A coalition of antigun forces is urging the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to shut down Polymer80, a popular manufacturer of AR receivers, pistol frames and handguns.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Keechant Sewell, and Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund are behind the move to get the ATF to revoke Polymer80’s federal firearms license.
They claim that 86 percent of the 1,475 so-called “ghost guns” entered into the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network database in 2019 were manufactured by the Nevada-based company.
“We must get ghost guns out of our communities, and those that manufacture them must be shut down,” said Mayor Adams.
“This manufacturer has operated with impunity for far too long. The ATF should shut down Polymer80 now and put an end to this clear and present danger to public safety.” –@NickSuplina https://t.co/CzkAJtLaZA
— Everytown (@Everytown) May 11, 2022
“Polymer80’s entire business operation presents a clear and present danger to public safety through New York and the entire country — not only selling guns, but also marketing an entire lifestyle brand that celebrates violence and lawlessness,” Adams continued.
SEE ALSO: Good Guy With Gun Attempted to Stop Mass Killer in Buffalo
“As mayor of the largest city in America, a former police officer, and co-chair of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, I have a message for Polymer80: We will not surrender our city to a violent few. No one is above the law. And the law is coming for you,” he concluded.
It’s not clear how the company, which caters to hobbyists and DIY-ers, is flouting the law. Home gun making is protected by the Constitution and a longstanding American tradition.
Additionally, Polymer80 has already been targeted by the ATF. Back in December of 2020, agents from the agency raided Polymer80 in an effort to seize the company’s “Buy Build Shoot Kits,” on the grounds that they were “firearms” under the law — not unfinished, 80 percent kits.
At the time, the company responded by saying it was doing everything to “cooperate with law enforcement.”
“In short, Polymer80 is committed to discharging all of its responsibilities and duties as to them, as well as vigorously protecting its rights under the law. We will continue to monitor all developments as they arise,” they stated.
The ATF did not shut down Polymer80 following that probe. It stands to reason that if Polymer80 was doing anything illegal, ATF would have revoked its federal firearms license back in 2020. But, as mentioned, it did not.
However, what has changed since that incident is the Biden administration, in April of this year, officially banned the sale of certain unfinished frames, receivers, and kits nationwide. This new rule will go into effect in the coming months.
Per a White House “fact sheet” released on April 11, “This final rule bans the business of manufacturing the most accessible ghost guns, such as unserialized ‘buy build shoot’ kits that individuals can buy online or at a store without a background check and can readily assemble into a working firearm in as little as 30 minutes with equipment they have at home.”
SEE ALSO: Leaks Show ATF LIED to Persecute Polymer80
Antigun activists believe now that the Biden administration’s moved the goalposts on what’s considered a “firearm,” it should also necessitate the disbandment of a company that hasn’t broken the law.
“Ghost guns are a dream come true for criminals, so it should come as little surprise that Polymer80, the largest maker of these untraceable weapons, has shipped its deadly goods to felons,” said John Feinblatt, president, Everytown for Gun Safety.
“Now that President Biden has taken action against ghost guns, it’s time for ATF to do its job and shut down Polymer80,” he added.
GunsAmerica reached out to Polymer80 for comment on this matter.
“Polymer80 is a lawful company, has always complied with laws, and will continue to comply with laws,” the company said in an email to GunsAmerica.
“Polymer80 has always defended, and will continue to defend, the Second Amendment and the rights of customers to lawfully engage their freedom,” it continued. “We believe the new rule is, among other things, unconstitutional and infringes or violates law and are weighing all legal options.”
Polymer80 flat-out said that the new rule and this coordinated attack on its right to conduct lawful commerce will not stop its “growth or mission,” adding, “We will continue to grow and innovate and be a leader within the industry.”
Gun Owners of America (GOA), a pro-gun organization, defended Polymer80 in the wake of this call to run them out of business.
“This is nothing more than total B.S.—that is, Blame Shifting by the anti-gun Left,” said Erich Pratt, Senior VP of GOA in an email to GunsAmerica.
“For two years, they have advocated policies to defund the police and throw criminals back on the street. But rather than blame their own failed policies for the rise in crime, Leftists are instead trying to blame homemade guns for the rise in crime. However, the actual statistics don’t support their claims,” he said.
To further his point, Pratt noted the following:
According to the Department of Justice, privately made firearms were found at 692 homicide or attempted homicide crime scenes over a six-year period. That means that, at worst, out of more than 16,000 yearly murders, homemade guns are used in around 115 homicides per year. That’s far fewer murders than many common items which are easily found around one’s house — such as knives (1,476), hammers or blunt objects (397), or fists and feet (600).
“The spike in crime across our country is the result of the failed leadership and the social policies of left-wing radicals. It has nothing to do with firearms enthusiasts building guns in their garages and home workshops,” he concluded.
Biden’s new rule will go into effect on August 24, 2022. Stay tuned for updates.
Regarding the shutting down of one thing or another, rather than shutting down Polymer 80, or any other legitimate business operation, shutting down the ATF makes more sense
mpre
I do not believe that 1,475 “ghost guns” have been seized by the ATF. They are probably including guns that the criminals have ground off the serial numbers. Secondly, Polymer80 does not manufacture firearms or completed receivers or sell them, so they do not need a Federal Firearms License to stay in business. They are saying Polymer80 sells a kit for building a firearm, so now they need that license. If they would just sell the receiver making kit, with no parts, it would not be “readily” built? Also, I am a machinist, and I hereby certify that no one can build an AR in 30 minutes from these kits unless they have a production line set up for that (which is already totally illegal to do).
