For a while now we have known that the ATF has had an interest in airsoft guns which they claimed could be turned into real firearms.  We discussed it extensively in the following three posts:

• Airsoft Gun Seizure – Apparently Toys Can Be Real Guns
• 80% AR-15 Lower Receiver V.S. Airsoft Lower Receiver – Is there a legal difference?
• Airsoft To AR-15 Conversion – Fox News And ATF Beating A Dead Horse

Well it looks like our “calling out” of the ATF to prove their case, finally got a response.  The results are what I expected, but hoped would not be the case.

The ATF response letter, dated May 19, 2010 (Click to enlarge):

I know nothing about airsoft rifles at all, but the letter is apparently regarding the JG M4 airsoft rifle (a copy of the Western Arms M4 GBB design). I am not sure if the WE TTI M4 shipment that was confiscated in Tacoma is still under investigation.

What does this letter mean for the (thousands of?) American kids who own these airsoft rifles? My guess is that if they do not destroy them immediately they will be violating federal law and their parents who are responsible for them could face long prison sentences, and/or substantial fines.

How are the majority of the owners of these airsoft rifles even going to find out that they are in violation of federal law? Who knows…

Pretty ridiculous if you ask me.  Why was this not decided as soon as the first shipment of these airsoft rifles hit our shores? Making people into criminals after the fact is not fair.

What do you guys think?

Hat Tip: ArniesAirsoft via Tim

Jessica Biel on the training she recieved for the new A-Team movie:

“I had this really sexy 9-millimeter Beretta, and I trained a lot with an M4 machine gun. Before, I felt very scared of guns. But you learn about them and then you feel capable, and it becomes an empowering experience.”

Full article at Glamour – HERE

Glad to hear actors and actresses speaking up about their love for guns.  Another one I recently talked about was Ashton Kutcher.

I wonder if Justin Timberlake (Biel’s boyfriend) likes guns as well?

A FoxNews.com investigation reveals that a popular recreational pellet gun can be converted easily to a real semi-automatic weapon. And while the federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is already aware of the issue, these “toys” — new, top-of-the-line airsoft rifles — continue to be sold throughout the country.

Full Story – HERE

Airsoft Gun Seizure – Apparently Toys Can Be Real Guns is the article I wrote back on Feb 28th on the airsoft gun seizure in Tacoma, WA.  I thought that situation would have been cleared up by now, but apparently not.

I said this once and I’ll say it again… if it can be “easily” converted, to me that means with the use of handtools in a few minutes time. Hell, anything could be made into an AR-15 lower receiver if you had the patience… why is the ATF not confiscating cutting boards, blocks of wood, billet aluminum, glass  etc…???  It’s nice to see that the firearms expert that they consult for this article actually is quoted saying the exact same thing.

The onus should be on the ATF to prove their case with a video or other detailed documentation. If they can not prove these toy guns can be “easily” converted then they should quit the harassment.

On 1 April, TACOM Life Cycle Management Command issued the Maintenance Information Message MI 10-040 “Camouflaging Specific Small Arms” stating that, given command approval, Soldiers are permitted to camouflage the M4/M16 weapon systems with paint.

See the guide in PDF format – HERE

As the guide says at the end, weapons painting has been elevated to a fine art. I don’t know where the awesome examples I saved on my harddrive went, but some of the paint jobs I have seen are breathtaking.  The example the have in the PDF is pretty weak looking as far as artistry goes, although it still would likely look better than black in the right environment.

I’d like to see the military started paying soldiers that are also artists extra money to paint rifles. The talented guys shouldn’t have to work for free just because their whole unit would rather not walk around with the plain old black color scheme.

40mm grenade launchers are NOT easy to get, they are classified as destructive devices and require an ATF Form 1.  Unless you talk to ABC news, you’ll find out that not too many people have them.

So why do so many companies make barrels with M4 profiles, if very few of us have M203 grenade launchers?

My theory is that a lot of people simply want their rifle to be very close to what the Military uses.   Whether or not they will be able to use aspects of the design is a moot point in their eyes.

Vuurwapen Blog has some great thoughts as usual (HERE)

Another good example of an aspect in design that few of us need, is the forward assist. Although I don’t shoot tens of thousands of rounds per year, I have never had to use it once and I’m sure most people can say the same.  Although I do occasionally see some n00bs at the range that repeatedly hit the forward assist with authority , after they seat a fresh mag and drive the bolt home.

