A Clarification...

...to this.

I by no means meant that he "stole" my idea! I'm sure lots of people have similar ideas. I actually heard about doing that on his show... I just made it right after I heard about it and sent it to him. But I haven't heard anything from them. It's not a big deal really. I would just like *some* form of that question asked to the candidates.

That's a relief and I agree. The writer's name is Stephen Stamboulieh, and he's running for the Senate. Give his website (still under development) a look.

Mr. Stamboulieh tells me that if he's elected, his "first order of business" will be to "abolish the ATF."

What's not to like?

Oh, and by the way--you've done your part to ask CNN to play the question, as well as recruited other gun owners to follow suit, right?

Here, I'll make it easy.

Bump Schlock

Mississippi Second Amendment attorney Stephen Stamboulieh received copies of the emails and fed some to pro-gun online news sites such as Ammoland.  [More]

Leave it to USA Today to neither link to nor synopsize that piece so its readers would know that "on-scene ATF personnel were not allowed to physically examine the interior of the weapons.”

And point of order: "Reporter" Nick Penzenstadler writes "The focus was Slide Fire, a plastic add-on known as a 'bump stock' that allowed Stephen Paddock to run through more than 1,100 rounds of ammunition in 10 minutes."

If he has evidence or an attributable statement from someone in the know that "affixed" stocks were even used, he'd have an exclusive.

About Last Night

Guest Lineup: Monstercast lineup included David Codrea and attorney Stephen Stamboulieh along with AWR Hawkins from Breitbart News, Beth Baumann from Townhall and George “The Mad Ogre” Hill. [More]

Stephen and I were on in Hour 1.

‘A’OHE PU’U KI’EKI’E KE HO’A’O ‘IA E PI’I

"I may have more on these later," I wrote on Tuesday, linking to a Reason article notifying its readers about two wins in Hawaii. Attorney Alan Beck had sent me pdf's about the cases but I was up to my neck in preexisting online and meatspace priorities.

Fortunately, John Petrolino was able to field these for all of us and give us detailed, timely, and comprehensive reports:

• Major Win In Hawaii Strikes Unconstitutional Permitting Law
• Honolulu Concedes Defeat, Another Win For Beck

Life in the Igeocracy is one of the most oppressive for gun owners, and no one has fought harder to roll back infringements in that hostile environment than Beck and Stephen Stamboulieh.

The Law is What We Say It Is

Thankfully, after only deliberating for a very short time over lunch, the jurors came back with a verdict of not guilty. However, Mr. Wright has likely incurred tens of thousands of dollars of attorney fees and costs fighting for his freedom – all because ATF decided that it would invent a new interpretation of the law and it did so without notifying the Industry or the public. Let that sink in for a couple minutes… [More]

And how many would not have the means to defend themselves, meaning their lives would have been destroyed?

Yo, "pro-gun" President Trump and AG Sessions: Leash your damn attack dogs.

F***ers are pulling the same reversal of prior interpretations sh** on "bump stocks," with full administration approval and a green light from Fairfax.

[Via Stephen Stamboulieh]

We're the Only Ones Keeping in Touch Enough

A bill that cleared the Senate floor this morning would require any person convicted of a violent crime against a law enforcement official to register in a database.

Not just "law enforcement officials"-- the title of the bill includes "AND OTHER PUBLIC SERVANTS."

Because we all know "Only Ones" count more than "Ordinary Ones," and there's no more noble calling than "public service."

In reality, all the requirements, the anual registration, the notification triggers, all of this seems a bit much for someone to be able to follow--read the bill yourself and see if you think it's likely that many will find it too complex to follow, particularly in Mississippi, where:

Mississippi's challenges in achieving this vision are particularly acute. For instance, in the river city of Vicksburg, 41 percent of the population ranks at the lowest literacy level measured by NALS, and 23 percent of the city's residents live below the poverty line. The situation in Vicksburg is not an isolated example. Municipalities across the state have significantly lower literacy levels and higher poverty rates than the national averages.

It would seem to be easier to just move out of state.

[Via Stephen Stamboulieh]

FOIA Request Asks ATF and Secret Service About Hunter Biden Gun Investigation

Freedom of Information Act Requests sent Monday by attorney Stephen Stamboulieh on behalf of this correspondent ask the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the United States Secret Service, to produce documentation regarding both agencies’ participation in investigating the disappearance of a firearm belonging to Hunter Biden, son of media-designated (but as yet uncertified) “president-elect” Joe Biden. [More]

We talked about this at the start of the month. Now it's the agencies' turn to talk -- or show everyone they won't, and that the law is selectively applied.

Attorney seeks to overturn federal machine gun ban on constitutional grounds

“Now, my sights are set on ... the machine gun ban,” Stephen Stamboulieh announced on the GoFundme.com webpage he established to finance the legal challenge. “I don't believe this is constitutional in light of the Second Amendment to the Constitution. Likewise, the National Firearms Act (‘NFA’), which taxes the making and transferring of Title II weapons (machine guns, suppressors, short barrel rifles, short barrel shotguns, etc) is ripe to be attacked on Second Amendment grounds. [More]

Today's Gun Rights Examiner report notes a lawsuit that's sure to generate plenty of controversy.  Any bets that some of the most vocal condemnations won't come from within the "gun advocacy" community?

What's in a Name?

CeaseFire Maryland...failed to file the corporate personal property returns as required by state law.

So by law, they forfeited the state charters of both that name and also Marylanders Against Handgun Abuse, which were promptly picked up and registered by pro-RKBA activists. It also upsets a gubernatorial appointment to the Maryland Handgun Roster Board.

