Met an ATF agent today!

[Bigtanker]

I was at Dunhams in Mishawaka this afternoon. Walked back to the gun section and checked out what they had. (Bushmaster 5.56 $800) There was another guy back there waiting to be helped. We chatted a bit about the ammo shortage and that he was looking into buying a 22lr AR-type rifle for his kids.

Once the sales person showed up, the stranger told the sales guy to help me first and I said that was ok and he was here first so help the other guy. He told the sales guy to show me what I wanted to see, the HK 22 ar type and the SAS 22 with the fake supressor (which felt really good with the rubber fore end) I was done coonfingering, said thanks and turned to check out the targets behind me.

Thats when the stranger told the sales guy that he was with the ATF and was looking for some info from the 4473 that was used to buy a Saiga in November. I didn't expect to hear that. The sale guy said he had to get the manager and stepped away. I turned back to the guy and said "I expected to hear that from a guy in a black suit and dark shades." He laughed and "Just plain clothes today. I'm just trying to find out some info on a box for this gun we found in a house we raided."

That was all that was said as far as why he was there. I didn't pry because it was none of my business. He asked how that SAS felt and I told him it felt good but I think I would want one with a real supressor. He asked "They are kind of pricey." I said about $350 for the supressor and $200 for the stamp and 6-9 months wait. He said he thought they were over $1000.

I could see he was printing on his right side but didn't ask or say anything. We talked about gun saftey and kids (I had my 2 1/2 year old with me.) He had a few teenage boys that loved to shoot.

As this point the sales guy came back. I said nice talking to you and left.

That was all. Nice guy.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

If you have been to a gun sho, you have met an ATF agent.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

...so no curb stomping? Must be new.

 

[Que]

If you have been to a gun sho, you have met an ATF agent.

 

[MrsGungho]

met a few ATF agents in my day, all wearing normal everyday clothes. No suits.

 

[LEaSH]

They all have the same haircuts, though.

 

[Expat]

I avoid talking to strangers at gun shos.

 

[BKExpress]

I don't even know what to think about ATF...

 

[SSGSAD]

I don't even know what to think about ATF...

I DO !!!!! It SHOULD be a convience store, NOT a Gov. agency !!!!!

 

[longbow]

atf + the red fluid in my tranny

 

[miguel]

I would bet there are ATF agents on INGO.

Of course they are probably the guys *****ing about not being able to use the classifieds because they don't have 50 quality posts.

 

[Pinchaser]

Ummmmm.......ok. If you say so.

 

[miguel]

It's a joke...

 

[other dave]

I would bet there are ATF agents on INGO.

Of course they are probably the guys *****ing about not being able to use the classifieds because they don't have 50 quality posts.

All kidding aside you can bet ATF monitors this site, Armslist, and all the online gun related auction sites!

 

[jeepfreek]

We had an ATF agent get his car serviced at the shop I worked at for years. One day early on I looked out and the mechanic was checking out the shotgun in the agent's trunk. OUT side of the trunk.... He was a really super cool guy but probably would not have liked the mechanic playing with his tools. I'm sure the mechanic would say the same about his as well. lol

 

[BehindBlueI's]

All kidding aside you can bet ATF monitors this site, Armslist, and all the online gun related auction sites!

Maybe not as much as you'd think. Like everyone else, manpower is always an issue and perusing an Internet forum is a low yield investment in man hours.

 

[mainjet]

My wife got to meet two of them when they showed up at my house and flashed their badges. hahaha.

Back in the early 90's I had my FFL. There had been some pipe bombings in the area around Merrillville and apparently The ATF was going to local FFL's to ask about any powder purchases and such. She was pretty freaked out when she called me at work to tell me about it.

She probably would have been even more freaked out if they looked on top of my refrigerator. I was in the process of building a wood lathe and I had machined an arbor shaft for it that was bored all the way throughout he length of it and threaded at both ends. This may have looked suspicious had they seen that.

 

[other dave]

Maybe not as much as you'd think. Like everyone else, manpower is always an issue and perusing an Internet forum is a low yield investment in man hours.

You're probably right. But just today a fellow INGO member told me that he had a couple guys from IL trying to buy the pistol he had on the INGO classifieds. Maybe just regular guys from IL trying to buy a pistol but that's still ILLEGAL and who's to say they weren't ATF? Dot your I's, cross your T's and CYA!

 

[Walt_Jabsco]

Wait, wait. OP, you're telling me all government agents aren't evil gun grabbers? Weird, I'd gotten a completely different impression from most gun owners.

 

[PMR]

Over the last 10 years or so I have met around 75 agents working my job, got to know some of them somewhat well out of that number only one was kind of an "a" hole, the rest all super nice guys and gals.