Up until the (translated-from-nazi-1934-gun act) gca’68, there were millions of firearms, some of rather good quality, manufactured here in the land of the free and the home of the braves (and the yankees) which were not given serial numbers. This debateably trows them into the ghost gun category, which ah ga-rawn-tee some B.A.T.F. et.c desk pilot has already thought of, years ago, but is waiting to bombshell us with. Best thing is, they dont know who has them…or how many there really are…..as gen’l burgoyne discovered at concord bridge, this aint england! And im sure few who feel they have the power to do so, much regret waco or ruby ridge, and we have seen will say damn the laws, this is for the greater good. They have people who wiil write them a law to cover it, just in case…personally, i dont own any p80 types, im not a fan of plastic, and, not a great maschineist, would prefer it be done right were i to consider a metal p80 type.
Eh, that was gen’l gage, not butgoyne, (he tried to take new york, not bahston), mea culpa.
Why is the ATF still allowed to be in power? Ban the ATF forever
There is no logical nexus between a ghost gun and the ability of bad guys to get a gun.
How in the world is shutting down a company in Nevada going to stop a mass murder in New York.
All these pronouncements are mere empty words by politicians… politicians that are stuck on the anti gun merry go round with lame solutions and excuses… when they should be making it easier for law abiding citizens to protect themselves from violent attack.
Imagine if a couple of the people in that Buffalo had been able to return fire because they were legally carrying their own firearms. That’s a more plausible scenario than preventing a company in Nevada from manufacturing something anyone could create at home with machine they could buy from Amazon.
This administration has literally become The Gong Show! Law enforcement hasn’t even confiscated 20,000 hammers yet. And while I’m not a ‘home machine shop’ kind of guy, if these ‘kits’ can be finished and become a working rifle in 30 minutes I’m heading down to Harbor Freight today and buy what I need. Gong!
And note, the politicians seem to think the kit comes compleat, but for a few hand-drilled holes, for that 80-100$ pricetag! Go-o-o-n-n-n-n-g-g-g-g-g-g!!!!!!
Aquaman,
We are discussing the validity of laws for here in the USA. If you have a different set of problems in your country and your government has no constitutional protection for the rights of an individual, you can ban whatever you wish.
I am not well versed on the laws concerning the home completion of one of these kits but I believe that it is legal to complete the kit and own one but it is not legal to sell the completed firearm to another person without adding a serial number to them. Maybe one of the more informed commenters can clarify this for me.
I would love to see one of these lib tards try to buy and build one of these kits. What’s the matter? I thought you said you could build a ghost gun in five minutes. Fucking morons.
Dinna ye ferget, me bucko, these communards majored in pansies (eh, the flower..) vs dandelion i.d., bee social structure, ( the grasshopper and the ant are ancient capitalist robber-baron fiction) and flowerweaving by moonlight, have trouble changing the refill in their ballpoint pen, and feel david (i.e. goliath q.v.), washington, and patton are a manifestation of the inherent violence of our society. They are beholden to trust the word of their not-a-religious-leader of their not-a-religion, and it is no stain upon their soul (for they have one, and the non-believers do not) if their leader (they would want i should say Leader) happens to be wrong, or even lieing. Just sign me, “irredemably deplorable”.
Biden says the Feds have confiscated 20,000 ghost guns. BS, lets see the proof.
Send in the Clowns! One has to wonder why it is that people in power sometimes shave their heads? Is it to make them look more masculine? Is it a mark of Authority? Anyway, if “Polymer 80” goes out of business, do any of these people think that unregistered firearms (Ghost guns*) will go away? Since apparently these good folks napped during history class, one hesitates to point out that as long as there have been firearms, there have been “Ghost Guns” aka “Zip” guns or “Holdouts”…the names are legion.
Yet, apparently these good consumers of tax dollars don’t realize that simple fact.
While I do support sensible regulation of firearm access and use (Eddie Eagle type) I can’t support arrant stupidity, which the Anti-Firearm crowd appears to have a surplus supply.
Ahh, Democracy: (the System, not the Party) Giving us the type of government we Deserve to have since 1776. You’d a’ thunk we’d a’ learned somethin’ since then…
Democracy, bah. We are a Republic. The only ones voting demoncrat, are the 43% romney said would never vote for him, and the spineless mugwump fencesitters who call their undecided selves independents. And some whacko r.i.n.o nevertrumper traitor types. Vote! Pick a side! If it happens to be the right one, so much the better! Altho, if you decide not to decide, you still have made a choice…..
Stop voting for DEMOCRATS and most of the lawlessness and moral decay will go away.
It also looks like stupid citizens dont care about their constitutional rights or rule of law either.
We don’t need congress or the courts anymore since the president AZ nd or agencies can arbitrarily make new laws. We are truly a banana republic police state with no rule of law. I’m sure the clowns in black robes will be able to find this new found power in the constitution that the rest of us cant find in the 40 page document like they found the right for hags to murder the youngest among us.
Putting it simply, why are our lawmakers allowed to create laws that have proven not to affect the criminal misuse of firearms but only serve to put the public in danger by creating laws that prevent self-defense. As long as the government continues to consider everyone with a firearm to be a potential criminal, we shall always have unstoppable crime. Making it difficult to obtain firearms by the law-abiding only creates more easy victims for the criminals.
Are you saying that the president and or fed agencies are law makers? And are you stating that congress can overturn constitutional rights without going through the constitutional amendment process?
The ignorant left does not care about statistics. Criminals steal guns or trade for them on the black market. These anti-gunners are responsible for bringing this country down, they should face the gallows. Si Vis Pacem Parabellum!
Partially correct,
I’m from South America, you have not idea how many of those P80s are in hands of criminals down south. Easier to get 100 of those export them almost legally and build them. Not that many AR and Glocks likes down the border to steal. Why not making it with serial numbers, 80% serialized for someone to build at the same price?