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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Firearms Policy Coalition today issued the following statement regarding the ATF’s “Open Letter to All Federal Firearms Licensees” regarding its classification of some “forced-reset triggers” (FRTs) as “firearms” and “machineguns” as defined in the National Firearms Act (NFA) and Gun Control Act (GCA):

This latest effort by the ATF to punish and stoke fear among peaceable people who purchase protected-arms components specifically designed to comply with federal law is further proof of the agency’s abusive overreach of statutory and constitutional bounds and a manic desire to expand its dominion. Furthermore, by being purposefully vague in saying it “intends to take appropriate remedial action,” the ATF adds to the unscrupulous nature of this action leaving sellers and owners unsure if they’ll be subject to abuse.

Unless the ATF doesn’t understand the difference between resetting and pulling a trigger, the statement is further evidence of the agency’s underhandedness. After citing the “single function of the trigger” statutory definition of a “machinegun,” the ATF claims “some FRT devices allow a firearm to automatically expel more than one shot with a single, continuous pull of the trigger.” By virtue of its very namesake, “forced-reset trigger” systems require an additional pull before firing another shot.

The letter ends with a directive to contact a local ATF Field Office if “uncertain whether the device you possess is a machinegun.” Out of an abundance of caution, FPC suggests that individuals, entities, and businesses who are now or have been in possession of “forced-reset triggers” consider the below measures through which you may be able to protect and preserve your rights should ATF contact you, visit you, and/or demand that you surrender any item in your possession. Read more

Under the history and tradition of the Second Amendment, nonviolent offenders should not lose their natural right to keep and bear arms.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Firearms Policy Coalition today announced the filing of an important brief with the Supreme Court of the United States asking it to grant certiorari in Morin v. Lyver, a case challenging Massachusetts’s lifetime ban on firearm purchases as applied to a person convicted of a nonviolent misdemeanor. FPC’s brief is joined by FPC Action Foundation (formerly Firearms Policy Foundation) and can be found at FPCLaw.org.

In 2004, Massachusetts resident and License to Carry (LTC) permit holder Alfred Morin, Ph.D, traveled to Washington, D.C. with a handgun. Unaware of District of Columbia laws, he saw a sign prohibiting firearms at the American Museum of Modern History and approached a guard to inquire about checking his gun. Police arrested Dr. Morin and charged him with carrying a pistol without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition. The Superior Court of the District of Columbia sentenced Dr. Morin 60 days imprisonment on each count, as well as three months of supervised probation and 20 hours of community service.

Under Massachusetts law, an individual who has been convicted of a nonviolent misdemeanor can obtain a license to possess a handgun at home after five years have passed. However, this same person can never obtain authorization to purchase a handgun— meaning that the only way they can obtain one is through inheritance. Dr. Morin, the petitioner, is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit which upheld the Massachusetts handgun purchase ban. Read more