Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Making “stuff” is part of our DNA as Americans. Our ancestors had to grow their own food and make their own furniture, clothes, and tools. Today, whether out of tradition, self-sufficiency, necessity, or “just because we can”, many Americans continue to make their own “stuff”.
My mother would purchase paper patterns and order bolts of cloth to trace, cut, and sew her own clothes. She could have easily bought the clothes from Sears or Penny’s, but she chose to make them herself. Each year, my wife makes my son’s birthday cakes from scratch. She could easily purchase one from the bakery. Why bother with all the extra effort in a time where we can get a ”store bought” thing pretty easily? There is a definite satisfaction when you create something with your own hands.
Making “stuff” is part of our American DNA.
American citizens have been making guns since the beginning of our nation. If you didn’t make all the parts, you could purchase them separately and put the gun together yourself. Today, there are “kits” to make guns, guitars, radios, and water filters. Why are “kits” so popular? It is because making “stuff” is part of our DNA as Americans.
I personally have built many guns for my personal use. As a matter of fact, I have never purchased a completed factory built AR15. I have always built some part of each AR that I own. “Building” a gun is like putting together a kit. You purchase all the parts and then assemble the gun.
all but 2 of these rifles were built or referbished by the author, can you guess which ones?
I have also restored quite a few guns too. Recently, I acquired a Remington 1903-A3 that someone “sporterized” back in mid 20th century. That person years ago, took it upon himself to make a battle rifle into a hunting rifle. I took it upon myself to locate all the parts to put it back to its original glory. Why?
Because making “stuff” is part of our DNA as Americans.
Recently, I have dipped my toes into the water of “making” guns. Using a 3D printer, I am making the frame of a pistol, purchasing the metal parts kits to put into the frame and then assembling a finished product. Well, full disclosure, I have not yet completed a fully functioning model. I am still honing my craft. I am on my 7th frame. Each failure has taught me a new lesson. If at first you don’t succeed…. Keep going till you get it right… I ain’t quite there yet.
The idea that you can just “print” a gun and it will work is a complete fairy tale and a laughable proposition. 3D printing is a tedious, complex and slow process. I think the phrase “learning curve” is appropriate. A frame takes about 14 hours to print.
The 3D printer is like an automated glue gun. If you don’t have supports, then the design will fail. You can see an example of this in the picture above. The fame that looks like it has hair… that was my first failed frame. I did not build supports.
Once the frame prints, there is a great deal of cleaning to remove supports. Then you must fit all the metal parts into the frame. Then you must assemble the slide and put it all together. THEN it needs to function.
Right now, I am building a lower for a slide designed to shoot UTM training ammunition, however, I ultimately want to make a fully functioning 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
In many cases, if you discount your time, making something, rather than buying it from a store can save you money. I can say, in the case of making or building a semi-auto pistol, this is not the case.
An adequate 3D printer is $200 and up. Mine was around $300. The printing material is $30 and up. My first spool was $40 and I was able to make 7 frames, and a few other items. The parts kit to put into the frame was $116. A stripped slide can cost between $100-$300. The parts kits to put into the slide costs $40-$100. Then you still need to add sights. Then........ it needs to function.
If you are using a gun as a tool of self-defense, I recommend buying a Glock, M&P, or VP9 from your local gun shop. But if you are like me, and enjoy “making stuff”, you may choose to invest in the equipment and begin the process of making your own. I do not intend to replace my everyday carry gun with one of my creations.
If you are not into the 3D printer idea, but you want to “build” a pistol. You can purchase an 80% frame and do some work on it. Then get the parts and assemble the final product. However, they are not easy to find at the moment as Biden’s ATF keeps changing the rules on who and how they can be sold. This article on Bearing Arms gives a little more insight on that.
Building guns is an enjoyable, gratifying, and COMPLETELY LEGAL endeavor.
As the ATF continuously moves the goal post on this and many other issues, I would personally recommend that when you make or build a gun, put a unique identification number on it. Heck, maybe even put your name on it, Be proud of your achievement. Be proud to be a gun making American and celebrate our right to build the arms that we keep and bear!
We'd like to share a message we received from the Firearms Industry Programs Branch regarding the application of "Frame or Receiver" final rule:
Today, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives issued an open letter to all federal firearms licensees regarding the application of Final Rule 2021-05F, Definition of “Frame or Receiver” and Identification of Firearms, on partially complete Polymer80, Lone Wolf, and similar semiautomatic pistol frames. This open letter may be found on the ATF website.
