2001). Gun manufacturer Q, LLC of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, received a cease-and-desist letter from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Boston Field Office this summer notifying the company that its popular “Honey Badger Pistol” is really a “firearm” as defined by the National Firearms Act. It is important to note that any pistol or revolver having a barrel An overhaul of how the ATF classifies National Firearm Act weapons. ATF Pistol Brace Reversal Political Move, 60-Day Suspension of Honey Badger Decision, Photo by @the_official_q. 1570 — when early handguns were produced in Europe and is derived from the Middle French pistolet (ca. The National Firearms Act subjects certain types of weapons and accessories — machine guns, short-barreled shotguns and rifles, and silencers — to heightened regulation. Rifle having a barrel or barrels of less than 16 inches in length. That was another case where the ATF changed their definition of a brace, unilaterally making a previously legal gun accessory illegal overnight. 2001). ATF Acting Director Regina Lombardo told agents in a leaked meeting that the Biden transition team reached out to get the agency’s top priorities which apparently is targeting lawful gun … On August 3 rd, 2020, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) issued Q® a formal Cease & Desist letter, notifying us that ATF has taken the position that the Q Honey Badger Pistol is a short-barreled rifle (“SBR”) regulated under the National Firearms Act (“NFA”). Even if I could figure out what is what, the ATF could change the definition of a pistol with a brace tomorrow, and we could all have Any Other Weapons (AOWs). Gen. William Barr demanding ATF refrain from drafting the rules without Congressional purview. As of now, the ATF’s action is limited to the Q, LLC (Q) manufactured AR-15 pistol called the “Honey Badger,” but an expansion of the policy, … In recent years, the AR-15 and other intermediate cartridge semi-automatic pistols have become increasingly popular. made when unassembled parts are placed in close proximity in such a way that they: (a) serve no useful purpose other than to make a rifle having a barrel or barrels of less than. In 2015, the ATF decided that the physical action of holding a pistol equipped with an ATF-approved brace to one’s shoulder was equivalent to creating an illegal short-barreled firearm. In addition, “ATF is now advising that foregrips — angled or otherwise — may not be used on pistol builds.” Jeff also noted that those building AR and all large-framed or PDW pistols should be aware of states or jurisdictions that differ from federal law in definition and application. ATF agents raided one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of ghost-gun parts, a sign that federal law enforcement is cracking down on kits that allow people to make weapons at home. Tags: ATF Gun Control Gun Rights Guns Honey Badger Pistol Author's Bio: Tom Knighton Tom Knighton is a Navy veteran, a former newspaperman, a novelist, and a blogger and lifetime shooter. The ATF seems to be re-evaluating previous determinations and contradicting information previously provided to manufacturers and consumers. As stated above, a pistol or revolver having a rifled bore does not meet the definition of “any other weapon” and is not subject to the NFA. ATF has taken the position that once a vertical foregrip has been added to a firearm, it is no longer designed to be fired when held in one hand, removing it from the definition of a pistol, even though ATF previously lost this argument before the Ninth Circuit in U.S. v. Fix, 4 Fed. 921 (A) (29)) defines a handgun as “a firearm which has a short stock and is designed to be held and fired by the use of a single hand.”. The ATF is making a de facto 80% gun registration. Any such weapon which may be readily restored to fire. 324 (9th Cir. Such term shall not include a pistol or a revolver having a rifled bore, or rifled bores, or weapons designed, made, or intended to be fired from the shoulder and not capable of firing fixed ammunition. By all published ATF criteria, the Honey Badger from Q appears to meet the definition of an AR pistol. ** That would also explain the ATF’s insane reversal on braces in the October fiasco over the Honey Badger. Yet at the heart of the controversy is the Honey Badger’s proprietary stabilizing brace, also manufactured by SB Tactical. These determinations are not public, so it is difficult for the regulated community to assess and track shifting agency positions. Local ATF field offices are responsible for executing the orders in any way they see if. Where most firearms have a monolithic receiver that meets the definition under federal law, an AR has a split receiver, an upper and a lower. Some states do not restrict long guns in vehicles for those with a carry permit, but in the case of those that do, the AR pistol has an advantage here. Federal law (18 U.S.C. