Ares Armor vs BATF

[NEPAKevin]

Firearms Co. granted restraining order against ATF (http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2014/03/13/firearms-company-ares-armor-granted-restraining-order-against-atf-n1808563) which according to the story wants their customer list. The CEO's statement (http://aresarmor.com/store/NewsArticle/Temporary_Restraining_Order_Against_BATFE) on their website is reminiscent of tales from the Janet Reno era.

Edited to add: If an 80 percent receiver is not a firearm, can one open carry one at a Starbucks?

[TheTrevor]

Firearms Co. granted restraining order against ATF (http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2014/03/13/firearms-company-ares-armor-granted-restraining-order-against-atf-n1808563) which according to the story wants their customer list. The CEO's statement (http://aresarmor.com/store/NewsArticle/Temporary_Restraining_Order_Against_BATFE) on their website is reminiscent of tales from the Janet Reno era.

Edited to add: If an 80 percent receiver is not a firearm, can one open carry one at a Starbucks?

It's important to note that this is about a specific 80% receiver that the BATF judged to have gone too far in reducing the level of skill required to complete manufacture. I think it was something along the lines of a polymer lower with "drill here" dimples molded into it, so no jig setup or measurement was required to get it right.

The problem is that the Feds are trying to get the horses back in the barn by tracking down the many folks who bought this particular 80% lower, which according to them is an unserialized firearm which should have gone through an FFL.

This is why it's critical that anyone buying an 80% lower to complete on their own should get it from a source which has an ATF opinion letter on hand for their specific design. Pretty sure the Ares lowers in question had no such opinion letter.

[NEPAKevin]

The problem is that the Feds are trying to get the horses back in the barn by tracking down the many folks who bought this particular 80% lower, which according to them is an unserialized firearm which should have gone through an FFL.



That, or they want to ship them to Mexico. Fast and Furious 7, Juarez Drift

[Rich@CCC]

What the warrant request was based on is that the manufacturer was actually milling the entire receiver then filling the trigger group are back in with a different color polymer which is illegal as there are very specific things cannot be done to a forging or casting to be considered 80%, one of which is milling the trigger group area.

What the manufacturer claims is that the process is exactly the opposite. They cast a "block" in a colored polymer that is the shape of the cavity and has projections where the pin holes will be. They then cast the polymer receiver around this blank. The result is a polymer 80% lower with a different color in the areas that will be removed to complete the receiver. At no time is there a "firearm"(as defined by the BATF) made by the manufacturer. These are the rules set forth by the BATF and they have been followed.

Ares Armor's TRO is based on the fact that the original search warrant is based on fallacious information and is not legal.

[littlejerry]

So the news today is that the ATF raided Ares. Curious to see how it shakes out.

Hate to see this happened but it sounds like Ares was pushing the limits and uses the strategy of "asking for forgiveness" which isn't advisable with the ATF.

[Rich@CCC]

What, exactly did Ares Armor do in this instance that they would have the need to beg forgiveness? No crime was committed.

Unless there is a whole lot not be said by anyone(media or Ares Armor) which I admit may the case, I have seen nor heard nothing that indicates Ares Armor did anything wrong. Other than standing up to a bully and refusing to compromise their customers' rights to privacy.

The polymer 80% receiver in question was not manufactured by Ares Armor. They are/were a distributor. The manufacturer had the letter from the ATF stating that the receiver was indeed classified as 80%. The ATF changed their mind(imagine that) based on the false premise that the receiver was made by filling in portions of a completed receiver with polymer and declared the 80% receiver to be a weapon. They(ATF) raided the manufacturer's premises, seizing product and records. They then got a warrant for Ares Armor, based on the same false assumption and demanded not only the product but the records of anyone who purchased the receivers. It might also be notable to remember that Ares Armor was under no obligation keep such records as they were not selling firearms.

Let's also not forget that this is not the first time the ATF has attempted to get Ares Armor's customer records. The first time by simply threatening that something like this would happen if they did not turn over the records and play ball with the feds.