Bubbles
Member
Kicking ATF again, Len? The complete transcript is well worth reading, especially the details on the Kwan case.
http://www.jpfo.org/pdf/len-savage-120607.pdf
Excerpt:
Len Savage: Well, um, in The Gang, we talked about how after a court case, US v. Wrenn, that the ATF reconsidered a couple of my products and by reclassification which is a handy little tool they have to lean on people on me who exercise their right to free speech. What wasn't talked about The Gang was that I had a phone call with the gentleman, Mr. Nixon, that we discussed in The Gang but what wasn't said is that we had a phone call right after the Wrenn trial where I was in no uncertain terms warned not to post on the Internet or speak to members of Congress and to be silent or else they were considering reconsidering my products. Um, and then they followed through with those threats obviously and I was later threatened with legal action the following August. I got a letter from the ATF demanding a customer list or else it would be compelled. I was a little worried at what being compelled would entail, given how they compelled the people at Ruby Ridge and at Waco, and um, it was a very dark time for me but I am glad I was able to work my way through it.
Aaron Zelman: Before we go too far, I would like you to explain to people what the reconsideration process was about and what it meant to you financially.
Len Savage: Sure, I would be happy to. My company designed a product called the "BM-3000." It's a caliber conversion device for a legally and lawfully owned machine gun, and prior to the Wrenn case, I had a letter from the ATF telling me that it was neither a firearm nor a machine gun and we ramped up for production. After the Wrenn case, I got the warning call that if I didn't sit down and shut up, I was going to get the treatment, and what happened was that they wrote me a letter, said "We changed our mind. This is illegal. You didn't make any of those, did you?" after 10 months of production and it cost me right around a half-million bucks by the time it was all said and done with the canceled contracts, the sales that I had already taking orders on and it was devastating to my company.
http://www.jpfo.org/pdf/len-savage-120607.pdf
Excerpt:
Len Savage: Well, um, in The Gang, we talked about how after a court case, US v. Wrenn, that the ATF reconsidered a couple of my products and by reclassification which is a handy little tool they have to lean on people on me who exercise their right to free speech. What wasn't talked about The Gang was that I had a phone call with the gentleman, Mr. Nixon, that we discussed in The Gang but what wasn't said is that we had a phone call right after the Wrenn trial where I was in no uncertain terms warned not to post on the Internet or speak to members of Congress and to be silent or else they were considering reconsidering my products. Um, and then they followed through with those threats obviously and I was later threatened with legal action the following August. I got a letter from the ATF demanding a customer list or else it would be compelled. I was a little worried at what being compelled would entail, given how they compelled the people at Ruby Ridge and at Waco, and um, it was a very dark time for me but I am glad I was able to work my way through it.
Aaron Zelman: Before we go too far, I would like you to explain to people what the reconsideration process was about and what it meant to you financially.
Len Savage: Sure, I would be happy to. My company designed a product called the "BM-3000." It's a caliber conversion device for a legally and lawfully owned machine gun, and prior to the Wrenn case, I had a letter from the ATF telling me that it was neither a firearm nor a machine gun and we ramped up for production. After the Wrenn case, I got the warning call that if I didn't sit down and shut up, I was going to get the treatment, and what happened was that they wrote me a letter, said "We changed our mind. This is illegal. You didn't make any of those, did you?" after 10 months of production and it cost me right around a half-million bucks by the time it was all said and done with the canceled contracts, the sales that I had already taking orders on and it was devastating to my company.
