Jews For The Preservation of Firearms Ownership, Inc.
P.O. Box 270143
Hartford, WI 53027
Phone (800) 869-1884
Fax (425) 451-3959
New Spirit of Cooperation With Gun-Makers:
The BATFE Changes Its Stripes
JPFO has just received a rare bit of good news about the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In at least one area of operations, the BATFE is making a dramatic turnaround.
The agency is functioning with a new spirit of cooperation toward gun-makers.
It began last month. The new attitude was inspired by the actions of heroic firearms manufacturer and, we're proud to say, by JPFO's alerts about that man's courage.
Remember that on January 3, JPFO issued an alert detailing Len Savage's stand against one particular BATFE injustice. Len is the owner of Historic Arms, which makes semi- automatic versions of famous military rifles. He was also an expert witness against BATFE wrongdoing.
The BATFE's first response to Len's calm defiance was predictable and typical. Within two days, they declared that a firearm Len had sent for their approval (an SGMB, a copy of a Hungarian/Russian firearm) was an "illegal machine gun" -- even though it was clearly semi-automatic.
They confiscated the gun and it looked as if Len might be intended as the next victim of an "economic Waco."
But then the story took an unusual turn. Instead of bowing down, Len marshaled his facts and kept on fighting. He fought not only for his own rights, but he kept making noise about other BATFE injustices.
The BATFE must have realized it had an unusual, and intransigent, opponent.
In February, after Len simply welded an interference rail more strongly to the "illegal machine gun," the BATFE declared the SGMB legal again and returned it to him.
Within a week, they had approved Len's next firearm (a semi-automatic version of the MAG-58/U.S. M-240 machine gun) with no changes.
BUT THAT'S NOT ALL
Suddenly, Len was receiving calls from gun makers all around the country. "I don't know what you did," they said. "But thank you."
These gun makers -- who have typically had to wait three to six months for approvals of their designs -- were getting approvals in two weeks.
The BATFE Tech Branch was answering, instead of ignoring, their questions.
The BATFE's tech experts were being cooperative and polite. They were being helpful. And they still are.
This is just one step on the road to restoring American rights. But it is a step in the right direction.
Len says, "I'm very thankful for the BATFE's new cooperative attitude. My only hope is that this state of affairs is not temporary. This affects much more than just me; it affects everyone who must work with the BATFE."
What is Len Savage's secret? "If you want to stand for your rights when dealing with the BATFE, document everything. Have your facts together. Don't just shoot off your mouth. Be polite. But when you know you're right and you can prove it, never back down and don't be afraid to speak up."
He adds, "After all, if you're not willing to stand up for your rights, do you even deserve to have rights?"
Congratulations to Len Savage. Continued good fortune to America's gun-makers. And even some thanks to the BATFE for trying to do the right thing. JPFO is proud to have played a part in making this change happen.
The Liberty Crew