Add Thailand to the list of places I wouldn’t want to be right now.  Just like the Kyrgyzstan riots I reported on yesterday, this also stems from the people’s problems with their government.

The shotguns in the picture appear to be Remington 870s

Picture #3 – Soldiers carrying HK G3 Rifles

Picture #6 – M16A1 rifles that protesters seized from soldiers

Picture #7 – M4 Carbine and a M1911 pistol

Picture #31 – Remington 870

Picture #33 – Piles of HK G3 rifles , M16A1 rifles, and some unknown break action single barrel shotguns seized by protesters

A couple of the pictures definitely look suspect when it comes to the real brand name weapons as opposed to clones.

Full Photo Set – HERE

That smirk is because of her 172 confirmed kills:

She even has excellent trigger discipline.

It appears she got issued a left handed M4, which strikes me as odd   Does the military issue both right and left handed guns, or are lefties told to suck it up and learn to shoot right?

Always nice to see some humor brightening up such a hostile environment.

Stay safe guys!

I was thinking some more about that recent ATF airsoft seizure and came up with the following…

For your information, per provisions of the Gun Control Act (GCA) of 1968, 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44, an unlicensed individual may make a “firearm” as defined in the GCA for his own personal use, but not for sale or distribution.

The GCA, 18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(3), defines the term “firearm” to include the following:

… (A) any weapon (including a starter gun) which will or is designed to or may be readily converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive: (B) the frame or receiver of any such weapon; (C) any firearm muffler or silencer; or (D) any destructive device. Such term does not include an antique firearm.

Source – ATF.gov

Another paragraph of interest…

Individuals manufacturing sporting-type firearms for their own use need not hold Federal Firearms Licenses (FFLs). However, we suggest that the manufacturer at least identify the firearm with a serial number as a safeguard in the event that the firearm is lost or stolen. Also, the firearm should be identified as required in 27 CFR 478.92 if it is sold or otherwise lawfully transferred in the future.

Source – ATF.gov

So… According to the ATF’s citations of the Gun Control Act and U.S. Code, you can make your own firearm and you do not need a FFL.

The ATF does not specify what material you have to use, and it does not put any restriction on making a firearm out of an object that previously had another use.  Hell, if you wanted to make a firearm out of a toaster, from what I understand you definitely could.

By that rationale, if you buy an airsoft gun that “Needs Machining” to complete its transformation to fit an AR-15 lower parts kit, is it not only considered a firearm once you complete it?

If you cannot drop a lower parts kit in those airsoft receivers without any machining then I think that is a VERY good argument that they are not firearms, and should never have been confiscated.

Ever since the military and law enforcement started using m16′s and m4′s produced by Colt, the company developed an elitist status because they chose largely to turn their nose up at civilian market.

Now they seem to want a piece of the market, with the new AR6720.

The fact the pricing for the Colt 6720 is being based on serial number just goes to show that you can’t shake old habits. I don’t know if the tiered pricing was decided by Colt or by Clyde Armory (the exclusive retailer of the 6720).  The serial number in itself obviously only has extrinsic value… meaning no one really cares what it is, unless you can find someone pretentious enough that “NEEDS” a certain serial number that you possess.  Unless of course for this model, Colt doesn’t clean or calibrate their machines after the first parts are made.  I guess that would make the later ones less valuable? heheh

Here is how the pricing goes…

• The least expensive guns are serial # 400 and up – $1200
• Most expensive serial # 11 – $3000

#1 – #10 are apparently “spoken for”

I’ll admit $1200 isn’t TOO terrible…  like Solomon at SNAFU! mentioned though, it is still quite a bit higher than similar offerings from Bushmaster, Rock River Arms, Armalite etc…

I don’t ever like telling people what to do with their money, but in my opinion if you even pay $50 more for a #300 to #399 serial you’re making a big mistake. No matter what, you are better off buying a different brand name AR-15 such as the ones mentioned above, and spending the left over money on ammo or a red dot optic.

Clyde Armory for purchase info on the guns – HERE

I didn’t report on this story when it first surfaced because I thought it was stupid, and would go away quickly.  But It didn’t.

TACOMA, Wash. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized a shipment of 30 machine guns that arrived in an ocean container at the Tacoma Seaport last October.

