.
Not surrendered??? Do you still possess said firearm accessory?
sur·ren·der
/səˈrendər/
verb
past tense: surrendered; past participle: surrendered
cease resistance to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority.
give up or hand over (a person, right, or possession), typically on compulsion or demand.
Awesome to read. Glad they can be placed with ATF and not surrendered.
I still advocate a do not comply stance and encourage everyone to join their states militia. When the storms clouds come, we know there will be rain.
“””Both agents were super friendly, courteous and compassionate. They certainly do not deserve the picture of gun haters that we often think of when we talk about ATF agents.””””
did I hear a whisper of “we were only following orders!” in there somewhere???
Come On IN, Said The Spider To The Fly, I’m On Your Side, “Yeah Right” !
Didn’t work well at Nuremberg either.