In April 2022, the Department of Justice announced a new “Frame or Receiver” final rule, which modernizes the definition of a firearm. The final rule, which went into effect in August 2022, clarifies that parts kits that are readily convertible to firearms are subject to the same regulations as firearms made by a federal firearms licensed manufacturer. Today’s open letter clarifies to the firearm industry and the public how the August 2022 final rule addresses partially complete, disassembled or nonfunctional semiautomatic striker-fired pistol frames or parts kits manufactured, sold or distributed by Polymer80, Lone Wolf and others.
Partially complete Polymer80, Lone Wolf, and similar striker-fired semiautomatic pistol frames, including, but not limited to, those sold within parts kits, are regulated by the Gun Control Act (GCA) because they have reached a stage of manufacture where they “may readily be completed, assembled, restored, or otherwise converted” to a functional frame.
This definition of “readily” applies to each classification of a partially complete frame or receiver under this rule, whether sold alone or as part of a kit; therefore, even without any associated templates, jigs, molds, equipment, tools, instructions, guides, or marketing materials, these partially complete pistol frames are “frames” and “firearms” as defined in the GCA and its implementing regulations.
If anyone remains unclear about a specific model or configuration, they may submit a request with a sample to ATF, who can only render a formal determination upon receipt of a formal request and physically examining a submitted sample.
If you have any questions, please contact FIPB@atf.gov.
Despite the sensational headlines about cases of “undetectable” firearms, all firearms are heavily regulated under current federal law, regardless of how they are manufactured.
The 1968 Gun Control Act, the 1988 Undetectable Firearms Act and other federal laws all govern firearms produced by a 3D printing process or any other process, just as they apply to conventional manufacturing processes using machine tools.
What does it mean for a firearm to be “undetectable?” Some headlines suggest that 3D printed firearms are undetectable, as they are primarily made of polymer materials, not metal. Others warn about scary-sounding “ghost guns” that cannot be traced by law enforcement due to a lack of a serial number.
Undetectable Firearms
There has been a lot of media attention recently regarding so-called “Ghost Guns.” It is important to note that this term is one created by antigun groups and the homemade firearms to which they are referring don’t present a public safety problem. This video (CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE VIDEO) delves into some of the common misconceptions regarding these firearms.
3D Printers Cannot Produce An Undetectable Firearm
Setting aside the fact that 3D printing is a high cost, limited production technology that does not present a public safety risk, it is already illegal under the federal Undetectable Firearms Act to manufacture, import, sell, ship, deliver, possess, transfer, or receive an undetectable firearm. Even firearms produced with 3D printing technology are required to include a component made of metal, and hence detectable by metal detectors and x-ray machines. In addition, ammunition cartridges are made with metal components that are detectable. Of course, even without metal components, current Transportation Security Agency (TSA) screening machines will detect an object, regardless of its composition.
3D Printing of Firearms
It's high cost, limited effectiveness, and the need for highly-skilled experts to use this technology mean that criminals are not using — and will likely never use — 3D printing to produce firearms.
Ghost Guns Are A Gun Control Bogeyman
Americans have always had the ability to legally make firearms on their own and some choose to do so as a hobby. It has not created a wave of “ghost guns.” It has allowed individuals who are passionate about building their own firearms to assemble them in their homes. This is the exception, not the rule. The overwhelming majority of firearms are bought through commercial sales, produced by manufacturers and sold by retailers that are federally licensed and regulated.
What is not legal is manufacturing firearms without a federal license. As established by the Gun Control Act of 1968, federal law requires a license to engage in the business of dealing firearms.1 The phrase at stake is “engaged in the business,” which is defined in current Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) regulations. The phrase “engaged in the business,” as applicable to a firearms dealer, is defined as a person who devotes time, attention, and labor to dealing in firearms as a regular course of trade or business with the principal objective of livelihood and profit through the repetitive purchase and resale of firearms, but such term shall not include a person who makes occasional sales, exchanges, or purchases of firearms for the enhancement of a personal collection or for a hobby, or who sells all or part of his personal collection of firearms.2
In order to comply with the law, a new “dealer” would need to apply for and obtain a license, including paying the required fees and submitting to a background check and fingerprinting, comply with state and local laws (including state licensing in the 15 states where required), local business laws, and zoning laws which may or may not allow the individual to operate what would likely be a home-based firearms business. The “licensed premises,” likely the gun owner’s private home, would have to be open to ATF inspection once a year.
