ATF Seizes 30 Toy Guns, Infuriating Local Business Owner

ATF seizes 30 toy guns, infuriating local business owner

This is absolutely ludicrous, I would think this guy would be able to find a lawyer pro-bono..

Brad Martin and his son, Ben, sell the Airsoft BB guns from their store in Cornelius where they’ve been in business for seven years. The Martins said they buy their stock from Taiwan because the merchandise is less expensive. But the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives seized a shipment of 30 in October. That shipment is worth around $12,000 and the ATF is promising to destroy the entire shipment.

Special Agent Kelvin Crenshaw said the toys can be easily retro-fitted into dangerous weapons.

"With minimal work it could be converted to a machine gun," Crenshaw said.

Brad Martin is furious about the loss of money, for sure, but also in what he now thinks as a loss of his time and the use of government agents to seize toy guns.

[edit on 2/28/2010 by nasdack24k]

It has been a long time since Ruby Ridge and Waco. The poor ATF needs something to do to kick an American.

The work it would take to make a plastic gun to fire real ammunition would be better spent building a gun from scratch. Blueprints are available online and it is not like the technology does not exist to make a fully working replica of a 1920's Thompson.

Seems like they are just trying to set a precedent for other confiscations. The idea that they confiscate toys because they can be converted, when it would be much easier and effective to convert a real AR-15 or any other semi-auto, is a farce.

Like many other aspects of erosion of freedom in America, the government is using any stretch of the imagination to exert power and control over its people.

Get use to it or do something about it people!!!

Kelvin Crenshaw, the agent involved, should lose his job. So should his boss, and his boss, and all of his coworkers in the ATF. The ATF should not even exist. Kelvin Crenshaw should be taken back in time and handed over to the country's founding fathers. He could serve as an example of what will one day happen to the country they set out to build.

This is crazy to say the least. What are they going after next.
I just had a scary thought. They could come after my Makita BFR750 next. I guess I better get rid ot it ASAP

Heres a 22 caliber modified Well air soft bb gun. I can see how the gun is being banned.

www.youtube.com...

www.youtube.com...

reply to post by JBA2848


That's not a "modified airsoft gun". That's an already existing .22 put inside the body of an airsoft gun to make the .22 *look* like a smg. So there's not a firearm here where there wasn't one already.

So your post in no way supports the idea that airsoft guns are a danger to national security.
See how that works?

Perfectly legal full auto air machine gun.(in most of the US)
Sale or possession of air guns are usually unregulated in most U.S. States. A few U.S. states and municipalities restrict or prohibit air gun sales or possession in some manner, including: New York, New York; Camden and Newark in New Jersey; Johnson City, Tennessee; Chicago and Morton Grove in Illinois, and the states of New Jersey, Illinois; San Francisco, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and State of Michigan[7]. Additionally, ordinances in many cities prohibit the discharge of air guns outdoors outside of an approved range.
Airgun Regulations: Airguns are not subject to the US Gun Control Act of 1968 and many other firearm laws.
www.daystate.com...

www.spudfiles.com...

The plans can be downloaded from the internet.
Get a copy of the plans now while you still can.

Under the US laws the ATF had no right to Seize these Guns.
The laws the ATF can enforce would only start AFTER these airsoft guns WERE converted.

I've heard of certain types of airsoft AR-15 styled rifles that use a metal lower receiver that can be easily drilled to accept an actual AR-15 bolt carrier, barrel, and fire control group...a quick google search however turned up nothing...

In today's post-911 world, if you had one of those automatic airguns as in the vid, that shot metallic bullets/BBs/pellets/whatever, you would probably be arrested for having a "dangerous device" or some such nonsense....basically there are laws so broad the cops can interpret them however they please

ATF is getting to be the laughing stock among certain circles and this latest act of imbecilic behavior is tops. What a waste of time and tax payer dollars doing things that obviously have no real intent but to harass and sell the anti-2d amendment. ATF is a politicized arm of the federal government and sooner or later someone is going to show the ATF in a court of law that being stupid has a price.

With so many guns in the hands of so many drug types, why is it we don't see the big bad bold ATF in the hood taking guns away from real criminals? I will tell you why, because its easier to act like a bunch of grocery boys sacking groceries for a bunch of snot eared grocery clerks working for a grocery manager.

They unfortunately are a victim to their own hype and the public sees just how unaccountable the ATF has become and pretty soon that arrogant attitude will go the way of the dinosaurs. To that I say, good riddance.

I'm burying my old Nerf guns now; for all the ATF knows I could easily modify them to use compressed air-canisters and modified metal darts.

There was a time not too long ago when a story like this would only have appeared on April 1st but now it looks like it will be impossible to stop this from proceeding.

reply to post by nasdack24k


I like the quote "with minimal work" as if he has many hours of working on AR-15s or M-4s in the armory. In these airsoft rifles, the upper receiver assembly, or barrel could NOT be used in a real firearm. As soon as you realize this, the "minimal work" theory goes out the window. Period.




[edit on 1-3-2010 by xman_in_blackx]

So we are now going after toy guns because the "COULD" be altered to fire real rounds? Guess what ATF? I can alter a clear plastic water gun pistol to be a single shot derringer. RAID THE WALMART!!!! Seriously, I played airsoft, doing military recreations scenarios up until about 2 years ago. Nobody that I knew that had them would ever convert them like that. So because it is possible the American Thought Force can now pre-emptively know that all of those wepoans were going to be converted. They must have had a training class by Tom Cruise on pre-crime.

Remind me again why we even need an ATF. This is a typical case of a typical federal law enforcement agent abusing his or her authority. Too bad the Branch Davidians didn't kill the jerk.