New Evidence Shows ATF Lied To Congress Regarding Determination Letters

WASHINGTON, DC –-(Ammoland.com)-The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has always claimed that it works on a first in/first out model for evaluating industry products for determination letters.

In multiple letters to Congress, the agency also claimed to have a 90-day turnaround time in issuing determination letters. Thanks to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by Len Savage of Historic Arms LLC, we know that is not true.

Mr. Savage, through his attorney Stephen Stamboulieh, has uncovered evidence that the ATF not only does not meet the 90-day turnaround time for issuing determination letters, but that isn’t even its internal goal. The FOIA request uncovered multiple letters to members of Congress such as former Rep. Mia Love (R-UT), former Rep. Raul R. Labrador (R-ID), former Rep. Bill Dold (R-IL), Former Rep. Devin Nunns (R-CA), and Congressman Bill Posey (R-FL) claiming the 90-day turnaround time for the issuance of determination letters. But in an uncovered PowerPoint presentation by the Firearms & Ammunition Technology Division (FATD) from 2021, the times are listed as six to nine months for industry evaluations.

The time frame given in the PowerPoint is a lot longer than what the Bureau has always told members of Congress. Looking at other FOIA requests for production releases, it seems that the six-to-nine-month time frame might even be an overly optimistic time frame for a lot of submitted industry samples. Also, there is a clear pattern that specific categories of items are intentionally processed slower by FATD.