powerboatr wrote: ↑Fri Jun 02, 2023 10:47 am
Rafe wrote: ↑Thu Jun 01, 2023 11:35 am
TL;DR: We're likely to win this battle...eventually. But the new rule went into effect at 00:00 today and even if you're an FPC member in Texas whose membership was active prior to their filing the injunction, don't take your pistol-with-brace combo to the range because you very well still might be arrested and have to defend your position.
From what I've seen so far, all plaintiffs who have filed, including GOA, are wanting the best possible chance at receiving an injunction for relief so they've kept the scope of the filings very narrow. But it's eventually going to take a case that addresses all owners of pistol braces who, for a decade, had been assured by the ATF that they were legal. And that might mean it will have to go to SCOTUS...and if so, we may not get this 2nd Amendment overreach overturned until 2025.
this made me wonder...does law enforcement frequent your local range to SEE what people have???
our range has one day a month for local police to practice and "STUFF" and range is closed during those 4 hrs, you can watch...just no firing line setup or shooting
other than that LEO are never there. but in some cities i guess it would be an easy picking day for leos
I agree about the "Range Karens." And, quite honestly, I wouldn't be particularly concerned about the local, county, and even many of the Texas State LEOs jumping at the opportunity to demand NFA paperwork from somebody with an AR pistol...at least, not if they aren't shouldering it and peppering targets using a foregrip and other such add-ons. I wouldn't bet a felony arrest on it, though.
But in answer to LEOs frequenting the ranges I go to, yes; absolutely. You don't always know they're law enforcement because typically they're there shooting/training independently, not under the auspices of their department or precinct. The ranges
do periodically have times blocked off for that purpose. But I gotta tell ya, it's the LEOs I've met over the years who actively practice on their own and do stuff like shoot IDPA/USPSA that I want showing up to an active scene. In most cases--and I don't want to over-generalize--I've seen a cavernous difference between LEOs who seriously train independently and the ones who simply want to get through the mandatory qualifying for the year.
But thinking back to one of the ranges, the now-closed Hot Wells Shooting Range (the property was officially
listed for sale last February), they had a separate (short) range near the entrance for LEOs. I was allowed to shoot there since I'd passed several quals with the range instructors. But because it was a drop-in-anytime small range area dedicated to LEOs, I met folks ranging from uniformed county deputies to plain-clothes DEA and ATF.
If I had an AR pistol with a brace on it, I wouldn't be pulling it out regardless...but certainly not if I had any inkling that some of LEOs might be federal.