Rob Pincus
New member
In response to a couple of my posts people have asked that I explain the wallet holster deal..so here goes...
The ATF has decided that the Wallet Holsters which are sold for many popular small derringers and autos WHICH ALLOW THE GUN TO BE FIRED WHILE IN THE HOLSTER are consider AOWs. (Any Other Weapons). This is because one of the tenets of the description of AOWs is a device that is designed to not look like a firearm and yet fires a bullet (or somehting like that). I think this was designed to include cane guns and things like that. So the concept is that because it looks like a wallet and mugger may percieve it as a wallet as you are shooting him in the face with it the ATF thinks they should demand a tax on it. The little things were becoming very popular. They are a great way to carry the tip up Berettas, the Seecamp, several derringers and other little pistols. So, now you have to take them to a Class II manufacturer who must fill out the appropriate paperwork and register the combined weapon/holster as an AOW. Then you have to get a local LE signature, get fingerprinted, send the ATF the whole packet, with two pictures and a 5 dollar tax and wait for a few months. Then they send you a stamp that says you can own it. So you go pick it up and can have it, but if you are going to carry it, you better have a coppy of that paperwork that says it is a registered AOW. And, btw, you can't take an AOW out of your state (did I mention that several states have restrictions against various NFA weapons.. oops sorry, some of you can't have these at all now..) without filling out an ATF form 5320 and waiting a few weeks for them to give you specific permission to take the weapon to a specific other state for a specific purpose. AND, you better have all you paper work with you. The irony of the whole thing is that the paperwork you have to carry around will be harder to coneal than the damn gun! Muggers are going to start looking for people with manila folders and avoid them!
And, if you can't find a friendly Class II manufacturer to help you out, you will have to "MAKE" the AOW yourself, which will cost you a $200 tax! and you better not have the two "parts" of the gun until after you have recieved your approved form.
Did I mention that if you ever want to sell the gun or GIVE it to someone, you will have to do it through an NFA dealer and another $5 tax will have to be paid after that person goes through the same hoops you did to get the thing in the first place??
Initially, the ATF said that it was the actually "assembly" of the two parts that made it illegal, but there are several precedents for the ATF charging people with felony violations for the posession of parts which *could* bu used to build an illegal NFA weapon. Ie- you own a complete AR and a 10" upper. You could intend to some day put the 10" upper on the AR lower, thus making an SBR, which is controlled by the NFA.
So there it is, another wonderful ruling by the ATF designed to make our country a safer place.
The ATF has decided that the Wallet Holsters which are sold for many popular small derringers and autos WHICH ALLOW THE GUN TO BE FIRED WHILE IN THE HOLSTER are consider AOWs. (Any Other Weapons). This is because one of the tenets of the description of AOWs is a device that is designed to not look like a firearm and yet fires a bullet (or somehting like that). I think this was designed to include cane guns and things like that. So the concept is that because it looks like a wallet and mugger may percieve it as a wallet as you are shooting him in the face with it the ATF thinks they should demand a tax on it. The little things were becoming very popular. They are a great way to carry the tip up Berettas, the Seecamp, several derringers and other little pistols. So, now you have to take them to a Class II manufacturer who must fill out the appropriate paperwork and register the combined weapon/holster as an AOW. Then you have to get a local LE signature, get fingerprinted, send the ATF the whole packet, with two pictures and a 5 dollar tax and wait for a few months. Then they send you a stamp that says you can own it. So you go pick it up and can have it, but if you are going to carry it, you better have a coppy of that paperwork that says it is a registered AOW. And, btw, you can't take an AOW out of your state (did I mention that several states have restrictions against various NFA weapons.. oops sorry, some of you can't have these at all now..) without filling out an ATF form 5320 and waiting a few weeks for them to give you specific permission to take the weapon to a specific other state for a specific purpose. AND, you better have all you paper work with you. The irony of the whole thing is that the paperwork you have to carry around will be harder to coneal than the damn gun! Muggers are going to start looking for people with manila folders and avoid them!
And, if you can't find a friendly Class II manufacturer to help you out, you will have to "MAKE" the AOW yourself, which will cost you a $200 tax! and you better not have the two "parts" of the gun until after you have recieved your approved form.
Did I mention that if you ever want to sell the gun or GIVE it to someone, you will have to do it through an NFA dealer and another $5 tax will have to be paid after that person goes through the same hoops you did to get the thing in the first place??
Initially, the ATF said that it was the actually "assembly" of the two parts that made it illegal, but there are several precedents for the ATF charging people with felony violations for the posession of parts which *could* bu used to build an illegal NFA weapon. Ie- you own a complete AR and a 10" upper. You could intend to some day put the 10" upper on the AR lower, thus making an SBR, which is controlled by the NFA.
So there it is, another wonderful ruling by the ATF designed to make our country a safer place.