Matthew Larosiere

Early Access: A History of ATF Saying Weird Stuff Are Machineguns

Should I do a livestream?

Hello friends. I'm looking for ways to make the channel better and do more content. Some of you have floated the idea of a weekly or semi-weekly Q&A livestream. I don't hate this. But what do y'all think?

I know I can't do Wednesday or Thursday because that's when all the other streamers are on. So I'm between Sunday and Tuesday. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I've been quiet - why? (FRT and Russian Ammo Ban)

I was recording a video to respond to the FRT thing, when suddenly I fell quite ill. I've been barely able to stay conscious for more than 2 hours since then. As soon as I'm physically able, I'll be making a video breaking down and demystifying the FRT and Russian ammo ban situations.

While I'm here typing, though, I'll say a couple things about both:
Ammo ban: there's a lot of confusion here. For one, very few Russian firearms eligible for importation remained by 2016, and the Trump administration shut off almost all that remained. As far as firearms go, this present ban eliminates everything else.

Remember the focus on importability is location or origin. That screws the proverbial dog for anything remaining right now, and some other stuff that we were used to getting in.

This present ban is under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991.

"What?!" you might be thinking, and that makes sense.

A year ago Russia may have kinda maybe allegedly poisoned someone a little bit. Well, under the present administration's interpretation of the 1991 Act, that's something they need to do something about right now. There are some things that a US president must do when another country engages in chemical warfare, and other things that are discretionary.

It probably won't surprise you to find out what category the ammo ban fell under: discretionary.

The president has the discretion to choose 3 sanctions from a long list, and "import controls" are one of them. So of course, he picked something completely random out of a hat, which had nothing to do with any political motivations at all.

We've dealt with sanctions under the 1991 Act before, and they've lasted long after the impetus for the sanction was long forgotten. It is yet another tool in the mercantilist toolbox to punish our "enemies" abroad by cutting off our own people from the products and services they want.

FRT: The trigger was designed by a lawyer to specifically not be a machinegun under the letter of the law. I have examined one extensively and I am fully convinced it is not a machinegun under the letter of the law. I am also fully convinced that ATF does not care a single mite what the law actually says.

BTS: Shooting Printed and Weird Blasters

I've been working on a video delving more into the background of that 308 I posted before, and thought you guys might be entertained by a little B-roll from when I was getting shooting footage. At the range we did some more testing of the CETME, the Walther frame I designed, as well as a couple of other blasters.

Early Access: The Texas Suppressor Bill

Early Access: Felon Disenfranchisement

Next Episode: Felon Disenfranchisement

Just wanted to give you guys an update on the next episode, coming out early in the week. I realized just how deep the confusion is on felonies and how they impact the right to keep and bear arms. Various federal courts of appeal have bought the conception that prohibiting felons is a "presumptively lawful" thing rubber-stamped by the Supreme Court, but the history, and the actual words of the Court, have something different to say.

It might be a bit controversial but I think it's extremely important to talk about. The United States has an extreme overcriminalization problem, and the right to arms was never intended to be forfeit for weird statutory felonies.

For example, a man from my holy nation of Florida was charged with the felony of "polluting to harm humans, animals, plants, etc" after releasing a dozen heart-shaped balloons to impress his sweetheart. As many Americans have criminal convictions as college degrees. I hope it will do some good to cover the legal history of this matter. I'd appreciate any comments or anecdotes y'all might have that I could include.

Early Access: This Week in Guns

It's gonna take forever for ad review, so enjoy this one early!

Update (how ya been? I missed you.)

I wasn't able to upload last week as I've been super buried helping to write institutional comments on the frame or receiver and pistol brace rulemakings. I'm really sorry! More uploads are coming very soon, but for now, I thought you guys might enjoy these snippets from my drafts:

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One of many unprecedented and constitutionally suspect changes to the American legal system in the New Deal era, the National Firearms Act of 1934 (“NFA”) identified and severely regulated several classes of arms. It is well known that, in its original drafts, the NFA intended to impose “near-prohibitory controls on…handguns.” Towards that end, the Act regulated short or cut-down rifles and shotguns in an attempt to prevent an end-run around the handgun tax. This treatment of “pistols and revolvers” was eventually removed, but the regulations on other short firearms remained: a vestigial, twitching dewclaw of a failed attempt to erase the handgun from American life.

