A recently leaked white paper could be great news for the Second Amendment. The report from the ATF is full of ideas to reduce the regulatory burden on law abiding citizens. Under President Trump the ATF moved in a totally new direction. Since many members of congress want to eliminate the ATF entirely, this leaked document might be an attempt to save the agency.
That’s the power of last election, now that Republicans control congress and the presidency, agencies like the ATF will feel the pressure to change their ways or be destroyed.
Look at this list of proposed regulatory roll backs (from Red State):
- Opening FFL eligibility to gun-show-only dealers
- Reforming the “armor-piercing handgun ammo” classification process
- Easing re-import of American-made “Curio & Relic” service arms
- Revising “Sporting Purposes” language to include Modern Sporting Rifles like AR’s and AK’s
- Reclassifying suppressors as non-NFA items–other sources indicate mainstreaming suppressors would dramatically cut ATF workload, allowing more focus on other duties
- Letting FFL’s check potential employees out via NICS before hiring
- Clean house getting rid of outdated regulations like the ’94 AWB
Can anyone imagine the ATF coming up with ideas like these with a Democrat in the White House?
If the ATF puts its support behind deregulating suppressors, it will probably put an end to all federal registration and regulation on them. The ATF is basically doing a 180 and arguing for less power rather than more.
Second Amendment supporters shouldn’t be fooled. The ATF will be advocating for more gun control as soon as a Democratic president is back in power. In order for the bureaucracy to justify it’s existence it must advocate gun control over the long run. Less regulation means less regulators, the ATF will be right back where it was under Obama as soon as a Democrat returns to the White House.
In the meantime, enjoy watching the ATF pretend to join forces with the NRA to advance pro-gun reforms.