Jeff Thomas
New member
Earlier this week I attended a federal hearing regarding the Bob Stewart .50 BMG case. The government's expert witness described how he assembled one of Stewart's kits, and then test fired a .50 BMG blank - brass, with a primer and small charge of powder. The defense attorney argued that this was insufficient, and their expert never truly assembled a working firearm. The government expert (BATF) argued that it could have fired one projectile, and that would have been sufficient (note, he didn't weld the shroud, pin or weld the muzzle break, adjust the headspace).
My question is this - if the BATF's contention is that anything capable of firing a projectile at least once is a firearm, wouldn't a lot of stuff at Home Depot qualify?
Seems to me, I could buy a length of pipe, and create something at the back end to hold the cartridge. All I'd need is some sharp object to jab the primer then, no? I've heard of 'zip' guns, and maybe this is what they are, essentially.
So, I'm not trying to make my own guns ... I'm just quite curious about this attitude on the part of BATF. It seems overreaching.
What do you 'smith's think?
Thanks. Regards from AZ
My question is this - if the BATF's contention is that anything capable of firing a projectile at least once is a firearm, wouldn't a lot of stuff at Home Depot qualify?
Seems to me, I could buy a length of pipe, and create something at the back end to hold the cartridge. All I'd need is some sharp object to jab the primer then, no? I've heard of 'zip' guns, and maybe this is what they are, essentially.
So, I'm not trying to make my own guns ... I'm just quite curious about this attitude on the part of BATF. It seems overreaching.
What do you 'smith's think?
Thanks. Regards from AZ