Foia Letter

[motorgun]

Sent in a FOIA request on a Colt 1928 Thompson. The first page is a Form 4467 "Registration of Certain Firearms During November 1968" dated 11-30-68. Information available on the form:

 

Date Firearm Acquired: 3-2-40

Kind of Firearm: Thompson Submachine gun

Serial Number: XXXX

Length of barrel: 13 inches

OAL: 34 inches

Caliber: 45

Model: 1920

Is firearm serviceable: Serviceable

Signed by: Chief of Police

Approved: Jan 13 1969

Signed: Harold A. Serr

 

The manufacturer was blacked out on this form and every other transfer until the last one to me where it shows: COLT PATENT FRIEARMS CO., HARTFORD, CONN. Is this normal?

 

The next (January 1978) and all subsequent transfers show the model number as "1928".

 

[Merry Ploughboy]

May not be normal but it is typical.

 

MHO, YMMV, etc.

[Z3BigDaddy]

That is funny.... All the stuff they normally hide they let you see and then hide what you know?

[TD.]

It sounds like the initial registration was an amnesty registration.

[Tman]

It sounds like the initial registration was an amnesty registration.

:agree:

[motorgun]

Thanks for the comments. I looked at an example of a FOIA that was posted on another site and it also had the manufacturer blanked out. Guess this is common for whatever reason.........................

[Tman]

The reason for the redaction is the information is treated the same as your IRS 1040 form. They both deal with taxes.

[Arthur Fliegenheimer]

The reason for the redaction is the information is treated the same as your IRS 1040 form. They both deal with taxes.

 

That is a valid excuse when it concerns info about private citizens, but ATF redacts info about the identity of police departments and names of ATF officials, as well. And yet, on some ATF Forms, they have inexplicably left the name of a private citizen transferor unedited.

[Z3BigDaddy]

The reason for the redaction is the information is treated the same as your IRS 1040 form. They both deal with taxes.

 

That is a valid excuse when it concerns info about private citizens, but ATF redacts info about the identity of police departments and names of ATF officials, as well. And yet, on some ATF Forms, they have inexplicably left the name of a private citizen transferor unedited.

 

:agree:

 

From the FOIA information on my gun it was put on a form 10 to a pd, I assume pd, which has no tax attached to it. Yet the dept is redacted and in fact all my pages are so redacted that only form numbers and dates are valid..... :angry:

Edited February 4, 2008 by Z3BigDaddy

[Arthur Fliegenheimer]

BigD,

 

What is up with that? Even after an appeal request, ATF still refuses to disclose the name of police departments because:

 

1) "it concerns matters that are related solely to internal agency practices."

 

2) "it concerns matters specifically exempted from release by statute, which concerns the protection of tax return information."

 

3) "it concerns material the release of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of the personal privacy of

third parties."

 

They are masters of the catch all excuses, but only number 1 could be considered valid, even if the actual internal practise is never explained as to how it would compromise anything or anyone

Edited February 4, 2008 by Arthur Fliegenheimer

[PhilOhio]

Some of the headquarters administrators and "policy makers" at ATF and Justice need to sit down in a dark room, think about the meaning of the word "reality", wonder whether this radical concept should ever apply to government agencies and their employees...I mean, every now and then for special situations, maybe...and see if this could even be stretched so as to affect FOIA response practices.

 

I know that's a pretty tough one for some of these folks to swallow, but in the interests of forward leaning, cutting edge innovation and all that lip service horse doo-doo mouthed at budget request time, maybe they could at least give it some thought.

 

Oops, I goofed. That last word probably torpedoes the whole thing.

 

When I went the FOIA route on my Thompson, before giving up in disgust, they even removed the name of the dealer from whom I bought the thing. The moron who did that should be...ah-h-h-h- hopeless.

 

And yes, I know, he/she was only following orders and established policy "guidelines".

 

Abandon hope, all ye who wander inside the Beltway...and certain areas of West Virginia.