Just who are the thieves here? Sabre Defence makes a statement about Waco Jim's recent foray and Defense Review mentions Sipsey Street.

Waco Jim Cavanaugh, the reason I joined the constitutional militia movement in the first place. His outrageous raid on Trader's Gun Shop here back in the 90s, after he had been rewarded for his Waco performance (and perjury in front of Congress) with promotion to Special Agent in Charge of the Birmingham ATF office, was a galvanizing moment for a lot of Alabama gun rights activists. The charges were later dismissed by a disgusted federal judge because of ATF and prosecutorial misconduct. The victim, gun dealer Bill Dollar, was still economically devastated.

Folks,

Okay, here is what Sabre Defence had to say about Waco Jim's recent foray:

NASHVILLE, Tenn., February 17, 2010 – Sabre Defence Industries LLC, an established manufacturer of firearms and weapon systems to the United States military, state and local law enforcement, and worldwide commercial markets, is fully cooperating with federal agents in an ongoing investigation into potential criminal misuse of certain non-saleable firearms produced by Sabre and purchased by some its employees. Sabre has received information that employee(s) involved in inventory control may have obtained and re-sold some items without appropriate licenses. Sabre is and has been cooperating with federal agents in this investigation.

Sabre has more than 120 employees in its Nashville plant. Sabre’s biggest customer is the United States military. Sabre products used by United States armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan include .50 caliber barrels and components of the M2 Browning machine gun, 7.62 mm mini-gun barrels, and M-16A3 and A4 rifles. Sabre is the only non-public company in the world ever to be awarded a contract for a military spec M-16 rifle. Sabre is dedicated to continuing to provide high quality firearms to the United States military, state and local law enforcement, and Sabre's commercial customers.

And here is what Defense Review is reporting (along with a tiny mention of Sipsey Street. I'll have more comment after the story.

BATFE Raids Military Defense Contractor and Firearms Manufacturer Sabre Defence

On February 18, 2010, in Featured, In The News, by David Crane


By David Crane
defrev (at) gmail (dot) com

February 18, 2010

This one falls into the category of “what the hell’s goin’ on around here?” The BATFE (Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) raided Nashville-based firearms manufacturer and military defense contractor Sabre Defence, yesterday. According to reports, the BATFE has been investigating claims that Sabre Defence employees have been selling guns illegally. It’s being reported that the company has stated that some of its employees involved in inventory control “may have obtained and re-sold some items without appropriate licenses.” Sabre Defence hasn’t specified which weapon models are involved. The Nashville Post reports that “after almost all of the employees had left the premises, agents brought in a trailer and backed it up to the company’s loading dock.”

Sabre Defence’s major military claims to fame are its M16A3 / M16A4 rifle contract(s) and M2HB “Ma Deuce” .50 BMG machine gun components, including barrels. Sabre Defence is also well-known for producing high-quality AR-15 carbines for the commercial and law enforcement markets. As it happens, DefenseReview got a chance to view some of Sabre’s latest offerings, including their gas piston/op-rod AR carbine with lo-pro gas block. The new model utilizes a special Sabre-spec’d version of the Adams Arms Retrofit Gas Piston System (RGPS). The gun we saw looked good, which wasn’t surprising, since Sabre Defence is known for making quality firearms and firearm components and parts. Defense Review shot some photos of the Sabre Gas Piston Rifle, and we’ll be publishing them in an upcoming article, soon, so stay tuned.

Jim Cavanaugh, BATFE’s SAC (Special Agent in Charge) for the Nashville field division, appears to be a point of contact for the media/press. History buffs may remember Mr. Cavanaugh from his involvement in BATFE’s Waco Siege fiasco in early 1993, which resulted in the tragic and unnecessary deaths of 80 people, including more than 20 children–and 4 BATFE agents/assaulters. The Sipsey Street Irregulars blog is referring to Mr. Cavanaugh as “Waco Jim” and to the BATFE as “F Troop“.

The Sabre Defence raid comes on the heals of another high-profile firearms industry bust. Last month during SHOT Show 2010, Smith & Wesson (S&W) had a little run-in with the law, specifically the FBI, when one of its sales executives was arrested in a sting operation resulting from a two-and-a-half-year FBI investigation. In the sting, an FBI special agent posed as an African defense minister.

Twenty-two people, including a Secret Service agent and the aforementioned S&W executive, were arrested on bribery charges in the sting. The defendents were accused in 16 separate indictments, and the specific charges were, according to Reuters, “violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, conspiracy to violate the FCPA, and conspiracy to commit money laundering tied to the sale of guns, body armor and other equipment.”

Interestingly, Reuters now reports that the FBI has run into a judicial obstacle. A federal judge has “cast doubt on the U.S. government’s assertion that 22 people were part of a single conspiracy when they allegedly tried to bribe someone they believed to be an African defense minister.”

“I read all 16 indictments and I didn’t see it,” U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said during a hearing on Wednesday. “I have zero sense that there was an omnibus grand conspiracy.”

Now here is the paragraph above that caught my attention:

The Nashville Post reports that “after almost all of the employees had left the premises, agents brought in a trailer and backed it up to the company’s loading dock.”

It is said in gun circles that the ATF was seizing firearms receivers, product, not records. If so, who are the real thieves here? If this is a case of employee theft (the Wall Street Journal ran an ATF declaration of seized Sabre Defence receivers a couple of weeks ago) and the company is cooperating (as would any company whose gravy train is so inextricably linked to government sales) then why is it necessary to seize PRODUCT?

Is this another example of the ATF enforcing an agenda and not the law?

Being a careful student of Waco Jim's career over the last seventeen years I would say, "You damn betcha!"

Mike
III