WASHINGTON, D.C. –-(Ammoland.com)- According to a leak supplied by Gun Owners of America (GOA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) has finished reviewing all public comments received for pistol stabilizing braces and unfinished receivers. The Free Beacon released the cover sheet. AmmoLand News has obtained the rest of the document.
AmmoLand News reported earlier that two teams of 50 ATF employees started the review process for both sets of comments on October 1, 2021. The ATF received just under 300,000 for unfinished frames and receivers. Pistol stabilizing braces came in at 50,000 fewer at just over 250,000.
The Documents proving that the ATF processed all submitted comments were verified by GOA about two weeks ago. The documents state that the total number of comments submitted by the public was 500,000, which is 50,000 comments less than submitted to the National Registry. That means 50 ATF employees processed 500,000 to 550,000 comments at an incredible rate.
After the Trump era bump stock rule change, the ATF developed a new system to process comments for future rule changes, but details on the new process remain murky. These two new proposed rules were the first test of the ATF’s new system for processing public comments.
The number of comments breaks down to 10,000 comments reviewed per ATF employee.
Given that the ATF claims it finished reviewing all the comments, it means each employee processed a minimum of 1,000 comments a day if each employee worked five days a week. If the ATF employees worked the standard eight-hour shift, it would mean each employee processed 125 comments per hour. If each employee would receive two hours of overtime each day, it means they would have to process 100 comments an hour.
It is theoretically possible to process 100 comments an hour due to the number of form letters received from pro-gun and anti-gun groups. AmmoLand News set up a test where we read comments, and we were able to get through 96 comments an hour. We read each comment during the time period and clicked a button to mark it as positive or negative. During the reading, we did not take any breaks. It is the author’s opinion that it would be doubtful anyone would be able to keep up that pace over an eight-hour day. The employees could have worked six days a week, but AmmoLand sources claim that the employees worked a standard five-day workweek.
AmmoLand News could not obtain the exact number of comments against the proposed rules and those for the new regulations. Our sources within the ATF tell us that the majority of the submitted comments were against the new rules. A FOIA is being filed to try to get more information.
The ATF’s next step is to take the input from the comments to help craft the new rules or keep the rules the same. The rules are expected to be released by the end of January. Gun rights groups have vowed to fight any new regulations through the courts.
Gun Owners of America have been working with companies like JSD Supply to prepare for a case like the gun rights group’s bump stock lawsuit that was argued in front of the United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals on October 20, 2021. A decision in Gun Owners of America v. Garland is expected soon.
The ATF did not return AmmoLand’s request for comment.
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.
We all know that they are going to do whatever they want because that is what tyrants do. They don’t listen to the people unless heads roll. So,they will do what they want and you just best be willing to do what you want. The scholar of history and the keen student of human nature observes that there are no examples of populations that enjoyed peace, prosperity and freedom once disarmed and rendered helpless. The singular truth is that disarmed populations inevitably fall prey to the rancid process of humiliation, degradation and butchery. Countless examples attest to this. Do not… Read more »
Among the worst Supreme Court decisions are those that allowed for legislation via non-elected regulators. Nothing in the constitution provides for or alludes to such a system.
Nor does Congress have authority to create it, nor any member of the federal government. It is an entirely illegitimate organization that exists solely to infringe on our rights.
Each & every gun control rule or law is un Constitutional including any proposed rule as well as the BATF or as Brandon refers to them as the AFT.
“Processed”? When I was in the military, we called it “shit canning”.
Fifty employees! That can read! Why do they even have fifty employees?
Maybe they ALL took that speed reading class? Rights are not subject to LEGAL or ILLEGAL whims of government employees nor by those in the legislature, nor the presidency, nor the judicial branch of government. We are granted the RIGHT to keep and bear arms by the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY and this is further written into law as our constitution. A well regulated militia, being necessary to the free state, the RIGHT of the people to keep and bear arms SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED. The 2A. Each free American citizen is considered the militia. Militia denotes the use of military… Read more »
Sure, they “processed” them, telling a computer to summarize comments or gauge negative vs positive. They sure as sh1t didnt read them, as required by law.
Typical of what all Federal agencies do when processing, “Administrative Law”. First the agency administrators make up a new “need” to better oversee and manage the public within their area of influence and write up the new regulation. Then, the new proposed regulation is published in the Federal Register for 30 to 90 days and requests comments from the public (do you know anyone outside the Federal government that even knows what the Federal Register is, much less receives it or even knows where to find it?). After receiving public comments, they are “reviewed” (filtered by the agency and only… Read more »
The KGB and its highly unionized work force have strict rules on work breaks and lunch breaks. No one works fast or efficient. The game is to take the longest time they can get away with to do a job. I worked in a union shop long ago and was frequently warned I work too fast and must never work thru breaks or lunch no matter how important the work. Knowing this its absurd to believe human eyes read every comment. They either used computers to read and score or they skipped 50 % of the comments. COME ON MAN.… Read more »