Harry Tuttle
Member
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2003
- Messages
- 3,093
ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN HASN'T EXPIRED,
BUT SHARKS ARE CIRCLING FOR BLOOD
http://www.bradycampaign.org/press/release.php?release=578
For Immediate Release:
08-12-2004
Contact Communications:
(202) 289-7319
Why wait until something's legal to order it? One Illinois company
is ready to serve America's extreme psychotics right away.
Have your credit cards ready.
Washington, D.C. - Tomorrow, there will only be 30 days until the assault weapons ban expires, and our nation will face a new era of criminal and terrorist attacks with assault weapons unless President Bush keeps his campaign promise and gets the law renewed. And some Americans are simply drooling at the notion of deadlier guns.
The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence today sent the following letter to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives about ArmaLite, Inc., a company contemptibly catering to those who are desperate for extraordinary firepower.
The text of the letter follows.
August 12, 2004
Carl J. Truscott, Director
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
U.S. Department of Justice
650 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20226
Dear Director Truscott:
I am writing to urge the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ("ATF") to immediately enforce the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act of 1994 ("Assault Weapons Act") against ArmaLite, Inc., which appears to be acting in clear violation of this law.
ArmaLite, Inc. is a manufacturer of assault weapons located in Geneseo, Illinois. It is currently advertising a promotion that violates the federal Assault Weapons Act. This promotion is called "The ArmaLite 'Prepaid-PreBan' Rifle Program" and is described on ArmaLite's website at http://www.armalite.com/library/postpostban.htm (attached as Exhibit 1). Under this program, customers "order PreBan configuration ArmaLites, in both .308 and .223 calibers, for delivery immediately upon expiration of the current law...." ArmaLite states that, for each customer who prepays for a banned weapon, ArmaLite "will purchase and stock components for immediate final assembly if the law sunsets."
As you know, the federal Assault Weapons Act makes it unlawful "to manufacture, transfer or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon." 18 U.S.C. § 921(v)(1). ATF has interpreted this provision to prohibit the manufacture of complete assault weapons or the grouping of assault weapon parts together for later assembly of a banned weapon. ATF policy states:
Semiautomatic assault weapons in knockdown (disassembled) condition consisting of a receiver and all parts needed to assemble a complete semiautomatic assault weapon are subject to regulation if the parts are segregated or packaged together and held by a person as the parts for the assembly of a particular firearm.
ATF Frequently Asked Questions (accessible at http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/index.htm). This policy was enforced against gun manufacturers after passage of the Assault Weapons Act in 1994 to prevent them from gathering together unassembled assault weapon parts for later assembly into complete weapons.
ArmaLite's program states that it will presently "purchase and stock" all of the components necessary to manufacture a banned assault weapon for each civilian customer who pre-orders a weapon. The parts will apparently be segregated for use in particular firearms that have been pre-ordered and reserved by individual civilian customers. ArmaLite is clearly gathering "all parts needed to assemble a complete semiautomatic assault weapon," for a specific civilian customer. This collection of the parts necessary to manufacture a currently banned weapon is plainly prohibited by the Assault Weapons Act, as stated by ATF in its Frequently Asked Questions. ArmaLite is prohibited from gathering together and reserving assault weapons parts for later assembly into assault weapons for civilian customers as long as the Act is in effect.
Please immediately inform ArmaLite and other gun manufacturers that any programs which involve the gathering together of the parts necessary to manufacture a semiautomatic assault weapon are illegal unless that weapon will be transferred to law enforcement or persons presently authorized to possess such weapons under the Act. I look forward to your response to my letter and quick action to enforce the Act and order ArmaLite to immediately cease its unlawful 'Prepaid-PreBan' Rifle Program.
Sincerely,
Dennis A. Henigan
Director, Legal Action Project
BUT SHARKS ARE CIRCLING FOR BLOOD
http://www.bradycampaign.org/press/release.php?release=578
For Immediate Release:
08-12-2004
Contact Communications:
(202) 289-7319
Why wait until something's legal to order it? One Illinois company
is ready to serve America's extreme psychotics right away.
Have your credit cards ready.
Washington, D.C. - Tomorrow, there will only be 30 days until the assault weapons ban expires, and our nation will face a new era of criminal and terrorist attacks with assault weapons unless President Bush keeps his campaign promise and gets the law renewed. And some Americans are simply drooling at the notion of deadlier guns.
The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence today sent the following letter to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives about ArmaLite, Inc., a company contemptibly catering to those who are desperate for extraordinary firepower.
The text of the letter follows.
August 12, 2004
Carl J. Truscott, Director
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
U.S. Department of Justice
650 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20226
Dear Director Truscott:
I am writing to urge the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ("ATF") to immediately enforce the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act of 1994 ("Assault Weapons Act") against ArmaLite, Inc., which appears to be acting in clear violation of this law.
ArmaLite, Inc. is a manufacturer of assault weapons located in Geneseo, Illinois. It is currently advertising a promotion that violates the federal Assault Weapons Act. This promotion is called "The ArmaLite 'Prepaid-PreBan' Rifle Program" and is described on ArmaLite's website at http://www.armalite.com/library/postpostban.htm (attached as Exhibit 1). Under this program, customers "order PreBan configuration ArmaLites, in both .308 and .223 calibers, for delivery immediately upon expiration of the current law...." ArmaLite states that, for each customer who prepays for a banned weapon, ArmaLite "will purchase and stock components for immediate final assembly if the law sunsets."
As you know, the federal Assault Weapons Act makes it unlawful "to manufacture, transfer or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon." 18 U.S.C. § 921(v)(1). ATF has interpreted this provision to prohibit the manufacture of complete assault weapons or the grouping of assault weapon parts together for later assembly of a banned weapon. ATF policy states:
Semiautomatic assault weapons in knockdown (disassembled) condition consisting of a receiver and all parts needed to assemble a complete semiautomatic assault weapon are subject to regulation if the parts are segregated or packaged together and held by a person as the parts for the assembly of a particular firearm.
ATF Frequently Asked Questions (accessible at http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/index.htm). This policy was enforced against gun manufacturers after passage of the Assault Weapons Act in 1994 to prevent them from gathering together unassembled assault weapon parts for later assembly into complete weapons.
ArmaLite's program states that it will presently "purchase and stock" all of the components necessary to manufacture a banned assault weapon for each civilian customer who pre-orders a weapon. The parts will apparently be segregated for use in particular firearms that have been pre-ordered and reserved by individual civilian customers. ArmaLite is clearly gathering "all parts needed to assemble a complete semiautomatic assault weapon," for a specific civilian customer. This collection of the parts necessary to manufacture a currently banned weapon is plainly prohibited by the Assault Weapons Act, as stated by ATF in its Frequently Asked Questions. ArmaLite is prohibited from gathering together and reserving assault weapons parts for later assembly into assault weapons for civilian customers as long as the Act is in effect.
Please immediately inform ArmaLite and other gun manufacturers that any programs which involve the gathering together of the parts necessary to manufacture a semiautomatic assault weapon are illegal unless that weapon will be transferred to law enforcement or persons presently authorized to possess such weapons under the Act. I look forward to your response to my letter and quick action to enforce the Act and order ArmaLite to immediately cease its unlawful 'Prepaid-PreBan' Rifle Program.
Sincerely,
Dennis A. Henigan
Director, Legal Action Project