AZshot wrote on Jan 27
th, 2021 at 2:08pm:
Thanks for trying to answer. I think the entire ATF decision to pick a date and say everything before that is "too old to matter" is kind of goofy. They could change the date at any time, older or younger, or eliminate the loophole.
I personally think the date is silly also. But I wouldn't call it a "loophole". It's simply a date ATF chose to designate guns they considered too old to worry about tracking.
Now personally I feel a gun that's made in 1899 isn't any different than the same gun made before, and think they should simply say if the introduction date is pre 1899, then any identical guns built afterwards apply to the earlier date.
But that probably makes too much sense for ATF, so doubt they'll ever do so.
I went into my local Cabelas store back about 5 years ago, not long after it opened, as I heard they'd bought someone's collection. I found 4 old Marlins I wanted, and all were antique, and one was a Ballard Perfection. I negotiated a slightly lower price of 10% off all of them, even though they said they don't reduce prices until guns are there 60 days. But then they tried to do background checks and paperwork on all 4 guns!
I pitched a fit, and pulled my Marlin pocket sheet out with build dates per year by serial number, but since I homemade it they wouldn't accept it. Then as we're debating it I looked on their book shelf and they had a copy of Bill Brophy's book on Marlin history! I grabbed it and turned to p. 629 where the serial number dates are, and showed them all the guns were antiques! They gave in and sold them without paperwork.
But when I got to the checkout, the people there again tried to do paperwork, and I had to have them go back and get the manager of the Gun Library to come over and tell them they were exempt. They argued with him too, and wanted to do paperwork regardless, but finally gave in. Only took 2 hours to get through this checkout process! Lots of machines that resemble people at Cabelas, and are tough to reprogram!