Obama shutting down gunsmiths

[Thor]

This could be really bad for my business. I have a Class 07 Manufacturers license.
|http://controversialtimes.com/news/b...t-of-business/

[Edward Tinker]

The latest executive order on guns was January.

Is this suddenly being enforced or?

[mrerick]

Looks like anyone that modifies gun parts will have to register with the US State Department at the cost of $2250 every year.

Registration Required
–
Manufacturing: In response to questions from persons engaged in the business of gunsmithing, DDTC has found in specific cases that ITAR registration is required because the following activities meet the ordinary, contemporary, common meaning of “manufacturing” and, therefore, constitute “manufacturing” for ITAR purposes
:
a) Use of any special tooling or equipment upgrading in order to improve the capability of assembled or repaired firearms;
b) Modifications to a firearm that change round capacity;
c) The production of firearm parts (including, but not limited to, barrels, stocks, cylinders, breech mechanisms, triggers, silencers, or suppressors);
d) The systemized production of ammunition, including the automated loading or reloading of ammunition;
e) The machining or cutting of firearms, e.g., threading of muzzles or muzzle brake installation requiring machining, that results in an enhanced capability;
f) Rechambering firearms through machining, cutting, or drilling;
g) Chambering, cutting, or threading barrel blanks; and
h) Blueprinting firearms by machining the barrel.

The specific document that lists activities is at:

https://www.pmddtc.state.gov/complia...ufacturers.pdf

[Edward Tinker]

I don't see how it pertains to regular gunsmiths at all - unless you are working on DoD stuff?

)Any person who engages in the United States in the business of manufacturing or
exporting or temporarily importing defense articles...

[mrerick]

It would seem to cover any handgun or rifle, including "technical information" about them....

The State Department definition of "firearms is in:

https://www.pmddtc.state.gov/regulat...R_Part_121.pdf

Here's an excerpt:

473 Department of State § 121.1
ENUMERATION OF ARTICLES
§ 121.1 General. The United States Munitions List.
CATEGORY I—FIREARMS, CLOSE ASSAULT WEAPONS AND COMBAT SHOTGUNS
* (a) Nonautomatic and semi-automatic firearms to caliber .50 inclusive (12.7 mm).
* (b) Fully automatic firearms to .50 caliber inclusive (12.7 mm).
* (c) Firearms or other weapons (e.g. insurgency-counterinsurgency, close assault weapons systems) having a special military application regardless of caliber.
* (d) Combat shotguns. This includes any shotgun with a barrel length less than 18 inches.
* (e) Silencers, mufflers, sound and flash suppressors for the articles in (a) through (d) of this category and their specifically designed, modified or adapted components and parts.
(f) Riflescopes manufactured to military specifications (See category XII(c) for controls on night sighting devices.)
(g) Barrels, cylinders, receivers (frames) or complete breech mechanisms for the articles in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this category.
(h) Components, parts, accessories and attachments for the articles in paragraphs (a) through (g) of this category.
(i) Technical data (as defined in § 120.10 of this subchapter) and defense services (as defined in § 120.9 of this subchapter) directly related to the defense articles enumerated in paragraphs (a) through (h) of this category. Technical data directly related to the manufacture or production of any defense articles enumerated elsewhere in this category that are designated as Significant Military Equipment (SME) shall itself be designated SME.

The following interpretations explain and amplify the terms used in this category and throughout this subchapter:
(1) A firearm is a weapon not over .50 caliber (12.7 mm) which is designed to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive or which may be readily converted to do so.
(2) A rifle is a shoulder firearm which can discharge a bullet through a rifled barrel 16 inches or longer.
(3) A carbine is a lightweight shoulder firearm with a barrel under 16 inches in length.
(4) A pistol is a hand-operated firearm having a chamber integral with or permanently aligned with the bore.
(5) A revolver is a hand-operated firearm with a revolving cylinder containing chambers for individual cartridges.
(6) A submachine gun, ‘‘machine pistol’’ or ‘‘machine gun’’ is a firearm originally designed to fire, or capable of being fired, fully automatically by a single pull of the trigger.

