“The new Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE) “rule†would require gun stores to report to the federal government the names of people who purchase more than one rifle in a week.
This new reporting requirement is nothing less than firearm registration in all but name.
The new BATFE rule change has been in place since January. It was trumpeted as a supposed “solution†to the problem with Mexican gun runners on the Southern border, but common sense tells us otherwise.
The BATFE’s exact rule states that anyone who purchases more than one rifle that is semi-automatic, larger than .22 caliber, and capable of using detachable magazines within five business days of each other, must be reported.
Although the BATFE claims that this requirement only applies to states along the southern border, the actual published rule has no geographic limitation.
That means they’re tracking the sale of shotguns and rifles across the country.
The idea for BATFE’s new requirement came from billionaire-playboy Michael Bloomberg’s henchmen at Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG). MAIG has been pushing the Obama administration to do this since August of 2009.
Anti-gunner Bloomberg released a statement calling the new rule “…a powerful new tool to catch the straw purchasers and illegal traffickers who are supplying Mexico’s cartel killers.â€
His statement is typical anti-gun misdirection. While the BATFE is regulating guns that Americans buy, their “Gunwalker†program is funneling guns into the hands of the drug cartels in Mexico!
Shortly after the rule came into effect, the U.S. House passed an amendment to block the BATFE’s new power grab. This common sense amendment passed overwhelmingly 277-149.
Legislation has also been introduced in the U.S. Senate which would echo the House vote in blocking the ATF’s power grab. Solid pro-gun Senators like Rand Paul (R-KY), Tom Coburn (R-OK), and David Vitter (R-LA) are already on board with the legislation.
I need you to be aware of what’s going on because the ATF is going to open up a comment period in the future for thoughts on long-gun reporting just like they did on the Shotgun Study last month.
Please call your senator at (202) 224-3121 and urge them to stand up for gun owners by supporting S.570.