DAYTON, NV –-(Ammoland.com)- Federal authorities have raided the offices of Polymer80 for allegedly illegally manufacturing and distributing firearms, failing to pay taxes, shipping firearms across state lines, and failing to conduct background checks.
The target of the raid centers around the company’s “Buy Build Shoot Kit,” which includes a slide, barrel, parts, the jigs, drill bits, and an 80% frame. The end-user would still need to mill out the frame to turn it into a working firearm. The ATF claims that because of the way the company sells the kits that these packages constitute firearms, and Polymer80 needs to serialize the frame.
This demand is a departure from long-standing ATF regulations that held as long as the frame was no more than 80% complete that the agency would not consider it a firearm, and it would not need a serial number.
Organizations like Brady United and anti-gun politicians have been pushing the ATF to change the ruling on what constitutes a firearm. States like California have sued the federal government over what it calls “ghost guns” and seeks to redefine a completed gun’s long-standing definition.
Just last week, Brady United filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Ghost Gunner Inc. and 12 other parts makers on behalf of a California family. In this case, the anti-gun organization claims companies like Polymer80 (not named in the lawsuit) markets to prohibited people. Brady United ignores the strong tradition of Americans building their own firearms. Tens of Thousands of hobbyists build homemade guns to continue the tradition.
Anti-gun groups and politicians have pointed to isolated incidents where criminals used finished guns in crimes. In most cases, the suspects were not prohibited people and could have purchased a traditional firearm. Over 90% of guns used in crimes were obtained illegally.
In the weeks after the election, the acting head of the ATF, Regina Lombardo, told the Biden transition team that pistol braces and 80% receivers were the ATF’s number one and number two issues. The raid could signify a shift in ATF’s policies with the incoming anti-gun Biden regime if election challenges are unsuccessful. An owner of a large company that produces 80% lower receivers told AmmoLand News that their lawyers believe that after the election, the Department of Justice will choose not to defend itself in the California lawsuit, effectively changing the laws surrounding 80% lower receivers and frames.
Polymer 80 ATF Determination Letter
It is unclear what this means for people that purchased the kits from Polymer80. The ATF has yet to indicate if they believe those buyers own illegal firearms. Right now, the case is just involving the “Buy Build Shoot Kit” line of products because it comes with everything needed to complete the gun. Polymer80 does have a determination letter that their frame is NOT a firearm. It is unclear whether the ATF would consider one of their 80% frames a gun if the customer added everything they needed to complete it to their cart separately.
At this point, there is a lot of questions without answers, but gun rights advocates believe this is just a sign of things to come under a Democrat lead Biden/Harris administration.
About John Crump
John is a NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people of all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, or at www.crumpy.com.
This is TYRANNY and TREASON. TYRANNY because a government agency is illegally ASSAULTING not just a company who manufactures LEGAL parts of equipment, but also everyone who may have purchased said parts of equipment. It is TREASONOUS because the atfe has disavowed their oath to the constitution, the nation and the people. Every American citizen who is not in jail or the looney farm and is of proper age has the RIGHT to keep and bear arms. This unalienable RIGHT is given to mankind from the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, see Luke 22:36, and this RIGHT is further guaranteed by the… Read more »
You’ve got it all wrong – you must thank the armed government employees for their service. They are heroes.
They are like the little evil monkeys in the Wizard of Oz, doing their evil masters’ work.
Got news for ya, even the loons and those you deem not of proper age have a right to bear arms – the Constitution says so, and it shall not be infringed. And any persons who don’t like the idea, should live elsewhere.
It’s time for President Trump to do more than give lip service to the 2nd Amendment and fire Regina Lombardo ASAP, certainly before 20 January.
I agree, and if he had done that in October, he would have received more votes. Senior Republican Party officials understood this and did nothing.
I agree that both Chuck and Bill were horrible choices.
Even after making those two bad decisions he still could have made a phone call to Bill and told him stop Regina.
