Brace Ban and 80% Receiver Rule Maker Marvin Richardson Now Head Of ATF

With Steve Dettelbach formally out as the pinnacle of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Deputy Director Marvin Richardson will return because the default head of the embattled company.

This isn’t the primary time Richardson has run the Bureau, having beforehand been Appearing Director from 2021 to 2022. And if gun homeowners consider {that a} profession ATF worker will probably be higher for gun rights than a political activist like former Director Dettelbach, they is likely to be stunned to study of Mr. Richardson’s historical past on the helm of the ATF. In reality, Richardson was the driving drive behind the ATF’s struggle on pistol braces and privately manufactured firearms (PMFs).

Ammo Land Continues

These two ATF heads highlighted that they wished to sort out pistol braces and PMFs, and these conversations led on to the next ATF guidelines cracking down on pistol stabilizing units and unfinished firearms frames and receivers. Regardless that Richardson was solely an appearing assistant director on the time, pushing to go after braces was his thought.

Even earlier than that assembly, Mr. Richardson had been no fan of braced pistols. At his path, ATF’s enforcement facet issued stop and desist letters to Q, LLC, concerning its Honey Badger pistol, which was geared up with an SB Tactical brace. The ATF claimed that the Honey Badger was a short-barreled rifle (SBR). ATF’s enforcement facet issued the letters after the Trump Justice Division (DOJ) had ordered ATF’s business facet to not transfer on braces. And Q, LLC wasn’t the one firm to obtain a letter; a number of corporations producing braced pistols additionally obtained them. However finally, the ATF was compelled to again down.

Through the time, Richardson complained that the ATF didn’t have the “political capital” to go after braces however was hopeful that it could as soon as Biden got here into workplace. Shortly after Biden entered workplace the President ordered the ATF to vary the foundations on braces and PMFs. It appears Richardson was proper about having the political capital to assault the market.

When AmmoLand initially revealed its story and leaks, it was reported that Richardson was “not comfortable” with this publication – or this reporter.

Regardless that Richardson’s tenure as deputy director has seen the pistol brace rule defeated in a number of courts, the ATF just lately asserted that braced pistols nonetheless should be registered with the NFA and that the homeowners nonetheless should pay $200 for a tax stamp. ATF’s foolish principle was that, despite the fact that the pistol brace rule is enjoined, ATF can nonetheless interpret the statute – even utilizing the exact same principle from the rule – to manage braced pistols as SBRs.

This damning info was uncovered by Gun Homeowners of America (GOA), which instantly despatched the ATF a letter reminding the rogue company that it’s powerless to behave towards braces because of quite a few rulings out of federal district courts and in addition the Fifth Circuit Court docket of Appeals.

ATF reluctantly backed down underneath risk of additional motion by GOA in an electronic mail despatched to GOA Senior Vice President Erich Pratt. However, this incident reveals that high-level ATF officers, presumably together with soon-to-be appearing head Richardson, nonetheless need to goal braces. This, plus Richardson’s focusing on of braces the final time, even whereas President Trump was nonetheless in workplace, means that there’s little purpose to consider that Richardson will cease now.

To that finish, President Trump ought to appoint a brand new ATF director as quickly as attainable. Gun homeowners want somebody who’s constitutionally minded, a good friend of the firearms business and neighborhood, and who has the dedication and fortitude to begin unraveling many years of ATF’s focusing on of gun homeowners and malfeasance towards the Second Modification.