The state of Connecticut sued four gun parts companies claiming that these businesses shipped 80% AR-15 lower receivers to customers in the state.
Connecticut bans unsterilized receivers, which it calls “ghost guns.” Law enforcement authorities set up a sting operation, purchasing gun parts online through the companies’ websites to see if they would ship the parts into the state. The companies targeted by the operation include Indie Guns, Steel Fox Firearms, Hell Fire Armory, and AR Industries. It isn’t clear how many attempted buys state authorities tried and failed to do or the other companies that were targeted.
“Ghost guns are an untraceable menace that exists for one reason — to evade law enforcement and registration,” Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said in the suit. “They are a threat to public safety, and they are illegal in Connecticut.”
This lawsuit comes on the heels of similar lawsuits filed across the country. New York City filed one of the first suits targeting multiple gun parts companies. The city offered to settle with the companies if they turned over customer data to the city.
Although some companies, such as Indie Guns, refused the deal, others, like Rainer Arms, did turn over the customer data to the city. Other cities and states took note of the Big Apple’s success and followed its lead. Cities such as Buffalo and San Francisco have launched their own suits against many of the same companies as Connecticut.
The civil lawsuit claims the companies violated Connecticut’s state consumer protection laws. The companies are facing a fine of $5000 per violation. Tong also stated the companies also violated the state’s 2019 criminal code that banned the sale of unsterilized frames and receivers. The Attorney General stopped short of threatening criminal prosecution against the name companies.
Anti-gun groups claim that “ghost guns” are leading to an epidemic of “gun violence” across the country. Privately manufactured firearms (PMF) only make up a small percentage of guns used in crimes. Further muddying the waters is that most statistics group 80% of firearms with guns with serial numbers removed by filing or other methods.
Anti-gun groups and politicians have started using lawsuits to try to bankrupt gun companies and get customers’ personally identifiable information. Recently the Brady United anti-gun group launched a course teaching lawyers how to successfully sue gun companies despite the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) which is supposed to protect companies from frivolous lawsuits. Activist judges have also ignored the PLCAA and let cases continue.
The state has not offered a settlement to the companies yet, but if the suit follows the patterns of the other cases, the state will ask for customer data to act against buyers of the products that live in Connecticut. One company, Indie Guns, is on the record stating that the company will never turn over any customer data. Indie Guns has been named in multiple suits in New York for shipping gun parts to the Empire States.
Connecticut has not offered a settlement to any companies as 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.
No one is safe from the Police State. Such stings only snare good guys trying to save a buck, or engage in DIY gunsmithing as a hobby. Gangs and criminal elements buy guns off the street or steal them. They dont waste time trying to build them, when their 8 hour day is better spent selling dope and jacking cars.
The true intent is to bankrupt these small companies.
looks like i will be deleting my account with ranier now that i read that they gave up customer info to government agents. oh well.
Sounds like ALL gunz and gunz partz and ammunition manufacturers need to band together to form a loose consortium, such that when any Gooberment threatens lawsuit against any one gunz manufacturer, ALL gunz and ammunition manufacturers react. (for example purposes only) (Remington) “Connecticut, you want to sue these companies for making parts that are safe, but don’t meet with your approval? Because “reasons”? Don’t send us your gunz for repair, we won’t repair them for you. Neither will any other major manufacturer or repair company. Neither will anyone sell gunz or ammunition to you. Remember what happened to California when… Read more »
“Only reason for ‘ghost guns’ is to evade background checks and registry.”
Yeah – so what’s your point? Are good people supposed to surrender all privacy simply because you are offended? Will you next claim that we need governmental surveillance camera’s in everyone’s bedroom to watch for illegal sex acts? You may believe it is worth it if it saves just one child from a pedophilic predator – which to me makes it more justified than registering firearms! However … more justification is still pretty much no justification, and absolutely not sufficient justification (that’s unachievable).
Sounds like the crime was born in the mind of the Conn. police agency. Classic entrapment.
What are these “unsterilized” receivers? Not germ free?
As most are anodized and the final step in anodizing is immersion in boiling water, they should be close to sterilized. At least until a person handles them.
Or did you mean to say “unserialized”?