Of course, that leaves us where we are today: our nation’s highest Court has recognized that handguns―the shortest, most concealable firearms of all―lie at the very core of Second Amendment protection, in part due to the commonality of their use. Now the ATF, seemingly spurned by the commonality of use of a class of handguns, appears to endeavor to to treat them as regulable “Short Barreled Rifles” (“SBR”s), a class whose divination was to―it bears repeating―prevent people from creating the functional equivalent of handguns from long guns.

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Further, the word “circumvent” is itself problematic. To “circumvent” is to “find a way around (an obstacle).” “Violate,” on the other hand, is to “break or fail to comply with (a rule or formal agreement).” In common parlance, then, to “circumvent” a law is more similar in concept to “narrow compliance” than a violation. Narrow compliance, of course, is what most would call “following the law.” We have thoroughly reviewed the statutes at issue and cannot find therein a source of argument for the contention that ATF is tasked with punishing individuals endeavoring to comply with the law.

Early Access: The Absurdity of ATF's Brace Rule

By popular request.

Patron only: What's the Next Episode? & A Discussion of NY Gun Laws

The Official Proposed Frame or Receiver Rule - Change Analysis

I did this change analysis between the leaked document and the proposed one we saw put up this week. I thought y'all might like to see it. They're insubstantial enough so as not to warrant another video - instead I'll be doing a video on how to write an effective regulatory comment. But I thought I'd share my revision analysis with you all!

Substantial changes:

• P7: They’ve added an analysis suggesting that whatever part of the gun accepts full-auto parts ought be considered the “frame or receiver” because the GCA and NFA refer to machinegun “frames or receivers.”
  • This doesn’t follow logically. If it’s a full auto, the receiver is the receiver just like it is for S/A. Especially given that the MG definition adds ‘will also include’ as an afterthought, not as something to direct what defines a frame or receiver.
• Needlessly doubles down on AR-15 being originally manufactured “almost exclusively for military use”.
  • Interesting grammatical slip-up, referring to “all of” AR15s being manufactured “almost exclusively” for such. Lol. They previously just straight referred to them, grammatically, as mil-only.
• P10 They double down on strikers (aka “linear hammers”, which have been known as such since the mid-1800s), not being around when the GCA was written.
• P11 Fixed an issue where they previously contended the GCA wanted all “major parts” serialized, they changed this now to “frame or receiver.”
• P12-14 They buttress their case for requiring homemade guns to be serialized by asserting that, since the government recovered PMFs, it is “not unexpected that numerous Federal criminal cases have been brought” to counter illegal trafficking in PMFs.
  • Inappropriately refers to PMFs presenting an international enforcement problem.
  • They’ve added just about every half-rate report on 3D printed guns used in crime, from a whole host of less-than-neutral sources.
• P15 They delete an admission that law enforcement records may over-include PMFs because LE often fails to include sufficient data to determine the origin of crime guns.
• Throughout: added express references to it being necessary for the frame or receiver to be visible from the outside of the gun, or at least some component be visible, including on the new suppressor “frames or receivers”.
• Throughout: More explicit references that ATF may decide guns have more than one frame or receiver.
• P32: They haven’t fixed the AR70 issue, which could make felons of AR70 kit owners upon final. This is of course right after asserting that it is NOT intended to reverse previous decisions, and then immediately reversing a long-held determination.
• P35: Partial frames: Specifically contemplates additive (3D printed) receivers that are not yet “readily made” into a frame or receiver. Excludes castings and forgings from definition, but refers to finished castings and broken molded designs as “partially complete” and thus regulated.
  • This assuredly would move the point of required recordkeeping further up the line on the manufacturing side.
  • Adds “damaged” frames or receivers. This might screw up re-weldable parts kits.
• P57: Made clearer that the purpose of recordkeeping modifications are so that any FFL who marks a PMF will have to keep the records forever like a manufacturer/importer.
• Absurdly, contention is made that the rule change is not economically significant.

