I remember probably 6 or 8 years ago when these things started getting popular a large number of guys writing the ATF so they could get individual letters with their names on them stating that a brace does not make an SBR.
Writing a letter that goes, "Hey, I'm pretty sure this is illegal, but you say it's not, so... do you mean it?" is a stupid idea. If I had to guess based on what I was seeing at the time, at least several thousand guys did exactly that. No one was pretending that there was a significant difference in function between a braced pistol and an actual SBR. It was always a loophole and I think most of us were surprised it existed to begin with.
I don't agree with any of it, but I'm honestly surprised it took this many years of poking the bear right in the eye to get a reaction... although this is like the 5th or 6th reaction because guys just can't stop poking the bear.
Exactly this. It's as if we had people assigned to write letters to the ATF that we're begging them to make something illegal just so the letters will stop.
Every lawyer knows: don't ask the question if you don't already know the answer or aren't will to risk an answer you won't like.
Some of these letter-writers I just want slap in the back of the head and yell "Dummkopf!"