When ATF agents allegedly showed up and made demands at the home of a Florida gun owner, they quickly learned they were messing with the wrong American, who had the wherewithal to capture it all on video.
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents have made headlines for showing up at the homes of gun owners unannounced with demands many see as utter harassment. However, when ATF agents showed up and started interrogating one man in Florida, gun rights and the Second Amendment experts say he did exactly the right thing.
The ATF agents claimed they were at this man’s home to enquire about solvent traps, which is a perfectly legal item that attaches to the barrel of a firearm and is used to catch and trap gun cleaning solvent during the cleaning process. Someone with criminal intent can convert solvent traps to become a lightweight “suppressor.”
Although the video is blurry, the conversation between the Florida gun owner, identified as “Nick,” and the ATF agents can be heard clearly. “Hey, Nick, what’s going on?” the ATF agent began. “We’re with the ATF. We’re here about a solvent trap that you ordered. Do you still have it?” The Florida man replied: “I’m not going to answer any questions.”
At this point, the ATF agent switches gears. “OK, um, we’re actually here to recover them because they are being used as suppressors,” he declared. “Do you have a warrant?” Nick asked the agent. The agent admits he doesn’t have a warrant. “I don’t have a warrant…if you let me finish I can talk to you,” the agent responds. The Florida man agrees he’ll listen. “They’re being used as suppressors,” the agent added. “Now, we’re just here to pick them up. If you don’t have it, you can sign that you don’t have it anymore…”
“I’m not going to sign anything,” Nick responds. “OK don’t sign anything,” the agent replies. “So, what will happen is, if you’re called you will be prosecuted federally, for an NSA item. OK? You’re obviously gonna be on the radar now…but I appreciate all the cooperation… we just came to pick it up and have it destroyed, um, but since you’re being such a polite person we’ll leave it at that.”
Once again, the ATF agent attempts to get the gun owner to admit something. “We know what you’re using it for, correct? You bought it to change your AR-15.” The Florida man refuses to take the bait. “No, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Nick replies. “Exactly,” the ATF agent responds. “This isn’t the first time we’ve done this.” The gun owner then says: “If you want to come back with a warrant, you can do that.” The back and forth continues for another minute with the ATF agents even demanding the Florida man “take his hands out of his pockets” while inside his own home but Nick continues to stand his ground.
Gun expert and YouTuber who goes by the name “Heavy Duty Country” weighed in on this latest incident, claiming the ATF agents threaten this lawful gun owner with federal prosecution over a legally owned item. “Notice the attitude on this ATF agent?” Heavy Duty Country said. “These guys are stopping by to collect something that’s legal this man has spent his hard-earned money on. Let me ask you a question. How many suppressors do you think are used in gunfights in downtown Chicago? Or robberies in New York? How many? I haven’t seen one, ever, caught online or in video. So what are you trying to stop here?”
Heavy Duty Country, who has over half a million subscribers to his YouTube channel, only had one thing he wished the Florida gun owner would have done differently when the ATF agent claimed they confiscate guns from violent criminals. “I wished he would have said, ‘I am a violent criminal?'” the Youtuber said. “What reports have you gotten that brought you to come to my house today because I’m a violent criminal? To take away my sh*t without a warrant. You guys have no warrant but now I’m going to be put on the radar?”
The popular gun expert then explained how he believes the ATF has its priorities screwed up. “It’s a lot of intimidation, it’s a lot of manipulation,” he said. “You guys go to this guy’s house to collect a solvent trap that can possibly be used as a suppressor—lowers [gunfire sounds] 20 to 30 decibels. Everyone in the f*cking world can still hear that. You still know it’s a gun. So, as far as priorities go, if this dude is a f*cking crazy person who wants to commit a mass shooting, is getting his solvent trap gonna do anything?”
This comes on the heels of another ATF incident. According to the Daily Caller, “Two Delaware ATF agents and a Delaware state trooper showed up seemingly warrantless, in tactical gear, to a man’s home and demanded he prove he did not make a straw purchase.” The homeowner said the situation was embarrassing. “My neighbors saw the whole thing – guys in these police vests standing in my yard. I was really uncomfortable. I felt really confused, like I was in some way being accused of something even though I didn’t commit a crime. It was quite embarrassing. I knew they couldn’t come in, but I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to get put on some watch list.”