ATF policy for many years has been that the licensed premises must be open to the public. Indeed, item 11 of ATF Form 7, Application for License, requires applicants to list hours of operation for all seven days. Applicants would have to get ATF approval to operate by appointment only.
Among myriad other requirements, the new licensee must keep and maintain for life federally mandated records on the acquisition and disposition of firearms and must keep any Form 4473 for at least 20 years.3 All firearms in their collection which are for sale would have to be entered into the acquisition and disposition record. In addition, they would have to register with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s background check system, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), request the FBI or Point of Contact (POC) state to run the background check for each transfer, report to ATF and their local chief law enforcement officer on the multiple sale of handguns to the same person within a 5 day period, report lost or stolen firearms to the ATF and to local authorities within 48 hours, and provide Youth Handgun Safety Act notices and a gun safety device with each handgun sold. When a licensee goes out of business, which might include any year that they would dispose of fewer firearms than the number established by regulation, it must send its required records to the ATF Out of Business Records Repository.
Firearms are not the only area where such a distinction exists between a hobby and a business. Consider the fact that it is perfectly legal to prepare dinner for one’s family and friends in one’s home without a federal license. Yet, if the same person decides to open a restaurant and prepare the same food for others as a business, that business is subject to a set of laws and regulations designed to keep the restaurant industry safe. Federally licensed firearms retailers are committed to following the laws and regulations that apply to their businesses.
Criminals Break The Law
If the argument is that criminals won’t follow the existing laws and regulations, there is no evidence they will abide by new laws. By definition, criminals don’t have respect for the law. According to a government survey of prison inmates, over 90 percent of inmates obtained their firearms from an illegal or black-market source or from friends and family. Enacting further laws at the state or federal level to make the possession of an illegal firearm more illegal will not deter criminal behavior.
Rather than layering another level of regulation on law-abiding hobbyists and businesses, lawmakers should seek enforcement of the existing stringent laws and regulations.
FOAC-ILLEA has just signed on as a sponsor for the 3rd annual National Gun Makers Match being held in Monroeville at Pitcarin-Monroeville Sportsmen’s Club on April 22nd, 2023.
Gun making is an American pastime that should be celebrated. For those that are good with their hands, gun making is an American Right that should be exercised.
The first official shooting competition exclusively for individuals who make their own guns!
Making your gun is a fun, educational activity for firearms enthusiasts. The Maker's Match will provide an opportunity to show off your work while testing your shooting skills against other do it yourselfers.
The National Gun Maker's Matches feature both 3D Printed and Kit Built Divisions have competitions for Rifle, PCC/Braced Pistol and Pistol. There is also a side match for Fully Printed Firearms.
There will also be a “build a gun” class on Thursday, April 20th for folks who are curious about the process of gun building. Stay tuned for details and registration information.
If you are a builder and would like to enter to compete, CLICK HERE.
Come join FOAC-ILLEA and many law-abiding gun owners from across the country who will converge on Pittsburgh to celebrate our right to build the arms that we keep and bear.
During a special board meeting on December 23rd, 2022, FOAC-ILLEA President appointed Lisha Mihalko to one of the vacant board positions. The current officers and board unanimously confirmed Lisha’s appointment.
Lisha has been a volunteer at the gun bashes and has been a regular team member at the FOAC-ILLEA legal seminars. We look forward to working with Lisha to help realize the mission of FOAC-ILLEA.
Congratulations on your appointment Lisha!
It has been a long tradition to hold the FOAC-ILLEA Meetings on Sunday and “in person”. The “covid” years of government overreach and lockdowns have changed how FOAC-ILLEA and many other organizations have held meetings. The “Zoom” meeting has become the standard and many organizations have maintained “virtual” meetings as their format. FOAC-ILLEA adopted a hybrid format of meeting in person and also “simulcasting” the meeting via zoom. In an effort to make the meeting more accessible to it’s members, the officers and board have decided to change thing up a bit. We will be cycling the meetings.
The next FOAC-ILLEA Meeting will be held virtually on THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2023 at 7PM EST. The February meeting will be on the appropriate Sunday in a the traditional hybrid format. We decided to try this alternating format to see if more members are able to “tune in” on a weeknight rather than on a Sunday morning. FOAC-ILLEA President Jim Stoker will be sending out the meeting notice, log in information and agenda a few days before the meeting. Keep an eye on your inbox!
FOAC-ILLEA presents Concealed Carry Seminars with Pro-Liberty Elected Officials, works with County Sheriffs at Satellite License to Carry Events, provides information tables at Gun Shows, and organizes for Pro-2A Rallies and events. To see the most up to date schedule of FOAC-ILLEA Events, CLICK HERE.
