IDK - there has to come a point where the ATF has changed direction so many times that no reasonable person could be expected to continue trying to follow their rules. I could have said requiring registration of SBR's is stupid and serves no legitimate purpose, so I'm just going to buy a lower, buy an upper with a 10.5" barrel and attach them. But I try to be a law abiding citizen, so I waited until ATF said if you put a pistol brace on it, you're ok. Went out and bought a couple of pistols then spent the money to put pistol braces on them.
Then, the ATF said, "whoops, I guess unregistered guns with pistol braces aren't ok after all". But you can register your gun for free, and it will be legal. I could have said, "FU ATF, I'm just going to pretend I never heard about this new rule, not register anything, and keep my guns with pistol braces". But still trying to be a law abiding citizen, so I register my guns.
But if they reverse direction again and say "whoops I guess you do have to pay $200 for each gun you registered" to me that's a bridge too far. My response will be "can you believe it, I loaded all the guns I registered under Form 1 into a boat and the boat sank?"
The problem with all these reversals is that, with each reversal the ATF turns more law abiding citizens into felons. If we're being honest, the requirement that we register all SBR's and pay a tax is stupid. It serves no legitimate purpose and it is extremely easy to just buy an upper with a short barrel, buy a lower and attach them. I have no doubt some gun owners have done this.
Similarly, requiring us to now register guns that previously the ATF said we didn't have to register, is even more stupid and fundamentally an illegitimate exercise of the ATF's rule making authority. It seems clear that many gun owners will simply ignore this latest requirement, creating even more felons out of previously law abiding citizens.
Reverse direction again and a large number of us are going to decide we're tired of being played for suckers. There will be massive non-compliance, and the government will soon realize that it has neither the resources nor the prisons to do anything about it.
Then, the ATF said, "whoops, I guess unregistered guns with pistol braces aren't ok after all". But you can register your gun for free, and it will be legal. I could have said, "FU ATF, I'm just going to pretend I never heard about this new rule, not register anything, and keep my guns with pistol braces". But still trying to be a law abiding citizen, so I register my guns.
But if they reverse direction again and say "whoops I guess you do have to pay $200 for each gun you registered" to me that's a bridge too far. My response will be "can you believe it, I loaded all the guns I registered under Form 1 into a boat and the boat sank?"
The problem with all these reversals is that, with each reversal the ATF turns more law abiding citizens into felons. If we're being honest, the requirement that we register all SBR's and pay a tax is stupid. It serves no legitimate purpose and it is extremely easy to just buy an upper with a short barrel, buy a lower and attach them. I have no doubt some gun owners have done this.
Similarly, requiring us to now register guns that previously the ATF said we didn't have to register, is even more stupid and fundamentally an illegitimate exercise of the ATF's rule making authority. It seems clear that many gun owners will simply ignore this latest requirement, creating even more felons out of previously law abiding citizens.
Reverse direction again and a large number of us are going to decide we're tired of being played for suckers. There will be massive non-compliance, and the government will soon realize that it has neither the resources nor the prisons to do anything about it.