The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is at it again—this time targeting a long-accepted gunsmithing practice they previously approved: the pin and weld.
Thanks to a FOIA request by Gun Owners of America (GOA), we now know that a rogue ATF agent is pushing a bizarre reinterpretation of what constitutes “permanent” barrel attachment.
And if this view spreads within the agency, millions of law-abiding gun owners could find themselves in legal jeopardy.
ATF Says “Approved” — Then Tries to Ban It
The pin and weld method is used by gunsmiths across the country to comply with the National Firearms Act (NFA). By permanently attaching a muzzle device to a barrel under 16 inches, gun owners can legally bring the barrel up to required length—no tax stamp needed. It’s not a loophole. It’s ATF-approved, backed by a 2006 letter affirming the practice.
But now, the ATF’s Firearms Technology Industry Services Branch (FTISB) is attempting to flip the script.
In a case involving Amchar Wholesale’s imported Beretta handgun, ATF acknowledged the company used a standard blind pin and weld. But after clamping the pistol in a bench vise and aggressively wrenching on it, agents managed to unscrew the barrel extension—then declared the attachment “not permanent.”
Let that sink in: ATF broke the gun using brute force, then used that as evidence it wasn’t compliant.
Who’s Behind It? A Familiar Name
The letter was signed by none other than Eve E. Eisenbice, a name that should send chills down every gun owner’s spine.
Eisenbice is the same ATF agent who:
- Claimed a water bottle might be a firearm.
- Classified a cheek rest as a stock, causing a gun owner to be charged under the NFA.
- Testified in court that pillows and potatoes can be suppressors.
And now she’s targeting one of the most common compliance methods used by gunsmiths nationwide.
GOA Raises the Alarm
GOA’s Ben from the Minuteman Moment called it what it is: “a rogue attempt to rewrite ATF policy with zero legal basis.” He added, “Any grown man or woman cranking on a pin and weld in a vice can break it. That doesn’t make it illegal.”
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So what happens next? Will ATF start subjecting everyone’s rifles to a “vice torture test”?
Could your legally compliant rifle suddenly be deemed an NFA item because of a single bureaucrat’s whim?
What Gun Owners Should Know
Pin and weld is not a loophole. It’s lawful, approved, and widely used. If the ATF changes its stance through the back door—without rulemaking or legal authority—it sets a terrifying precedent.
Fortunately, the tide may be turning. GOA notes that the Trump administration replaced ATF chief counsel Pamela Hicks and fired Marvin Richardson, the architect of the pistol brace ban.
A more pro-2A administration could finally gut the anti-gun rot inside the ATF—starting with bureaucrats like Eisenbice.
Until then, gun owners must stay vigilant. GOA promises to keep fighting—and you can bet this won’t be the last time the ATF tries to regulate through sabotage.
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