2A Newsletter: Week of April 28th

Firearms Rights Are Under Intense Pressure

Photo Source: Joe Belanger via Shutterstock

Despite small victories in the fight for the Second Amendment, it's crucial to remember that these rights face constant pressure. Washington and Illinois are two states at the forefront of the fight against firearms rights. In Washington, the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) filed a federal lawsuit against the recently adopted House Bill 1240.

The bill bans many types of firearms labeled as "assault weapons" and is a direct infringement on Second and Fourteenth Amendment rights.

In Illinois, the SAF and its partners filed a 36-page response to Cook County's motion for summary judgment in a case challenging the county's semi-auto ban. The county's motion blatantly ignores the Supreme Court'sBruen ruling and claims that "arms" applies only to firearms facilitating armed self-defense, excluding the banned firearms. SAF argues that every firearm can be used for self-defense and that Cook County has been making false impressions of the banned firearms. 

As for the icing on the Illinois cake — a “staunch supporter of the Second Amendment” former Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger's had an absurd take. Recently, at an event organized by the Joyce Foundation, which is well-known for its anti-gun stance, Kinzinger boldly suggested that "Second Amendment people should be on the front line of gun control." He must be a comic in his down time. 

The “gun control” talk and restrictions on what we use to defend ourselves is incredibly un-American. We should all firmly believe that "If I want to clear my house with a 6.5 Creedmoor, I can do as I please." It's 2023, and just as an email or press release is considered "free speech," despite the method not existing in the 1700s, the "as the founding fathers intended" argument for firearms is no longer valid either. (We can't help but chuckle at the thought, though!)

More concerning than state-level issues is the ATF's unchecked national operation. Most media doesn't fully report on it or just uses a snippet for a good tweet or headline.

This week the ATF director appeared before the House Judiciary Committee in an Oversight Hearing to answer questions about the latest pistol brace rule, the zero-tolerance rule for FFLs, and the frame or receiver rule we have all become too familiar with reading about.

He was grilled by Republicans and thrown softballs by Democrats for over 3 hours and you can watch the entire CSPAN coverage here.

Still unable to provide a definition for an assault weapon and doubling down on the pistol brace ruling and “zero-tolerance” on FFLs the ATF plans to hit us where it hurts the most - in our wallets. They're not going to go door to door looking for these pistol braces, instead, they'll do what we have seen with the Auto Key-Card Case and FRT case. They’ll tax you, cancel or dox, culturally vilify, and incriminate unsuspecting Americans in the name of “PROGRESS” or “addressing/fighting gun violence.”

We aren't sending this out to scare or intimidate you all. Rather, 80% Arms wants all of you to be well-versed and understand the implications that can come from these unconstitutional ATF rulings. 

Remember to support groups that fight for your rights. The SAF, GOA, and FPC are just a few making the pressure being put on the Second Amendment goes away.

Why Smart Guns Aren’t So Smart

Photo Source: Biofire

So apparently we have sci-fi tech becoming a reality — now that the world has technology to create guns with biometric reading devices... should they?

Once again, the firearms industry faces challenges with the rise of so-called "smart guns" like those from Biofire Technologies. These firearms are being marketed as a solution to gun violence While it might sound promising, gun owners like yourself should be wary of their drawbacks and potential impact on Second Amendment rights.

Let's talk about reliability. Biofire's smart guns use fingerprint and facial recognition which can be finicky at best. Imagine being in a high-stress situation with sweaty, dirty, or even bloody hands - all of a sudden your firearm refuses to work. That's not a scenario any gun owner wants to face. Then there's the risk of hacking or system failures, which could also render your firearm useless when you need it the most.

Oddly enough, Biofire isn't allowing independent review of their technology. This lack of transparency raises serious concerns about how the technology functions and its true effectiveness. Data breaches are becoming increasingly common, and if sensitive information like your firearm's access data were to be compromised, gun owners would be potentially opening themselves to the risk of companies or hackers controlling how and when we use our firearms. 

No thanks.

ATF Throws the Book at Auto Key-Card Case

Photo Source: The Firearm Blog

In a baffling turn of events, Kristopher "Justin" Ervin and Mathew Hoover were found guilty of selling illegal machine guns, all because of their sales of credit card-sized stainless steel sheets etched with with the shape of "Lightning Link" parts. (Even though these Auto Key Cards were never sold as gun parts, as we talked about a couple newsletters ago.)

This case is a glaring example of the ATF's dangerous inconsistency when it comes to classifying firearms and accessories. You see, detailed drawings of Lightning Links, should be protected under the First Amendment and they have been on the internet for years (still are). The Auto Key Card was at best, a quirky novelty, and at worst a misleading product taking advantage of naive customers.

It's shocking that criminal charges were brought against Ervin in the first place, and that he's been held in custody without bail for two years – a treatment typically reserved for domestic terrorists.

Hoover's prosecution for advertising the products is equally mind-boggling. The BATFE's expert confessed that he couldn't make the resulting parts fit into any of the AR's available for testing and was unable to make the Lightning Link function at all.

So if their own expert couldn't make it work, why were Ervin and Hoover still found guilty? As 2A supporters, it's crucial that we stay informed about the ATF's contradictory definitions and the confusion they bring to our legal system.

No one needs to convince us about liberty and freedom. We're all about that. But gun regulations are not going to disappear overnight which is why we need clear and consistent regulations to protect our Second Amendment rights that ensure a more just legal system.

Ervin and Hoover's Auto Key Card case underscores the urgent need for reform and greater transparency in the ATF's classification process. It also reminds us of the importance to stand together and continually advocate for our rights.

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