A former Marine and gun-store owner is pushing back against the federal government, refusing to turn over a list of customers who purchased an item needed to build firearms in the interest of protecting their privacy.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives approached Dimitrios Karras, the owner of Ares Armor, and asked for a list of customers who purchased the base needed to build an AR-15. According to Fox 5 San Diego, the agency threatened to shutter the Oceanside, Calif., gun store if Karras refused to turn over the list of more than 5,000 customers who purchased the item.
“They said either give us these 5,000 names or we are coming in and taking pretty much anything — which is a huge privacy concern and something we are not willing to do,” Karras, a former United States Marine, told Fox 5.
According to the ATF, the part, an 80 percent lower receiver, is illegal if not compliant with the agency’s specifications.
The bases made by a manufacturer and sold by Ares Armor are made of plastic and come in different colors. The part shows customers where to drill to make building the rifles easier and cheaper.
The ATF says this specific make is illegal, and gun stores selling the part have been instructed to turn over lists of customers who possess them.
Karras, however, argues the agency doesn’t have an interest in investigating his business, but rather his customers.
“They were going to search all of our facilities and confiscate our computers and pretty much shut down our business,” the former Marine said. “The government invades our privacy on a daily basis, and everyone seems to thinks that it’s ok. This is one of those situations where hopefully the judicial system will come in and say ‘this is private information, this is protected, and no, you’re not taking it from them.'”
To prepare for a potential raid from the ATF, Karras filed for and was granted a temporary restraining order against the agency, which prevents them from taking their property.
The ATF now has the opportunity to respond.
