Weekly Wrap: ATF Director Resigns & D.C. Sued Over Mag Ban

Welcome to a weekly series here on Pew Pew Tactical dedicated to the gun news you need to know.

So, keep reading for this week’s notable news headlines…

ATF Director Steve Dettelbach Resigns

ATF Director Steve Dettelback is officially out. The 59-year-old director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives handed in his resignation this week.

Effective January 18, 2025, a couple of days ahead of Trump’s inauguration, Dettelbach’s resignation letter has been making its rounds around social media for a few days. The ATF confirmed the authenticity of the letter in a statement to The Reload.

“As is typical in a transition, and consistent with the memorandum sent to all presidential appointees on Dec. 19, Director Dettelbach has rendered his resignation to President Biden effective January 18, 2025,” ATF Chief of Public Affairs Kristina Mastropasqua told The Reload.

“Leading the courageous and incredible men and women of ATF has been the greatest honor of his professional life.”

Dettelbach was confirmed by Congress in 2022 after President Biden’s first pick, David Chipman, was forced out of the running amid controversy. He was the eighth director of the ATF.

The ATF has not confirmed who will step in after Jan. 18.

Washington D.C. Slapped With Lawsuit Over Magazine Ban

Washington D.C.’s magazine ban faces opposition as the District of Columbia was hit with a lawsuit regarding its ban on “high capacity” magazines.

Gun owners and D.C. residents William Wehr-Darroca and Gary Stemple, with backing from the Firearms Policy Coalition, sued Washington D.C. over its mag ban in federal court.

The magazine ban criminalizes magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds with up to three years in prison and a $12,500 fine.

Calling it “unconstitutional” and “arbitrary,” the complaint argues that the magazine ban violates the Second Amendment and that standard-capacity magazines are protected under it. Further, the complaint states that many AR rifles and full-sized pistols ship with magazines over 10 rounds and should, therefore, be considered standard capacity, not high capacity.

"Although the ban describes magazines that can accept more than 10 rounds of ammunition as 'large-capacity,' this is a misnomer,” the complaint says. “Magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition are a normal, factory feature and are more accurately described as 'standard capacity magazines.’”

"The magazines at issue in this case are not 'dangerous and unusual,' but instead are standard components of firearms in common use for lawful purposes that law-abiding Americans possess by the hundreds of millions."

The suit asks the federal court to overturn the ban and allow D.C. residents to possess standard capacity magazines once more.

Congress Passes Bill Approving More Ranges on Public Land

A bipartisan bill increasing public shooting ranges on public land passed through the Senate and is on its way to the White House.

H.R. 6492, later renamed the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act, was a bipartisan bill introduced to Congress last year.

Outlining numerous improvements to public land, the bill also housed the Range Access Act. This portion of the bill requires the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service to create additional shooting ranges on public land if a shooting range does not already exist.

The bill, supported by numerous pro-2A organizations, would increase public access to shooting ranges, especially in rural areas.

"We are incredibly grateful that Congress recognized the public safety and recreational benefits of this legislation," Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel, said in a statement.

"This is a tremendous win for America’s gun owners and recreational target shooters and demonstrates what can be achieved when Congress works together for commonsense legislation that will improve access to safe firing ranges available to the public."

The bill now heads to President Biden’s desk for signature.

Sources

• The Reload
• Wehr-Darroca v. D.C.
• H.R. 6492
• NSSF