ATF’s Justification for Amending Rules for NFA Items Revealed

By Robert Farago

There’s some verbiage in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (And Really Big Fires) “Final Rule” on ATF 41F that deserves greater scrutiny. Specifically, the ATF’s justification for its provisions. Like this (paragraph breaks and emphasis added):

The Department disagrees that it must show a direct link between the proposed rule and enhanced public safety. Congress has directed the Department to ensure that individuals who are prohibited from possessing NF A firearms do not obtain them, even if those individuals have no intention of using them in an unlawful manner . . .

The Department regards the appropriate question to be whether the rule will better ensure that prohibited individuals do not unlawfully possess NF A firearms, not whether individuals who possess firearms are likely to use them to commit crimes. Additionally, the Department notes that some individuals who own NFA firearms do in fact commit crimes.

A review of trace data and criminal records from 2006 to 2014 disclosed twelve incidents in which owners of NF A firearms were convicted of crimes; however, there is no evidence that these crimes were committed with NFA firearms.

Convictions include attempted homicide, conspiracy to commit felony offenses of firearms laws, operating …Read the Rest

Source:: Truth About Guns