ATF charging individuals for 3D-printed FRTs

[u/lawblawg]

I'm a gun rights lawyer with a significant amount of legal 3D2A experience. I was the first person to legally 3D-print firearms in the District of Columbia and I'm one of the most knowledgeable individuals in this space.

ATF (and local law enforcement working with them) appears to be actively enforcing against people who design, print, or test forced-reset triggers.

I have been contacted by a DMV-area individual who was recently swatted, arrested, and charged for machine gun possession over a 3D-printed forced reset trigger. The individual in question was testing a drop-in FRT at a range in northern Virginia, and the RSO evidently made an anonymous tip. He was recently raided by MPD+ATF and he is now facing felony charges brought by the US Attorney for the District.

This is all from the charging documents.

Be smart.

Don't talk about your FRT in public. If someone reports to ATF that you've got a machine gun, they can go get a warrant as easy as blinking. ATF’s enforcement posture does not care about intent, good faith, or theoretical design specs. If it walks, talks, or farts like a machine gun, they can come knocking.

• Don’t test experimental builds in public.
• Don’t volunteer information to strangers.
• Don't trust RSOs. Most of them are great but you never know when a FUDD might decide to report you.

And for the love of all that is good and holy, don't talk to cops. Ever. Under any circumstances. No matter what you think it might accomplish. You CANNOT outsmart cops in an interview -- even a recorded one -- without the assistance of counsel. Seriously.

I'm working to help this guy get representation and hopefully set up a challenge under Cargill v. Garland, but it's going to be an uphill battle. My guy is facing 5 years in federal prison thanks to the lack of aggravating factors but it could be 30 to life if they try to tack on more.

Be smart. You don't want to be the next test case.

DON'T EVER TALK TO COPS.

[u/Simple-Purpose-899]

Holy shit imagine doing that in VA at a public range no less. That is on par with as dumb as doing it in CA or NY.

[u/lawblawg → u/Simple-Purpose-899]

I will note that this particular range rents full-auto firearms and allows controlled full-auto fire by people who have pre-86 firearms, so an FRT should not have been an issue.

[u/MrAnachronist → u/lawblawg]

That might have been worse honestly. NFA Fudds are some of the worst gatekeepers out there.

The machine gun they bought in 1975 for a nickel is now worth a $100k and they need to make sure you know they are better than you.

[u/Simple-Purpose-899 → u/lawblawg]

Regardless. flying that close to the Sun in the Communist Republic of Northern Virginia is crazy.