- - - - -

The exclusions listed at the end of the section are:


NOTE: This coverage by the U.S. Munitions List in paragraphs (a) through (i) of this category excludes any non-combat shotgun witha barrel length of 18 inches or longer, BB,pellet, and muzzle loading (black powder)firearms. This category does not cover riflescopes and sighting devices that are not manufactured to military specifications. It also excludes accessories and attachments (e.g., belts, slings, after market rubber grips, cleaning kits) for firearms that do not enhance the usefulness, effectiveness, or capabilities of the firearm, components and parts.

- - - -

Since "Military" is not defined to exclude historical firearms (not in the current arsenal) these rules likely apply to Lugers and anything else a military has used.

[Eugen]

Geez, yet another back door tactic to infringe on our 2nd amendment rights. Reduce the number of gunsmiths through an existence "tax". If we can't get them repaired, we can't use them.

[rhuff]

My understanding about Executive Orders is that the NEXT President can rescind all or part of the previous President's EOs. Please correct me if I am wrong on this. We all know what has to happen in Nov.

[mrerick]

The fact that "technical information" also is now controlled by this order is an interesting problem.

It means that forums like ours that are available internationally might become subject to the order (and to registration and the annual fee) if we discuss such "data" and provide "services" relating to "Significant Military Equipment"... There goes the First Amendment along with the Second Amendment.

In particular, "technical data" could easily be extended in their interpretation to include instruction manuals and blueprints.

[Olle]

Now when I think of it, this could take a very interesting and unintended turn.

Many of the companies that make parts must also be capable of making guns. I could probably do that even with the modest equipment I have in my shop. If these companies are forced to have a manufacturing license, there's nothing stopping them from making the whole gun, instead of just making parts. So now all of a sudden, Obama may be facing the fact that he not only forced a lot of small gunsmiths out of business, but he also encouraged the larger gun part companies to start producing complete firearms.

I can't see how this decision would help his agenda, and (as usual) it's not very well thought out either. For example: There's not such a great demand for threaded barrels that it can't be covered by the companies that opt to get their manufacturing license, so all he's doing is to shift the production from one company to another. The end result will be mass confusion and unemployment, plus more business for those who have a manufacturing license.

It all makes me wonder what this executive order was supposed to fix in the first place. Is it the war on terror again, or is it just the usual war on the citizens?

[mrerick]

I think that they are trying to eliminate the market for "80%" AR-15 lowers (that you finish at home)...

This ITAR license is separate and in addition to any Manufacturing FFL that you might hold.

Marc

[George Anderson]

Originally Posted by Olle

It all makes me wonder what this executive order was supposed to fix in the first place. Is it the war on terror again, or is it just the usual war on the citizens?

Obama was probably only interested in building his popularity with the ignorant leftists and moron Congressmen who staged the "sit-in" in the capitol a week or so ago. Political posturing just as we've watched for seven and a half years.

[Olle]

Originally Posted by mrerick

I think that they are trying to eliminate the market for "80%" AR-15 lowers (that you finish at home)...

This ITAR license is separate and in addition to any Manufacturing FFL that you might hold.

Marc

That would have been easier to do by saying that you are no longer allowed to make guns for private use, FFL 01 gunsmiths are already prohibited from building on 80% receivers.

This sounds like a huge mess in the making, and we are probably going to see some very confused prosecutors and falsely accused gunsmiths as well. It will be enforced by people who don't know if you're threading a gun barrel or a water pipe, so you will more than likely be guilty until proven innocent. Not even ATF agents are able to tell you exactly how the current laws should be interpreted, so I can already see that the lawyers will the only ones coming out as winners.

[Curss]

Good gunsmiths are already hard to find locally...
So we're supposed to just send our guns back to the manufacturer for repair?!

[Ben M.]

why needed a 07 license for refinishing work?

[DonVoigt]

Sounds bad if "they" enforce what they wrote, or what it appears they wrote.