I have been inundated today with inquiries about the Obama administration’s announcement for two new “common sense” executive actions. Full story here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/08/29/fact-sheet-new-executive-actions-reduce-gun-violence. You can also read an article in the Idaho Reporter and listen to my interview with Austin Hill at KINF here.
Trouble is, these executive actions are as devoid of common sense as the prior 23 presidential memoranda issued earlier this year. The first will “keep military grade rifles off the streets”. So now they’re targeting the Garand and not the AR15. Most liberals haven’t a clue what is usually reimported as a “military grade” rifle. How many gang-bangers are packing around a M1 Garand? Dangerous criminals committing crimes with a 9 to 11 pound, WWII era rifle? Really. In all my years of prosecution, I can say I never charged anyone with a crime that involved a Garand, or any of the other common “military grade” re-imports. These guns are mostly more than 50 years old and classified as “curios and relics” according to the NRA.
I’m sure this ban on military rifles sounds great to the liberal anti-gunner; but what they don’t realize is that we are already subject to a law that requires the US Government to approve the re-importation of these rifles back into the US. The Obama administration now wants to control this government process by implementing a policy which will require denial of requests for re-importation. As my husband suggested, has the Obama administration considered a rule that would actually affect crime, such as banning the export of “military grade rifles” to Mexico? Such an order would at least contain a hint of common sense.
The second order closes the so-called “loophole” pertaining to gun trusts and entities which own NFA firearms. DOJ announced that “The proposed regulations would (1) add a definition for the term ‘responsible person’; (2) require each responsible person of a corporation, trust or legal entity to complete a specified form, and to submit photographs and fingerprints; (3) require that a copy of all applications to make or transfer a firearm be forwarded to the chief law enforcement officer (CLEO) of the locality in which the maker or transferee is located; and (4) eliminate the requirement for a certification signed by the CLEO.”
According to the Obama administration, criminals are getting machine guns by creating a trust, LLC, or corporation, filling out a BATFE Form 4 on behalf of their newly formed entity, going to a licensed gun dealer, and submitting a request (i.e. CREATING A RECORD) to BATFE to transfer the item from the dealer to their new entity. Talk about building a case against themselves. I never prosecuted a case like that either. Although the administration cites figures on how many requests were submitted to transfer firearms to a trust or corporation (39,000 last year), conspicuously missing are any figures about how many crimes were committed with NFA regulated firearms (full automatics, short-barreled rifles or shotguns, and suppressors) or even more – how many crimes were committed with such firearms that were obtained through a trust or an LLC or corporation. Again, the administration is infringing on our Constitution to advance its own agenda without facts to support its action.
Don’t allow law abiding citizens to get the shaft while the sheeple hang on every word. Take advantage of the public comment period, and let your position be known: check the federal register for the public comment period on the proposed rule by clicking here. You can read the 62 page proposed rule here.
If you are considering a gun trust, or Gun Vault LLC, now is the time, before the rule goes into effect. Most firearms regulations have grandfather clauses, so getting the work done before the rule goes into effect is key. 3G Law (formerly Streich Law Offices) will give priority on a first come, first served basis. These rules can go into effect quickly after publication in the Federal Register, so time is of the essence. You may also "like" our page to stay up on the proposed rule change.