Actual Definition

• Frame or receiver: added a note that it is a part that, when assembled, is visible from the exterior.
  • This could exclude bolts? But likely not as at least some of the bolt is generally visible from the outside.
  • Includes “bolt carrier” in “fire control component,” which may save them.
  • In “fire control component” adds “continue” to the definition “necessary for the firearm to initiate, complete, or continue” the firing sequence.
• They included the same image of an AK receiver twice at 83.
• Adds 7 factors for consideration in determining what part is the frame or receiver.
• 97 Problematically refers to “manufacturer{s}” of PMFs. This would be very difficult to square with the rest of the rule change.
• 106 Explicitly covers C&Rs in indefinite record collection.

Early Access: The Fight over 3D Printable File Distribution

Here y'all go! Will be public on YT once all the checks are done.

New video coming, and why I'm late (again)

Hey guys, I try to upload every Friday. I'm really sorry I planned poorly and some other matters pulled me away from producing this week's content. I've got it done, and will have it edited and released tomorrow.

This week's video is on the current hubub regarding distribution of gun files online. Is it legal? What's the government going to do? It's a hell of a complicated tale, and I'm hoping I can boil it all down into plain English for you all. I'm going to make some changes and push stuff forward so that I can release videos on Fridays in the future. Thank you for bearing with me!

Updoodle

Was doing a lot of traveling over the last week. Got some awesome video to incorporate in a big coming episode on assault weapon bans. This week's video will be on executive power, intended to quell some of the panic on the recent Biden mess, and take a look at what we'll actually expect. That will drop either tonight or tomorrow. Thank you all so much for being so handsome and wonderful.

Early Access: The Most Dangerous Question Asked in 2A Circles

Here's an early look at the next episode, I'll schedule it for Friday. It's a bit of a departure from the norm, but would love to hear y'alls thoughts.

Very Early Test of Foldygun

Thought y'all might get a kick out of this. Learned a lot about the design from these tests. Quite a few changes to make, but pretty happy with how it's going.

This week's video will be a little late

I've been working on two separate videos, one on the autokeycard debacle and one on the history of the term "assault weapon." I dove really deep into the latter and have been tied up, so won't be able to release either on Friday. But y'all will have early access to the second video, so at least there's that.

Patron Pod 3 - Encounters of the Fudd Kind

We sit down with our friends Othais, David, and Jameson to talk about some absolutely ridiculous real life fudd interactions.

Patron Pod 2: Mini Road Trip and Constructive Content

During my road trip to pick up a KLR650 that my buddy bought, I think aloud about the "constructive intent" video and talk about ideas for the next episode, including some of my research into early NFA history.

Bonus content: high speed failure analysis

The Breda was exhibiting some weird failures, so Othais from C&Rsenal helped me get high-speed footage. We reviewed it to determine the ejector wasn't popping up in time, causing cases to shlyly bump off the bolt face when the bolt returns forward. The way the ejector interacts with the trigger could also be impeding with burst ratchet advancement. We're going to try a stronger ejector spring and see what happens. But the video might be entertaining to you guys:

https://youtu.be/S7CVx5gaV_g

https://youtu.be/DCzLKYQyCu0

Behind the scenes: Testing the printable M10 mag

Just a little tidbit. This is us testing the very first thing I designed in CAD from scratch: a printable grease gun/M10 mag. Super pleased!

Let's Pick the Next Bustin' Video

Help me pick. My ability to decide is stunted by my Yorkshire terrier-esque focus.

The Buster Bar & Grille Patron-Only Podcast Nr. 1: The Foldy Boi

Here we discuss our latest project, what's been going on in the FuddBusters discord, how we feel about the latest news, and some more.

What feature should I add to all patrons?

Hey guys, I've been looking around at other creators and talking to some friends. I want to make sure y'all have a fulfilling experience and that we can help things roll for more content. I'm considering adding another benefit for all tiers. What do you guys think would be the best fit?

Thank you so much to my first patrons!

You guys are really making me feel motivated to keep going. I've sent all of you a discord invite, to feel free to join in and take part in the discussion. I'll be working on the page and more perks for you guys very soon.