I live in Eastern PA and I don't see any dealers closing here. I buy from a few who still operate from their house basement. We haven't noticed any BATF agents hiding in the bushes.
The biochemist analogy is a really good one. If I was a drug dealer I would surely send my drugs to have them tested to be certain they were pure. I'd hate to have a law suit against me from users because they had a reaction to my drugs.
Similarly, I also would think if I stole a pistol for a drive-by shooting I'd want to send it to a gunsmith to make it more accurate for the job. That would be much cheaper than to just steal another one or take it from the hands of one of my victims.
If the good Dr. is telling us that his customers are stealing guns to shoot bullseye, I would think he's been breathing in too many machine oil vapors.
Ben
Ben,
I'm going to refraise what I said in an attempt to not keep the war going...
1) My drug dealer example is a REAL HONEST TO GOD example from the late 1980s. The chemist in question DID call local law enforcement, and the feds were brought it. PEOPLE ARE STUPID. I was in the USAF at the time and I remember it vividly. It was one of those "you've got to be kidding me" moments.
2) If YOU stole a pistol, and I get the impression that you aren't the sort, YOU wouldn't tell anyone that you didn't obtain it properly... but it appears alot of people are not as smart you.
....and YES, people have illegally aquired what would be typically considered VERY high end 1911s and sent them to MCP. That's a FACT. ...and they wanted a Bullseye gun. What do you want me to say man?!?!? There are a lot of dumb people out there.
Now, let's address what's going on in PA and how it effects ALL FFL holders:
Michael Bloomberg, the MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY, is VERY anti-gun.
At somepoint firearms purchased using a "Staw Purchase" method started showing up in NYC with frequency (according to Bloomberg, Hillary Clinton [then a Senator], and Schumer).
The ATF was then presussured to start looking at the books of ALL FFL holders in PA area surrounding the handgun purchases. Moreover, they were instructed to find any technical loophole to close FFL related businesses.
There are two basic ways to do this:
1) Find a major infraction that is a serious violation, arrests the person, charge the person (or business owner), and revoke their FFL. (while they rot in jail...)
However, that draws attention.
2) Find Major and Minor violations and then inform the FFL holder that they will not be charged if they willing surrender their FFL.
That doesn't draw alot of attention, and it turns out that plenty of FFL holders make mistakes and can be taken to task for it. If you are technically at fault... no one is coming to your rescue.
My understanding is that #2 happened a number of times, and than many FFL holders (there were way more than I ever thought) got nailed.
Not because they were the folks involved in the Staw Purchasing (sales in this case), but because of the politics involved.
Only FFLS that had spotless records, good lawyers, or luck to not have been audited harshly didn't have any problems.
....all because some looser in NYC wants to blame the ease of purchasing firearms in PA for his problems. (Which are slight at best with respect to gun issues.) We are NOT in the late 1980s / early 1990s from a crime perspective.
I tihnk if you REALLY start looking you're going to fine a number of people didn't go out of business because of the economy.
Anyway, it's all public record, you should be able to get the information.