As we move into 2023, we will certainly face new challenges as the Federal and State Government will likely take new steps to disarm the citizens. Ask yourself… why do so many in the government want to deprive the citizens of measures that they themselves employ for THEIR personal security?
Take the White House for example.
A tall, guarded iron fence surrounds the grounds…. yet we have an open border where ANYONE can cross with little or no consequence.
The windows of the White House are bullet proof, yet many in government want to outlaw body armor for civilians.
There are multiple "on site" forces that guard the White House; Police, Marines, Secret Service….. yet in any town USA, Police Departments are defunded or neutered by policy and understaffing.
For the average citizen, when seconds count police are minutes away. That is why we, just like the security at the White House, arm ourselves. Yet, this President and many in government are actively trying to disarm the citizens.
To be able to enter the White House, you must first be screened. If you have a criminal background, you will likely be turned away (Unless of course if you are a close relative of an inhabitant). Yet, Democratic Prosecutors across the Nation are letting known violent criminals loose in our own communities, allowing the fox to rule the henhouse.
These are just a few examples of how Government excels at protecting the “elected class”.
Every American has the right to protect themselves and those that they love. For most of us, whether it be a financial or a practical issue, arm ourselves. I am my own family first responder. Why is the government constantly finding new and creative ways to stifle, restrict, or abolish my ability to do that very thing?
We must FIGHT to protect our God given, constitutionally guaranteed rights and even take back the lost ground that has been given up by politicians and apathetic gun owners or ground stolen by tyrants with in our own government.
Rather than make a New Year’s resolution that you will forget in a week, perhaps make one that will change your lifestyle for the benefit of Liberty. Each day…. do one thing to further the cause of Liberty:
-educate and motivate a friend to join FOAC-ILLEA and get involved
-buy a family member a FOAC-ILLEA membership
-teach a friend or family member proper gun safety
-contact your elected representatives and let them know WHY you values the 2A and Article 1 Section 21 of the PA Constitution
-urge elected officials to support pro-liberty / pro-gun legislation
-donate to the FOAC-ILLEA legal war chest
-stay informed, vote, and email, call, and talk to elected officials regularly
History teaches us that with the political makeup of the State and Federal Legislative and Executive branches…. We are in for a DOOZIE of a 2023. Get ready for fights! Be available to write emails, make calls, go to Harrisburg to help us lobby and attend committee meetings. Be ready!
On behalf of myself and the officers and board of FOAC-ILLEA, we wish you and your family a happy, safe, and prosperous 2023. May we ALL be empowered by our freedom… in spite of the efforts of those who are in office!
Stay Armed and Be Well Regulated!
Yours in Liberty,
Klint Macro
1st VP of FOAC-ILLEA
FOAC-ILLEA is continuing to fight for the hearts and minds of our fellow Pennsylvanians to promote individual liberties and freedoms. We are steadfast and resolute and dedicated to protecting our Constitution and advancing the cause of the 2nd Amendment and Article 1 Section 21 of the PA Constitution.
FOAC-ILLEA’s educational efforts are expanding across the Commonwealth. FOAC-ILLEA volunteers are teaching more concealed carry classes each month and additional virtual education events are forthcoming.
FOAC-ILLEA is continuing to fight in the courts. Whether this means new litigation to challenge local tyrants, fight the bureaucrats that make it harder for Pennsylvanians to exercise their most basic rights, or the funding of amicus briefs to support others who are already involved in court battles, we are actively helping to establish case law that will help advance the cause of liberty.
FOAC-ILLEA volunteers research proposed legislation, consult with experts, and offer advice to elected officials about legislation as well as educate the public on the strength or folly of legislation that could have lasting positive or negative effects upon our liberty and the liberty of our children.
Get involved!
If you have read this entire newsletter and made it here to this statement… you are already interested and vested.
Donate your time, or your talents, or your treasure. VOTE pro-2A and get your friends to vote pro-2A as well. Become a member and get your friends to become a member. If you are already a member, consider “upping your membership” to a higher level. Join us at the gun bash, purchase a ticket. Volunteer to help at the bash. Volunteerto join a committee to send emails, write letters, make phone calls… NOW IS THE TIME TO DO. DON’T PUT IT OFF. “We the People” have been sitting on the sidelines too long.
An Armed and Educated Citizenry is the true check and balance in our Constitutional Republic and the ultimate homeland security!