Officials say the shipment of M-4 automatic rifles, manifested only as “Toys and Parts,” was valued at nearly $10,000 and was shipped from a manufacturer in Taiwan.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms found that the rifles were tooled to shoot plastic balls, but replacement of internal components with original machine gun components would render the rifles capable of firing live ammunition.

“These rifles could have had far-reaching and potentially devastating ramifications if they had gotten into the hands of individuals who wanted to do harm in the American population,” said Customs and Border Protection Area Port Director, Rolando Suliveras, Jr. “This was a good interception by our officers.”

The guns will be destroyed.

Source – King5 News

Here is a news story on the incident:

Special agent Kelven Crenshaw has a bit of trouble with the magazine at 1:18   I guess they only teach the operation of the m4 platform in “extra” special agent school.

Interesting info from the company who got their guns seized, AirsoftOutletNW:

Now we at Airsoft Outlet Northwest, being the rational individuals we are, went out and had a gunsmith check the true compatibility of these replicas and found the following information:

• The WE TTI M4′s lack any sort of functional gas tube which is integral to an AR15′s operation
• The upper receiver of an AR15 fits onto the lower of the WE TTI M4
• The stock trigger pack in the WE TTI cannot strike the firing pin of a AR15 bolt
• The body of the WE TTI lower is several mils thinner than an AR15 lower, and shims would be needed for any AR trigger pack to work
• The trigger pack of an AR15 appears to be able to fit onto the lower receiver of a WE TTI M4, one of the AR15 trigger pack retaining pins is impossible to insert without major modification, and the hammer isn’t operable with the WE TTI lower.

The full article, Airsoft: An Industry Without Standard, is actually a really good read if you have the time, regardless of whether or not you are into airsoft.

The only real issue I would say may exist, is if you could put a REAL upper on an airsoft lowers and have it fire, either fully automatic or semi automatic.  The lower receiver of a M4/M-16/AR-15 is not subjected to any extreme pressures when a round is fired, so as long as the material the airsoft replica was made out of is semi rigid, it would likely hold up for a while at least.  That said, I highly doubt that any of the airsoft lowers would be able to accept a REAL upper, and fire without any modification.  Although the whole airsoft industry thrives on authenticity, it is not in their best interest to get attention like this, which is why I doubt the parts are exactly 1:1 interchangeable.

Basically, if the ATF claims these airsoft guns can be easily converted into real guns, they should just demonstrate the conversion, and put a couple of magazines through it.  There needs to be some accountability and burden of proof placed on these government organizations.

The artistic photographic series you never wanted to see:

“Yes, I was told that the gun had to match the mixer.”

valheru21 off AR15.com built the above AR-15 for his wife.  Apparently the color is “lavender” not purple.

If that’s what it takes for some girls to enjoy shooting, it’s a small price to pay!

Source – HERE

If life gives you no money for a rail mounted laser:

Improvise!

Apparently it was crashed and they decided to take it out for fun.  Pretty cool.

A military themed Rihanna video where she is in skimpy clothing, shooting guns, playing in the mud, standing on tanks etc…

Seriously what’s not to like?

For those that like rap I recommend her album. There are a ton of good songs on it.

For $8 with free shipping you can’t go wrong.

Of Eugene Stoner Guns…

Awesome video from AmericanRifleman.org

Hat Tip: ShoulderThing

Full auto shenanigans:

Want to see the hanguards on a M4 melt and start on fire?

Want to see the barrel on a M4 droop and then explode?

Those guys are having way too much fun at work

The M-4 carbine, one of the primary rifles used by the United States military, appears destined for a change. After concerns surfaced about rifles overheating in a sustained firefight in 2008 in Afghanistan, the manufacturer and the United States Army are close to agreeing on a modification to the weapon’s barrel that makes the carbine more resistant to the stresses of extended firing.

Full Article at the New York Times website – HERE

This is a continuation of my blog post on New York Times on the Making of the Military’s Standard Arms

For bulk purchasers, a new M-4 costs about $800 per rifle

I actually thought the cost would have been much lower.  A bulk price of $800 seems very steep.  I suppose these are not comparable to your average low end AR-15 though.

Full Article on the New York Times website – HERE

Hat Tip: SayUncle

You chased your floating cereal around the bowl for the last time.

The is where the Aimpoint guys chime in and say “DUDE, if you put a CompM4 on there you would never have to worry about losing power mid-meal for YEARS”