ATF Bastards Raid KT Ordnance

[Dirigo]

ALERT FROM JEWS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF FIREARMS OWNERSHIP
America's Aggressive Civil Rights Organization

June 8, 2006

JPFO ALERT: ATF Raids KT Ordnance!

Yesterday we received word that KT Ordnance, manufacturer
of incomplete (80%-finished) frames, was raided for the
alleged "illegal manufacture of firearms." KT Ordnance has
been a great asset to those who wish to purchase unfinished
reeivers with which to anonymously manufacture their own
firearms c-- a perfectly legal process, according to the BATFE
website ( http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/faq2.htm#a6 ).

You can see from photos of the AR-15 kit
( http://www.jpfo.org/kto1.jpg and www.jpfo.org/kto2.jpg) that
the product cannot possibly be a functioning "firearm" --
it's simply a chunk of metal! So how can this happen?

Early reports suggest that -- as Len Savage warned us in
his "Talkin' to America" interview
( http://www.jpfo.org/tta060508.htm ) -- the BATFE has
arbitrarily decided that certain products have the "features
and characteristics" of firearms. As can be expected, there
exists _no_ definition of exactly what "features and
characteristics" are in question at this time.

Other reports indicate that much of KT Ordnance's inventory
is being confiscated, and computer hard drives have been
duplicated, although the computers themselves remain at KT
Ordnance's location.

It appears that certain government agents are indeed getting
desperate. Richard Celata, owner of KT Ordnance, has been a
long-time supporter of JPFO and a staunch defender of the
Second Amendment (see our alert at
http://www.jpfo.org/alert20050513.htm ). Did the raid take
place because of his association with a Jewish civil rights
organization? Was it related to the upcoming UN Conference
on small arms ( http://www.jpfo.org/alert20060523.htm )? Or
could it be because too many gun owners are discovering that
building their own firearms is simple, anonymous, and LEGAL
(according to the BATFE's own site -- see above)?

Details on the raid are at this time very, VERY sketchy. We
will continue to report on this outrageous, vindictive action
by the BATFE as more information comes in. Visitors to the KT
Ordnance website will note that the site is no longer online.
Richard has informed us that this was to prevent orders from
coming in during this time, as there is no way to know what
is being monitored or otherwise tracked by BATFE.

JPFO and Gun Owners of America (www.gunowners.org) are working
to establish legal defense for KT Ordnance, and will keep you
posted on our progress. In the meantime, please spread the
word far and wide about this outrageous, indefensible action
by the BATFE. Ask questions and _demand answers_ from those
in power who claim they are "friends" of gun owners.

We must do what we can to help and support our brothers-in-
arms at KT Ordnance.

- The Liberty Crew

as usual, the NRA is doing nothing, since this isnt one of their advertisers

 

[MidKnight]

Wow. Just... wow.

 

[Lugnut]

I thought that is the part of the AR that IS considered the firearm? Everything else can be purchased w/o being a firearm dealer. It is surprising to me as I would thing the barrel is more of what makes a firearm... No way to launch a bullet out of a frame/reciever...

 

[Scrivener]

Under Federal law, the LOWER receiver of an AR is a firearm (as opposed to Mass. law). Whether the kits in question qualify as finished lower receivers is the question.

And whether KTO is an NRA advertiser is irrelevant.

 

[MarkM]

The maker of the 80% receivers went through all the rigmarole of getting the BATFE to approve them as non-firearms so the receivers were legal.

I think they didn't like the "picnics" he hosted where he would show people how to finish the receiver etc.

It is perfectly legal (as far as federal law is concerned) to buy an 80% receiver and finish it yourself, you can even sell it eventually as long as you made it for yourself without the intention to sell.

There are also the rumors of the guy not paying taxes for 20 years however, not sure how accurate those rumors are.

 

[LoginName]

I think they didn't like the "picnics" he hosted where he would show people how to finish the receiver etc.

There used to be someone up in NH that hosted similar picnics except it was with 80 % 1911 frames (the side rails had to be cut). The frame was set up on the milling machine and all the person had to do was push the start button and they were legally completing the frame themselves.

Maybe someone here recalls the guys name and if he's still around?

 

[MarkM]

There used to be someone up in NH that hosted similar picnics except it was with 80 % 1911 frames (the side rails had to be cut). The frame was set up on the milling machine and all the person had to do was push the start button and they were legally completing the frame themselves.

Maybe someone here recalls the guys name and if he's still around?

It is the same guy, he moved.

 

[M1911]

The frame was set up on the milling machine and all the person had to do was push the start button and they were legally completing the frame themselves.

That sounds rather dubious to me, as though he was really pushing the line.

 

[LoginName]

That sounds rather dubious to me, as though he was really pushing the line.

From what I've been reading it seems like Mr. Celata took great pride in being "a person of interest". I have little doubt that the ATF, IRS and FBI has had him under a microscope for a long time and were just waiting for the chance to pounce.

A few years ago when he was still living in NH, I wanted to take a trip up there and complete an 80% 1911 frame (this was at least a year before S&W started manufacturing MA compliant 1911s). Unfortunately (or fortunately), I wasn't certain if the POS vehicle I had at the time would be able to make it up there and back so I never made the journey. He probably would have been an interesting person to meet once or twice, but not someone I'd want to be associated with on a regular basis.

Lacking any more details (other than the JPFO release), I'm guessing that Mr. Celata had been keeping things just on the very edge of legal, but when you're under that kind of scrutiny, a person had best be sure to dot evey "I" and cross every "T".

 

[KMaurer]

There used to be someone up in NH that hosted similar picnics except it was with 80 % 1911 frames (the side rails had to be cut). The frame was set up on the milling machine and all the person had to do was push the start button and they were legally completing the frame themselves.

The way to do it if you wanted to fly under the radar, rather than becoming a cause célèbre, would be to simply sell the frame. Of course there just happens to be an agent of a completely independent machine tool firm out front, handing out flyers hawking their "rent-a-mill" services down the street, where they just happen to have the mills already set up to run your frames through.

You can either get the job done, or you can go on a quest for those 72 virgins promised to the martyrs. Frequently the two goals can interfere with one another.

Ken

 

[M1911]

Lacking any more details (other than the JPFO release), I'm guessing that Mr. Celata had been keeping things just on the very edge of legal, but when you're under that kind of scrutiny, a person had best be sure to dot evey "I" and cross every "T".

Thing is, that legal "line" is often not that clear. Different attorneys and judges can have different opinions.

If you keep pulling the tiger's tail, eventually he's gonna turn around and smack you.