Read the whole thing. What a hoot.

Excellent heads-up action from the Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore!

[Via Stephen Stamboulieh]

Heller Foundation raising funds for machine gun lawsuit

“The Heller Foundation is pleased to announce that it has teamed with Jay Hollis and attorneys Stephen Stamboulieh and Alan Beck to fight the federal restrictions on machine gun ownership.” [More]

Today's Gun Rights Examiner report notes this should take away any remaining doubts that this is a lawsuit worth supporting. Will you? Think of the potential ramifications and the significance of this particular ally jumping into the fray, and then please spread the news far and wide to help them do battle properly equipped.

It's a Totalitarian's Prerogative to Change Its Mind

[W]e have received unfortunate news that the receiver of the T36 will now be classified by ATF as a machinegun receiver.  ATF has recently determined that the blocks and restrictions manufactured into our semi-automatic receiver (which are a replica of the SL8 prevention method) are not sufficient and now require an auto sear block on this platform. We disagree with this position but do not make the regulatory decisions. [More]

Len Savage via Stephen Stamboulieh aims to find out who did, and why:

ATF and its ever-"evolving" rulings. Is it any wonder those whose birthright "shall not be infringed" love it so?

What This State Was Built On

It’s dangerous to the progression of this state. And it’s dangerous for our children to even know that your philosophy exists! Now you will go to court to fight kids to have the opportunity to be quiet for a minute. But damn if you’ll go to [court] to fight for them to keep guns out of their hands. I am fed up! Get out of that seat!

...You have no right to be here! We believe in something. You believe in destroying! You believe in destroying what this state was built upon.

Hey, when you have no respect for the Second Amendment, why should you have any respect for the First?

[Via Stephen Stamboulieh]

Stock Answers

ATF Issues Conflicting Documents on Legal Pistol Braces [More]

It appears they sent the same documents in response to my FOIA request. John Crump has gone on to get a response from SB Tactical addressing some of ATF's claims.

I did get a note from WarOnGuns Correspondent Dave Licht who shared a related video:

He also asked about  "SB Tactical’s plan for protecting ... their customers" and expressed the opinion:

They should publicly burn all their customer records TODAY and post the video on all platforms BEFORE atfyou can subpoena their client list. Anything else will be delivering their customers to the NKVD.

I'll need time to review this against what I was asking for and to talk with Stephen Stamboulieh about the next moves if any.  My primary concern was determining why a field office was making national policy for ATF and why this was not a release from HQ or Firearms Enforcement Programs, and determining every ATF official who signed off on it. It all goes back to having arbitrary rules that reflect bureaucratic political agendas and that can land people in jail.

As far as the technical details, I don't focus on hardware and think a guy like Crump is better qualified to give that analysis. I'll need time to see if I can advance this particular ball any further.

It won't be today or tomorrow. 

UPDATE: Here is a link to the complete FOIA response received. 

Suspension of Honey Badger Ban an Opportunity to Find Out Who Authorized It

 

It also provides an opportunity to get to the bottom of who exactly at ATF has been behind the move before the suspension is withdrawn. That’s because my attorney, Stephen Stamboulieh, filed a Freedom of Information Act request on my behalf asking for documents that could reveal who authorized the determination that the  National Firearms Act had been violated and that Q, LLC, and thousands of gun owners could be considered in criminal violation. [More]

I keep hearing Desi Arnaz yelling "Lucy! You got some 'splainin' to do!"

There's No Justification for This

The State of New Jersey argued that I did not meet “justifiable need” for a carry license because I had "other options" I could pursue. I could:
1: Shut down my business; or
2: Conduct my private business in a different manner; or
3: Hire a private armed security guard. [More]

Funding is being solicited for a challenge.

Stephen Stamboulieh and Alan Beck will be filing the case.

Spring Break

Whether the court of appeals correctly denied a preliminary injunction where petitioners failed to demonstrate a likelihood of success on their contention that devices known as bump stocks, which permit users to fire a semiautomatic rifle repeatedly with a single pull of the trigger, do not qualify as “machinegun[s]” under the National Firearms Act, 26 U.S.C. 5845(b). [More]

To save you some time: We declared them legal. Then we said they were illegal with a spring. Then we said they were legal without a spring. Now we say they're illegal without a spring.

And we still won't tell anyone if they were used.

So f*** everybody we lied to, including past inspectors and courts where we've testified under oath based on how we were feeling at the time, and help us uphold executive-directed bans that we all know the Democrats will use to go after all semi-autos when they take the White House.

[Via Stephen Stamboulieh]

Armed American Radio Redux

Guest Lineup: HUGE broadcast tonight! Alan Gottlieb, AWR Hawkins, David Codrea and attorney Stephen Stamboulieh all brought their “A” game! [More]

We were on in Hour 3.

Tonight on Armed American Radio

[More]

Attorney Stephen Stamboulieh and RKBA activist Dick Heller will discuss their case with host Mark Walters. They're appealing dismissal of their Heller Foundation-backed challenge to the post-1986 machine gun ban.

Click here to find a station near you or to listen via live streaming.

Exclusive Insights

Mine finally posted.  I included all the FOIA material received from the ATF re: bumpstocks. [More]

Stephen Stamboulieh provides a wealth of information you will not see from anyone else.

And Now a Word from the Judge in the Hollis Case

"DIS-MISSED!" [More]

Stephen Stamboulieh just told me appeals are forthcoming.