WaPo: Senior ATF official proposes loosening gun regulations [View all]

[aikoaiko]

Looks like Ronad B Turk, the author of the white paper, might be vying for the top slot.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/senior-atf-official-proposes-loosening-gun-regulations/2017/02/06/beeb1120-ec7c-11e6-9662-6eedf1627882_story.html?utm_term=.d3b0ccb7f9cb

The second-highest-ranking official at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has written a proposal to reduce gun regulations, including examining a possible end to the ban on importing assault weapons into the United States.

The “white paper” by Ronald B. Turk, associate deputy director and chief operating officer of the ATF, calls for removing restrictions on the sale of gun silencers; allowing gun dealers to have more guns used in crimes traced to their stores before the federal government requires additional information from the dealer; and initiating a study on lifting the ban on imported assault weapons.

“Restriction on imports serves questionable public safety interests, as these rifles are already generally legally available for manufacture and ownership in the United States,” Turk wrote of the ban on imported AR-15s and AK-style weapons.

The 11-page white paper, obtained by The Washington Post, is titled “Options to Reduce or Modify Firearms Regulations.” The proposal opens with the wording of the Second Amendment and is dated Jan. 20.

Here is a link to the actual white paper:http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/documents/national/read-the-white-paper-on-firearms-regulations/2325/

Here is my attempt to trim the list of suggestions into one sentence lines and my view:
1. New Federal Firearms License specifically for online and gun show sales.
Good:This may help increase NICS checks at gun shows which is something we all want.

2. Redefinition of “armor Piercing Ammunition.”
Good:This has long been overdue. Most deer hunting cartridges are 'armor piercing' by current definition.

3. Lifting the M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, and M1911 Army Surplus Importation Ban.
Good:This was the strangest prohibition that merely added fuel to the gun culture war -- these firearms are not fully automatic and very interesting to collectors.

4. Eliminating Law Letter Requirements.
Good:This only affects a small number of transfer of post 1986 machine guns from FFLs to FFLs and government agencies.

5. Reversing the decision on shouldering a pistol brace enabling the mass shouldering of pistol arm braces.
Good:This made no sense to consider the misuse of something as a "redesign" of that thing.

6. Redefine “Sporting Purposes.”
Good:Its clear that because of tactical sport shooting the definition of sporting purposes needs to be expanded.

7. Make agency rulings searchable.
Good:Knowledge is power.

8. Remove silencers from the NFA.
Good: I welcome this because silencers do not make firearms silent (just quieter) and this really will protect hearing and reduce problems with ranges near other properties.

9. Allow interstate firearms sales at gun shows.
Good: This makes sense.

10. Reclassify “destructive devices” so that only the launcher, not the munition, is considered the registered “destructive device.”
Good, but I can see why some people might be worried about how this might increase the lawful purchases of multiple munition DDs. I'll definitely pick up a launcher for one of my ARs.

11. Raise the threshold for “grey market” records reporting.
Ok: Neutral change.

12. Eliminate “multiple gun reporting” for border states.
OK: The FFL rules should be consistent across all states.

13. Reduce record retention requirements.
Ok:but we really should go digital.

14. Allow NICS checks for non-gun purchases like running a NICS check on prospective gun store employees.
Good: Makes a lot of sense.