I heard something about it, just talk though. I have heard talk about wanting to avoid gun-rights groups going after individual sheriffs in the courts if they won't sign, or going after the ATF (In the courtroom). I have heard talk that they still may want to keep sheriffs in the loop by notifying them about NFA items in their respective districts, even though don't have to sign off on them. Now that could be good for the citizen to buy NFA items, but I can't help but to wonder if that would give the sheriff's department authority to routinely inspect NFA items. I would much rather have a professional BATFE agent coming by my house to inspect my NFA items than some overzealous, poorly trained sheriff's deputy working for a political-hack sheriff coming by unannounced.
Keep in mind none of this is real (yet) and at this point it's just talk. For all I know It's just internet rumors.
It seems to me that with recent court rulings and the power exerted by some of the grass-roots activists groups (I'm not talking about the NRA) that a battle over NFA items is inevitable.
I think more shooters are understanding the health benefits and the reduction of noise pollution that a suppressor provides. I predict more and more shooters will want to invest in suppressors and at some point the problems with individual sheriffs not signing form 4's will come to a head.
I for one appreciate the work that the BATFE field agents do. I can imagine there are some bright people that work for the BATFE that want to protect American. With the recent gun-runner scandal I believe they are a huge political liability. The gun-runner scandal leads me to believe there could be mass corruption in the leadership of the BATFE. In short what I am saying is that (as an individual) analyzing the politics of government that they might want to avoid making any kind of waves; good, bad, or indifferent.