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) recategorized a popular Q, LLC-manufactured AR-15 pistol with stabilizer brace as a Short Barreled Rifle (SBR), which places the gun under the purview of the National Firearms Act (1934). The ATF has gone back and forth for years on that, and currently it is acceptable to shoulder a brace. ATF has taken the position that once a vertical foregrip has been added to a firearm, it is no longer designed to be fired when held in one hand, removing it from the definition of a pistol. Classification . Gaetz said he and six of his congressional colleagues have sent a letter to the acting ATF director, Regina Lombardo, and Atty. Appx. 5845(a)(3), is. The ATF determines exactly which models, components and accessories should qualifies. Under ATF’s new interpretation of the handgun definition, millions of AR-15 style pistols could be considered “too large, or too heavy” to fall within ATF’s new interpretation, thereby making them unregistered NFA weapons, and subjecting manufacturers and gun owners to criminal prosecution. On Thursday, federal agents armed with a search warrant raided 'ghost gun' maker Polymer80 based on suspicion that it was illegally manufacturing and distributing firearms. Short Barreled Rifle. U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz announced on his podcast "Hot Takes with Matt Gaetz" the ATF is crafting new rules concerning pistol braces. About John Crump John is a … 27 CFR 479.11: DEFINITIONS (PISTOL) A firearm, as defined by the National Firearms Act (NFA), 26 U.S.C. The English word was introduced in ca. In recent years, the AR-15 and other intermediate cartridge semi-automatic pistols have become increasingly popular. Even more dangerous Is how ATF’s recent reinterpretation of the “handgun” definition may affect millions of law-abiding gun owners. Neither component, strictly speaking, meets the definition of a frame or receiver that is explicitly laid out in the law. A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. I don't see the topic of shouldering anywhere in the article, is that to mean that the brace will be either legal or illegal, regardless of whether it is shouldered or not? In response, Q has ceased all production of the Honey Badger Pistol, and submitted a comprehensive … An article popped up recently from Ammoland that alleges the ATF is singling out SB Tactical and their products. ATF Classifies Q Honey Badger Pistol an SBR “The (ATF) examined this firearm and determined that the Honey Badger Pistol is a ‘firearm’ as defined by the National Firearms Act (NFA),” read an ATF letter to Q. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has recently changed the manner in which it interprets the statutory and regulatory definition of “handgun,” thereby further limiting the types of firearms eligible for importation. ATF has taken the position that once a vertical foregrip has been added to a firearm, it is no longer designed to be fired when held in one hand, removing it from the definition of a pistol, even though ATF previously lost this argument before the Ninth Circuit in U.S. v. Fix, 4 Fed. Appx. It’s an AOW because it is now designed to be fired with TWO hands. 324 (9th Cir. ATF Decision Could Lead to Biggest Gun Registration, Turn-in Effort in American History ... It’s like 1989 all over again when H Bush’s ATF redefined the definition of assault rifle while scribbling out the draft for the ‘94 AWB. Short Barreled Rifle. Distinctive Characteristics. This order can be a full-on raid or a single field agent. In an ATF letter obtained by firearms legal expert, attorney Adam Kraut, the ATF is no longer allowing overall gun measurements to include “stabilizing braces” used to brace the gun … semiautomatic pistol with second vertical handgrip . The term “Pistol” means a weapon originally designed, made, and intended to fire a projectile (bullet) from one or more barrels when held in one hand, and having: a chamber (s) as an integral part (s) of, or permanently aligned with, the bore (s); U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms … However, there may be a greater issue below the surface. An AR15 pistol may prove a legal means to have a more formidable gun loaded and at the ready within a vehicle. Even more dangerous Is how ATF’s recent reinterpretation of the “handgun” definition may affect millions of law-abiding gun owners. It should be noted that ATF previously used this argument in the Ninth Circuit and actually lost on that point. So, if you were to add a vertical fore grip to a pistol, legally it is no longer a pistol*. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has reportedly changed a key gun measuring standard that is indirectly reclassifying popular pistols if they have a stabilizing brace and vertical foregrip. Case in point, the ATF defines a pistol as ‘designed to be held and fired by the use of a single hand’. 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