Sipsey Street Irregulars can now confirm the broad outlines of a story first disclosed two days ago by National Gun Rights Examiner columnist David Codrea. Last week, a secret deal involving the National Rifle Association lobbying arm and brokered by politicians of both national political parties was struck in Washington DC that would save the ATF from the political and legal consequences of its own regulatory errors. In the process, this deal would broaden the language of the 1968 Gun Control Act regarding “sporting purposes” and allow ATF to extract itself from the potentially catastrophic political damage of enforcing its arbitrary ruling that makes every owner of a pistol grip 12 Gauge shotgun like the Mossberg Cruiser a felon in possession of a “destructive device” subject to the penalties of the National Firearms Act of 1934 — currently up to 10 years in federal prison and a quarter million dollar fine.
According to sources well-familiar with the legislative rationale and ever-changing and even contradictory regulatory history of the ATF, this crisis for the agency was self-inflicted and precipitated by two legal cases wending their way through the federal courts in Texas and Pennsylvania. Said one, “The ATF doesn’t dare reverse itself unilaterally once again on what does and does not constitute a shotgun ‘destructive device.’ They are frightened to death that either case may go to discovery and reveal their whole sorry rule-making mess.” Said another, “There are people currently rotting in federal prison on NFA violations and others walking around scot-free. At some point, unless the Congress gives them the cover by changing the law, they are going to have to explain that in open court.”
As explained by sources here and in the nation’s capitol, the outlines of what one called “this cynical deal with the Devil” are as follows:
If anyone really thinks the NRA is about protecting the 2nd Amendment, they are fooling themselves. They just play the lobbying game and are making themselves rich.
The 2nd Amendment is clear. Any attempt to control arms is illegal. The only way to change this is to amend the Constitution. The only way they have to the power to regulate any firearm is because We allow them too. They hold not power other than what We give to them. If We want them to stop We just need to stand up and say no more and mean it.