ABILENE, TX -(Ammoland.com)- Why would the Census Bureau request customer records from American gun holster companies?
That is the question AmmoLand News is asking. Several major holster manufacturers/providers received notices from the Department of Commerce Census Bureau requesting order numbers, product descriptions, and where the items were being shipped. A few holster companies have refused to turn over the requested information to the federal government.
Two of these companies that received the letters and refused are JM4 Tactical and On Your Six Holsters.
“We will never turn over any information on our customers to the government no matter the cost us,” Chad Myers, President of JM4 Tactical, said. “To do so would violate our core beliefs. We need to stand up to an overbearing government. Our customers can rest assured that their information is safe with us!”
The Census Bureau sends out the Commodity Flow Survey to random companies every year. The purpose of the survey is to help the federal government understand the flow of commerce to help shape policies regarding transportation and shipping. This year it seems an abnormal amount of holster companies have received the notice leading some of the holster companies to wonder if the federal government has targeted them.
Some companies reached out to Arbiter Weston Martinez of Texas for help. Mr. Martinez is the former Texas Real Estate Commissioner under former Governor Rick Perry. Mr. Martinez is well connected in the political sphere and believes that the companies are being targeted to gather intel on the gun market. He has vowed to help push back against the alleged government overreach.
“Clearly, the Biden administration is saber rattling for the left in the wake of all the recent losses they have incurred by Supreme Court rulings,” Martinez said. “My clients and I will never back down from anyone that is trying to impugn our Constitutional and God-give rights like the Second Amendment.”
The Census Bureau claims that these companies are bound by law to turn over all requested information.
The Census website claims that companies who refuse to turn over the information could face a fine of up to $5000?
After looking into the law, the statutory limit on fines is $500. It is unclear if the web designer made a typo on the site or if it was a scare tactic to compel companies to turn over information.
Only one company was ever criminally charged with not filling out the survey, and that was in 1994. That doesn’t mean these companies are not in danger. The Biden administration has been hostile to the firearms industry, and these companies that make it easier to carry a concealed gun might be the next group to be targeted.
The companies worry about the Biden administration using the information to target concealed firearms carriers. Since the Bruen decision, there has been an explosion of people in the former “may issue” states looking to carry firearms. The Bruen decision confirmed that we the people have a right to carry a gun outside the home for self-defense. Using holster data, the government could potentially figure out where people plan on concealing a firearm and match that up against permitting data to determine who will be carrying arms without going through the “proper” channels to carry a gun.
AmmoLand News reached out to the Census Bureau, but our calls were not returned.
Census Bureau Gun Holsters Survey_Redacted
Census Bureau Gun Holsters Co Survey
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 are becoming a turn key communist country, everything the former Soviet Union leaders ever dreamed of.
I have actively refused to cooperate with the census bureau when they have specifically targeted me to gather info for one of their surveys that are beyond the scope of just counting folks. I would find notes on my door, or they would come to my house or send me a letter. I told them each time they were operating outside their limited powers and were in violation of the Constitution. I requested that THEY comply with the Constitution and to quit harassing me. I contacted my Congressman to let him know about this unconstitutional conduct. I don’t know if… Read more »
I thought the job of the Census Bureau was to count the people living in areas to establish congressional districts.
Way out of line for them sticking their nose into private business for any reason.
Smells of attempted gun confiscation plans.
The most finite data point used in census data is the zip code. So why would the census bureau need anything beyond that like customer names, addresses, cities and phone or email information? I can telly why. They need it as a back door to gun registration. And tell me, does this only apply to holsters? Keep in mind most manufacturers of holsters also make belts, belt cases and other items not necessarily tied to carrying a gun concealed. The nefarious nature of Progressive New Left bureaucrats sitting in large numbers in cubicles with nothing better to do than think… Read more »
Can you spell Government overreach?! The stated purpose of the Census Bureau is count the people in the USA every 10 years, period!
they are looking for ways to block gun supplies through commerce act
read what they are asking ,this is about finding ways to create choke points, not ease flow