2 Comments

  1. Gregory Markle on January 10, 2013 at 1:54 pm

    The NFATCA was heavily involved in this and I’m kinda pissed about it (I can see us having a talk at SHOT) because I think we are losing A LOT more than we are gaining in that exchange. Screw getting rid of the CLEO sign off if it eliminates the benefits of the trusts. The trust I have has six people on it so that I can store cans in my friend’s vault and allow another friend that is an 07 SOT borrow items for demos and so my brother can borrow items. I could see checking everyone on a trust when it is established and then doing updated checks if an item is added and/or having to update photos every 5-8 years. What they’re proposing is a logistical nightmare for the NFA Branch…and they haven’t really proven themselves capable of dealing with what they already have on their plate.



  2. Michael Giles on January 11, 2013 at 11:37 am

    As a 2nd Amendment attorney who drafts NFA Trusts, and represents firearms owners and retailers, I was interested in this proposed rule change. I had not heard specifically that the NFATCA was involved in proposing it but, based on a conversation I had with Dan Shea two years ago I’m not surprised. That said, I don’t think this is a knee jerk “throw some out of the lifeboat to save ourselves” move in response to the recent anti-gun move of the administration. It is my understanding this has been in the works for some time.

    While it remains to see if this rule change will actually be implemented, and I believe it will, it does not completely destroy the value of an NFA Trust or Corporate ownership of NFA items. If the goal is to allow multiple individuals to have access to and use of the item, such “community ownership” can most effectively be accomplished through a trust or corporate purchase. Likewise, intra family transfer (at death) without the issues of a family transfer through the BATF&E would not be affected so long as the intended recipient submitted the required identification information to be included in the trust/corporation. What this will do is eliminate the “I don’t want to do fingerprints, photo’s to the feds, or have the CLEO in my jurisdiction know I have a (can, full auto, AOW, etc.)” usefulness of the trust/corporate purchase.

    It will-and based on client calls already has-cause considerable consternation among the NFA loving subset who simply own but do not profit from the sale or regulation of such items. It is safe to say that NFA items are equally in the administrations sights and have much less sympathy from the general public, and even from the majority of “regular gun owners” in America.