ATF to Require Multiple Sales Reports for Long Guns | NSSF Blog ATF to Require Multiple Sales Reports for Long Guns December 17, 2010 By Larry Keane The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is moving to require federally licensed firearms retailers to report multiple sales of modern sporting rifles beginning January 5, 2011. Specifically, the ATF requirement calls for firearms retailers to report multiple sales, or other dispositions, of two or more .22 caliber or larger semi-automatic rifles that are capable of accepting a detachable magazine and are purchased by the same individual within five consecutive business days. Today’s Washington Post suggests that the reporting mandate would be limited to retailers along the Southwest border; however, the Federal Register Notice does not limit the geographic scope of the reporting requirement. This ATF “emergency” mandate was originally pushed by the anti-gun Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) coalition, headed by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, more than a year and a half ago. And the Post reports that the Department of Justice has “languished” over this plan for several months. Given this timetable, it’s hard to see exactly where the “emergency” is. The National Shooting Sports Foundation opposes this reporting requirement because it further burdens America’s law-abiding firearms retailers with yet another onerous regulation that will do nothing to curb crime. Multiple sales reporting of long guns will actually make it more difficult for licensed retailers to help law enforcement as traffickers modify their illegal schemes to circumvent the reporting requirement, thereby driving traffickers further underground. This is not unlike how criminals maneuvered around one-gun-a-month laws in states like Virginia – which is still considered an “exporting source state” by anti-gun organizations like the MAIG despite its restrictions on the number of firearms law-abiding residents may purchase. Multiple sales reporting for long guns is an ill-considered mandate and one that ATF does not have the legal authority to unilaterally impose. In fact, ATF has not specified under what legal authority it presumes to act. The decision as to whether ATF can move forward with this agenda-driven mandate will be left to Cass Sunstein who heads the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). This is the same Cass Sunstein who in a 2007 speech at Harvard University said, “We ought to ban hunting, if there isn’t a purpose other than sport and fun. That should be against the law. It’s time now.” NSSF will be submitting comments in opposition to this registration scheme and is encouraging all firearms retailers, sportsmen and enthusiasts to do the same. Please voice your concern by doing the following: 1. Call the Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulation Affairs, Department of Justice, Desk Officer at (202) 395-6466. 2. E-mail Barbara A. Terrell, ATF, Firearms Industry Programs Branch at Barbara.Terrell@atf.gov 3. Call your Senators and Representative: United States Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 Points to make: Multiple sales reporting of long guns will actually make it more difficult for licensed retailers to help law enforcement as traffickers modify their illegal schemes to circumvent the reporting requirement. Traffickers will go further underground, hiring more people to buy their firearms. This will make it much harder for retailers to identify and report suspicious behavior to law enforcement. Long guns are rarely used in crime (Bureau of Justice Statistics). Imposing multiple sales-reporting requirements for long guns would further add to the already extensive paperwork and record-keeping requirements burdening America’s retailers – where a single mistake could cost them their license and even land them in jail. Last year, ATF inspected 2,000 retailers in border states and only two licenses were revoked (0.1%). These revocations were for reasons unknown and could have had nothing to do with illicit trafficking of guns; furthermore, no dealers were charged with any criminal wrongdoing. According to ATF, the average age of a firearm recovered in the United States is 11 years old. In Mexico it’s more than 14 years old. This demonstrates that criminals are not using new guns bought from retailers in the states. Congress, when it enacted multiple sales reporting for handguns, could have required multiple sales of long guns – it specifically chose not to.
If Congress doesn't specifically authorize something, yet these executive branch agencies mandate it (See EPA) , I wish Congress would pull their damned funding until they only do exactly what they are authorized by our elected representatives to do and only that. That is our last resort or else the reaction from the people will not be a good thing in the long run and I don't see this Republic being able to continue.
Tightening the noose until the people snap. I do not approve of this strategy. It makes me think there must already be a plan in reserve for such things...Oh, FEMA, that's right. You know, unless we start to actively take back our local and state governments, we are completely lost. Fighting the Feds doesn't end up well. In fact, it never turns out in our favor.
This is more of the government coming up with nonsense to give themselves more power by taking ours. If the goal of MAIG is to get rid of illegal guns, maybe they should work on crime prevention. Reporting sales of guns does nothing to combat ILlegal guns.
This is obviously NOT about fighting CRIME. It's about ID'ing those of us worried about the future of the nation and trying to arm ourselves against the goblins - illegal AND Federal. They want to know who these 'rightwing gun-nuts' are, and where they live. Early SOP for any tyranical goobermint.......
Agreed. So bypass them. If you want two AK's or whatever, buy one. Wait a full week and buy another. Don't buy two at a time or under a 5 day spread. It's a pain in the butt no doubt, but why put your name on another list?
More BS pushed on the people without authority to "protect the people" oh wait it's to "protect the children", or whatever broken record reason they come up with. Then when the people snap, as Broker said, and resist, .goob will label all of us terrorists for not falling into line. Then the fights on!
I agree with tac The obvious thing to do Is just buy them 5 days apart. There is no way you are going to need more than two anyhow, so buy the wo 5 days apart and then stock pile magazines and ammo. as far as I know theres no regulations on how many mags you can have for 1 or 2 guns is there?
geesh, just more useless paperwork to do. I know it's the FFL that fills it out and not the consumer, but it's still useless. I often wondered what benefit the multiple transaction form for pistols accomplished. I believe it's only keeping some paperpusher employed by the .gov. This just makes me wanna go out and get another gun, just because.
For those with a CWP why not just vist 2 or more retailers. There would be no background check and obviously the retailers are'nt linked so i could conceivably purchase as many long guns as I want in one day.
That would be state dependent. In TN even though I have my HCP I still have to do a BC for each firearm transaction at an FFL. $10.00 per transaction, whether 1 or 5 guns.
Yes, as long as the status quo lingers It won't.. I see George Washington's vision as very much in agreement with bible prophecy. You can read it here: The Vision of George Washington The beast is going to fall. When it does, please do your part to cut it's local head off, if possible. Let's kill the monster once and for all
How do you figure 1 or two rifles is all a man or family needs? Maybe for some.. some are collectors, some shoot in competition, some just buy them as investments, some are getting ready for the final battles and may be planning to hand out guns and ammo to disarmed patriots at that time It's called freedom, or at least what's left of it
D's point is not a limitation to two guns, but an easy way to acquire more over time rather than all at once. Planning ahead to equip a platoon under the current regulations is hard enough without this silly new BATtyFE regulations. (And so far as I know, there are no limits on the number of mags, just in some states, there are size limits.)
To contact your representative and senators about this use the link below: take-action For other gun related issues, check this out: take-action