MARTINSBURG, WV –-(Ammoland.com)- According to a leaked email obtained by Gun Owners of America (GOA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is about to crack down on forced reset triggers such as the Rare Breed FRT-15 and the Wide Open Trigger.
The ATF has given its field agents the green light to seize all force reset triggers from manufacturers, distributors, and dealers. The ATF will request that the businesses voluntarily turn over the force reset triggers to field agents. If the stores do turn over the triggers, then the ATF will then provide the company with a “Consent to Forfeiture of Property and Waiver of Notice (ATF F. 3400.1).” That document says that the company is choosing to turn the stock over to the ATF and releases all rights to the property. The businesses cannot sue for the return of the items.
If the business refuses to turn the triggers to the Bureau, the ATF agents are instructed to seize the items from the companies for forfeiture. This choice gives the company more legal standing to sue over the confiscation, but the ATF can threaten to file criminal charges against the company owner for violating the NFA. Each business owner should consult an attorney before choosing an action to take.
The email reads: “As discussed, please be prepared to take possession of any documents and FRT’s the manufacturer/distributor/retailer offers to surrender. The manufacturer/distributor/retailer may choose to abandon the items, in which case ask them to complete a Consent to Forfeiture of Property and Waiver of Notice (ATF F. 3400.1). If the manufacturer/seller refuses to abandon the items, please take custody of the items, and seize them for forfeiture so that they can be properly noticed.”
We Told You So
This email comes on the heels of a law enforcement notice obtained by AmmoLand News, where the ATF told law enforcement agencies across the country that force reset triggers are machine guns. The notice mentioned the Rare Breed FRT-15 and the Wide Open Trigger by name and pictures. A sister company of Big Daddy Unlimited (BDU) produced the Wide Open Trigger, and BDU sold it.
Rare Breed Triggers recently won a preliminary injunction against BDU for patent infringement. The day after the victory was announced, the ATF showed up at BDU’s offices and seized all of the company’s stock of Wide Open Triggers. This action showed the ATF would crackdown on force reset triggers. The ATF did not go to the Rare Breed offices.
Guilty Until Proven Innocent
The new email also refers to anyone in possession of the triggers as “defendants.” The use of the term in the email is problematic to those in the gun community because it shows that the ATF is treating the possession of the triggers as a criminal offense rather than a regulatory violation. It is highly unlikely that anyone will be charged for violating the Hughes Amendment of the National Firearms Act (NFA) at this time, but that might change in the future.
So far, the letter is only dealing with manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. The ATF is expected to take the next step and target individual gun owners next.
AmmoLand News reached out to Rare Breed for comment, but the company is not ready to issue a public statement at the time of this writing.
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.
So they will pull out their guns and aim them at citizens and demand the items, huh? That is robbery, even if they keep their weapons holstered. The triggers are not machine guns, and even if they were, the 2nd amendment prohibits the gov or anyone else from restricting citizens’ choice and possession of bearable arms. Who cares what “gun laws” congress passes, since the gov doesn’t even follow its own laws on immigration, border enforcement, congressional funding bills, insider trading, etc, etc, ad nauseum.
Per the 5th circuit, the NFA as applied to machine guns is UNCONSTITUTIONAL. US V Rock Island Armory. “In sum, since enactment of 18 U.S.C. § 922(o), the Secretary has refused to accept any tax payments to make or transfer a machinegun made after May 19, 1986, to approve any such making or transfer, or to register any such machinegun. As applied to machineguns made and possessed after May 19, 1986, the registration and other requirements of the National Firearms Act, Chapter 53 of the Internal Revenue Code, no longer serve any revenue purpose, and are impliedly repealed or are… Read more »
F that. We are not enriching them to buy our freedom. They will have to use force to enslave us and take our freedom.
Section 242 of Title 18 makes it a crime for a person acting under color of any law to willfully deprive a person of a right or privilege protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States. For the purpose of Section 242, acts under “color of law” include acts not only done by federal, state, or local officials within their lawful authority, but also acts done beyond the bounds of that official’s lawful authority, if the acts are done while the official is purporting to or pretending to act in the performance of his/her official duties. Persons acting… Read more »
A well regulated militia being necessary to a free state, the RIGHT of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. The 2A, THE law of the land. The 2A gives every free American citizen the right to keep and bare arms, firearm, implements etc. any weapon a militia would use. The 2A also states the government’s only LEGAL response regarding such weaponry and the right to carry, possess such weaponry; Shall not be infringed. The 2A was written into law in defense and belief of the SCRIPTURE it is based on, that this nation is founded… Read more »
It’s time the ATF was shut down.
The Biden administration and the Feds have created a narrative of a problem with White Supremacy and White Domestic Terrorism in the USA that does not exist. If it did, you would see headline news reports blowing up your TV and social media. No one was killed or seriously injured by protestors on Jan 6. Anyone who died was either an unarmed female military vet shot and killed by a scared Capitol security guard or Capitol employees who died as a result of heart attack. Now one woman reported trampled to death by Capitol security. SO, the push here is… Read more »
You can thank the iT’s JuSt A bUmPsToCk fudds for this.
I suspect this is the letter being referenced. Other parts of the interweb are calling BS due to the typo’s and date mixup.
Well I Guess they made my decision to purchase clearer for me. They don’t want you to have it, get two or more. lol