Latest from the ATF: No more opinion letters Unless . . .

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  • SC-Texas

    Active Member
    Industry Partner
    Oct 12, 2017
    193
    Latest from the ATF: No more opinion letters Unless . . .

    This is interesting. Just received from the BATFE.


    The BATFE will not render an opinion on the effect of an accessory on a firearm unless that farm is included with the accessory and install them the accessory when it is sent to the batfe. One has to wonder if the fact that the ATF is supposedly about to render some new regulations has something to do with this email that I received today.

    The effect that this ruling has on the industry is profound. It greatly increases the cost of bringing new accessories to Market. The accessory manufacturer who is Seeking a determination from the batfe must install the proposed accessory on the firearm that it will be used on and send that combination to the ATF Tech Branch for a determination. This will have a extreme chilling effect own small manufacturers and large manufacturers ability to innovate and bring new products to Market.

    It will also stop every Tom Dick and Harry from riding random letters to the ATF asking them if something is legal or not which often has resulted in contradictory opinions.

    Discontinuance of Accessory ClassificationsEffective Immediately:

    The Firearms Technology Industry Services Branch (FTISB) classifies firearms as defined by the Gun Control Act (GCA) and National Firearms Act (NFA) based on the configuration and the design features of the firearm as submitted by members of the industry.

    Effective immediately, any requests for a determination on how an accessory affects the classification of a firearm under the GCA or NFA must include a firearm with the accessory already installed. Except in cases of conditional import determinations, FTISB will not issue a determination on an accessory unless it is attached to the submitted firearm.

    If you have previously submitted a sample accessory for classification, FTISB will be returning your sample without classification. FTISB will contact you in the near future with further instructions to facilitate the return of your sample.

    https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USATF/bulletins/22189c1


    Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
     

    ToolAA

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 17, 2016
    10,499
    God's Country
    This is a logical response from an established bureaucratic arm of the Federal Government.

    There is only one solution. Elect politicians who will rewrite the NFA.
     

    Fox123

    Ultimate Member
    May 21, 2012
    3,926
    Rosedale, MD
    ATF no longer wanting to issue determination letter for anything 80%.


    If it has to be attached to a firearm, but the item you are trying to get classified is not a firearm yet, there is now nothing for them to classify as it is not a firearm yet.
     

    Mike OTDP

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 12, 2008
    3,318
    I suspect it's fallout from the proposed bump stock ban. Reading behind the lines, I suspect ATF is not at all happy about that business. Because it calls into doubt every determination made by ATF.
     

    Decoy

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 2, 2007
    4,926
    Dystopia
    Update :

    As a follow-up to yesterday’s announcement by the ATF regarding the discontinuation of accessory classifications without a host firearm, sources that work closely with the law enforcement and regulatory agency have come forward with additional information. Apparently the Firearms Technology Industry Services Branch (FTISB), has been swamped with submissions from manufacturers without a host weapon as context for how the device will be utilized. The new procedure may help to cull the volume of “junk” accessories that are submitted for review – fleshlights attached to AR15 stocks, for example. (Yes, I said fleshlight, not flashlight. Don’t Google that from work). And yes, apparently that actually happened.

    We can also confirm that the new process has nothing to do with Pistol Stabilizing Braces. These devices, originally developed to help disabled shooters use larger weapons more easily, have been deemed “safe” as designed and not the target of additional scrutiny as some (including myself) had originally suggested. As relayed to me from the source, the new determination process is not targeting any one type of device and is strictly procedural in nature.


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