ATF "sweating bullets." THIS is some of what frightens the ATF about the Hollis case. Also, Dean Weingarten asks Mossberg some direct questions and comes up with interesting answers.

In a word, discovery.

Now, put that bit of ATF legerdemain in suppressing evidence of their arbitrary rule making together with this Dean Weingarten article: "Short 12 GA 'Firearms' Proliferate; Mossberg quells rumors." (Although just exactly how much "quelling" going on here remains to be seen.)

These short guns firing shotgun shells have obvious self defense applications. There is no reason why these guns should be treated any different than ordinary pistols. Functionally, they are either large pistols or small shotguns. Both shotguns and pistols are constitutionally protected by the Heller and McDonald decisions. There is no valid reason for treating these firearms any differently than other shotguns or pistols.

Except for the legacy issues created by the NFA, GCA1968, FOPA and the various BATFE letter rulings. Those are what puts the ATF in a box, and why they are reported to be sweating.. dare I say it.. bullets. . .

The mere pictures of the above firearms show how arcane and irrational national firearms law has become. There are people in jail for possession of firearms that are no different, functionally, from what the ATF has ruled do not require $200 taxes and do not fall under the NFA.

The ATF is facing multiple federal lawsuits relating to the manufacture of muzzle brakes and machine guns. Any one of these lawsuits is likely to be granted discovery of all the ATF regulatory letters. At last report, in the late 1990's, there were over 300 cubic feet of them. Those will reveal a web of contradictions, that are not allowed under the Constitution with the Heller and McDonald decisions.