ATF Ordered By DOJ To Redefine Brace After Gun Companies Lobbied for it

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I wanna know who the bastards were in the gun industry that secretly lobbied the ATF.

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2017/11/10/bosco-ceo-sb-tactical/


Then, on the Friday before the 2015 SHOT Show, the ATF issued a dramatic reversal of their original approval letter stating that using a brace in a manner that was not consistent with the original design (shouldering) could constitute the weapon being reclassified as an NFA item. The path that led to the reversal was convoluted – outside letters flooded the ATF about use cases seeking clarification. “The gun industry has a tendency to eat their own,” said Bosco.

But individuals writing letters weren’t the only trigger for the ATF’s reversal. A few unnamed manufacturers and distributors, sitting on large stockpiles of SBRs, underhandedly lobbied against SB Tactical’s braces through back channels. Eventually, news of the stabilizing brace “loophole” made it to the top levels of the Department of Justice who in turn “advised” the ATF to reinterpret their use. And the reversal was issued.

Over the course of nearly two years, Bosco spent an enormous amount of time and money lobbying the ATF, his congressmen and other industry leaders to reverse the 2015 reversal. During this time, sales initially spiked in the first few months and then plateaued. He attributes the period of slower growth not because of the ATF’s decision, but to a momentary lack of innovation. “Businesses need to keep innovating to be healthy.”

After relentless lobbying, in the Spring of 2017, the ATF finally clarified that the incidental shouldering of a pistol stabilizing brace would not be considered as making an NFA item – the latest letter being specific to SB Tactical’s products. Coupled with their newly released designs like folding, collapsing and adjustable models, sales once again skyrocketed.

Although obviously humble, Bosco is aware that he and his team have reshaped the pistol AR, AK and pistol caliber carbine (PCC) market. Once a niche area littered with padded buffer tubes and pistol endcaps, platforms that had originally been considered NFA-only territory were now opened to a whole new segment of shooters. And a look at SB Tactical’s diverse product lineup is proof – alongside the AR pistol designs and Sig Sauer offerings are Heckler & Koch roller locks, B&T, 12 gauge firearms, CZ USA, AK47 and a host of other manufacturers and platforms.
 
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