Will, Trump has always had vast resources available to him to get all that information. He had access to senior Republican Party officials, Senators, and Representatives from “gun states.” He has his own two sons who went out of their way to present themselves as “gun guys.” He had research analysts and results from focus groups. He had access to gun rights groups (not talking about the NRA). He could have hired a high school student for $10 an hour to surf firearm forums. He couldn’t have been more clear in his promises prior to 2/28/18 – the 8 year… Read more »
Jared Kushner and his wife are both anti-2nd Amendment and, I agree, have a lot of influence with Trump.
I also agree with the rest of what you wrote.
I wanted two things:
You can’t always get what you want.
This is felony theft and a civil rights violation of Title 18 section 242 every time agents leave a citizens residence with the citizens legally purchased property (not firearms) in hand.
Literally. That’s ALL this is. There is no court order. No judges signature. No amending of the Constitution. Congress has passed no new laws making pieces of plastic or aluminum “firearms”
This is THEFT. Plain and simple. The agents and anyone giving them these orders Is guilty of Felony Theft and Civil rights violations if I’m On their jury.
No local LEOs arrested them for theft (or armed robbery).
Now the BATFE is tracking down individual customers.
Interesting that Trump didn’t spend this much effort on BLM/Antifa.
Republican politicians hate firearm owners.
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2020/12/11/polymer80-kits/?fbclid=IwAR1_PoRlmGHMnmiFDAnNT0UhJ1wFoeDgkhZoqIlcGkUTkxLhEq3fu5vtOcw
The only thing illegal here is the existence of the ATF.
The BATFE is now acting in complete concert with their perceived incoming commandant. They are not going to follow direction from what they see as nothing more than a lame duck administration; there will be no meaningful consequence to their disobedience anyway. Nominated (not confirmed) members of Biden’s team have already met with the ATF to discuss their plans to make ghost guns illegal, among other pet gun-control projects of the left. Strange timing on these 80% raids, right? This is only the beginning of at least 4 years of outright assault on our 2nd Amendment, should Biden be inaugurated. Any other… Read more »
The BATFE has been working at the direction of Republicans – either direct orders or tacit approval.
No such thing as a real republican anymore – they are all democrats in republican clothing = rinos essentially.
I would like to see just one video of a Republican U.S. Senator or Representative or even one who was elected for being “Pro-2nd Amendment” but has not yet taken office, going through the list of proposed gun control legislation and explaining how each one is based on lies and why it will not be effective.
The author did not speculate on why Barr has not directed the BATFE to engage in enforcement actions against violent people who have actually committed violent acts and violated federal regulations. The violent BLM/Antifa rioters used incendiary devices prohibited by the NFA of 1934 all summer long. I don’t believe Barr and the BATFE initiated one action against any of those people for those violations.
Why?
Why did the FBI send 15 agents to investigate a garage door pull?
The BATFE reports up to Barr who was appointed by Trump and who reports to Trump. Trump appointed a Director of the BATFE who was so anti-gun the Senate wouldn’t approve him. Barr appointed an Acting Director of the BATFE who is strongly anti-2nd Amendment. For the last four years, the Republican administration controlled the BATFE. All of the things they have done regarding bump stocks, pistol braces, and “ghost guns,” have been done at the direction of Trump or with the tacit approval of Trump. These interpretations of regulations are being enthusiastically enforced by government employees, many of whom… Read more »
But no charges for the Clinton, Biden, or Obama Crime Families, or the criminals sitting on the bench, or the ones in the Justice Department, CIA, FBI, ATF, Congress, Senate, Antifa, or BLM – NOPE! Just charges for the people who help Americans protect themselves from the criminals! F that.
Just wait until Joe and Kamala get in. ATF will be back in their glory days again (like under the Clintons and Janet Reno). They will reverse every decision, and then go door to door enforcing it.
Way more of us than them – it would be nice if the people remembered that.