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                              Online Report
                                  to the
                   F I R E A R M S   C O A L I T I O N
                    Box 6537, Silver Spring, MD 20916 
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January 14, 1998         http://www.NealKnox.com         Vol. 5, No. 1
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     See last page for subscription and administrative information.
In this issue:
    Shotgun News Columns
         January 10: BATF View of NRA -- Another agent writes a book
         January 1: Cloudy New Year -- The crystal ball isn't
         December 20: Perturbing Court Ruling -- FFL for muzzleloaders
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A Note from Chris
     The outlines of a new look are taking shape with the New Year.  
I've taken a resolution to put the FCO on a diet.  With that in mind, I 
have dropped the telephone log from the directly-mailed FCO.  It's 
still available, however you need to tell me you want it.  Tell my 
mailmonster to send you a copy by sending a note to 
                  phonelog@NealKnox.com
     As with other such arrangements, a human is unlikely to read the 
note.  Both the FCO bulletins and the phone logs -- as well as other 
goodies -- will be available on the web page.  If the demand warrants, 
I will create a separate one-way list to receive the phonelogs.
                           * * * * *
     I'm also in the process of creating the FCO discussion list.  This 
one will be unmoderated.  I doubt that I will keep a full archive 
online -- network storage is expensive -- however I will keep a recent 
history in the web page.  Watch this space.
                           * * * * *
     Speaking of mailing lists, the Firearms Coalition is proud to host 
three technical firearms discussion lists.  They are:
       bp-l -- Black Powder          cb-l -- Cast Bullets
                       brlist -- Benchrest
     Subscription instructions are identical to this list, just 
substitute the list name.  Send mail to:
		-request@lists.best.com
saying the following in the body:
		subscribe you@your.domain
     These established lists found themselves orphaned or ran into 
problems with their ISPs.  If your favorite firearms-oriented list 
needs a home, send me a note.  We may be able to help.
                           * * * * *
     On the topic of mail, most people know that paper mail can be 
forged.  Anyone who uses email needs to be aware that electronic mail 
can be forged at least as easily and with less risk.  I bring this up 
because I've received a few disturbing email messages over the past 
couple of months.  The messages were empty, however the headers had 
been modified.  The sender had put my name and address in the From: 
line making it appear that I had sent the message.  I don't know why 
the messages were sent to me -- it may have been a would-be spammer 
learning to use the software, but it's hard to say.
     This case illustrates the reason that I sign every FCO that I send 
out.  The block of PGP gibberish that you see at the end of every FCO 
is a mathematical summary of the entire message.  Changing a single 
character in the message voids the signature.  Some messages that go 
through the mail get munged, voiding the signature, however a good 
signed copy is always on the web page.    
     If you ever see any message purporting to be from me or from Neal 
Knox that says something outrageous or outlandish, save the entire 
message *including headers* to a file and send it to me.  
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   I wrote and am solely responsible for everything above this line.
                               Chris Knox
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Shotgun News Columns
                        BATF View of NRA
                          By NEAL KNOX
     WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 10) -- It's fascinating to read the
BATF's perception of their long-running battles with NRA.  We're
given a revealing look in William J. Vizzard's new book, "In The
Cross Fire:  A Political History of BATF" (Lynne Rienner
Publishers, 1800 30th St., Ste. 314, Boulder, CO, 228 pp.,
$49.95).
     Vizzard served BATF for 27 years, starting in 1967 and
including a stint on its headquarters staff.
      Now pursuing an academic career, Vizzard maintains a fairly
objective view of the "gun control" issue, the NRA, and his old
agency, except for his coverage of the Waco fiasco, when he
becomes a BATF apologist.
     What makes the book particularly valuable to those of us
still in the fight is his -- and the BATF hierarchy's
perception -- of the policy effects of NRA's internal wars.
     Vizzard correctly states that the old, pre-1968 Gun Control
Act BATF (at the time, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Unit of the
IRS) was usually liberal in its enforcement of the Federal gun
laws, particularly if the offense were mere possession of an
illegal war souvenir by an honest citizen.
     But in the mid-1960's, Connecticut Sen. Tom Dodd (Sen.
Chris' father) was outraged to learn that ATTU enforcement people
were spending almost all their time on moonshiners, and only the
equivalent of two man-years in gun law enforcement.  
     In 1964, agents "raided" a Shreveport gun show, demanding
that table operators present their licenses -- which then weren't
required except to mail handguns.  That was my first national gun
politics story -- in Guns Magazine.
     In 1966, an ATTU agent told gun sellers at a "Trade Day" in
Chesney, S.C., (and me, the Gun Week editor) that they had to
have a license to sell any gun, even to a dealer.  
     ATTU agents remained confused about gun laws for several
years.  But the brass, eager to make the agency grow, recognized
that moonshining was declining, and enthusiastically began
pushing for broader gun laws to enforce -- which was about when
Vizzard came into the agency.
-=Continued in next post=-
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