FYI, here is a very informative article that describes the current state of the A.T.F. and how it arrived at that state….

AVB-AMG

How the A.T.F., Key to Biden’s Gun Plan, Became an N.R.A. ‘Whipping Boy’

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/02/us/politics/atf-nra-guns.html?referringSource=articleShare

 

"Oh that poor, poor ATF.  Such a victimized department.

If only they weren't so marginalized, we could do so much better at enforcing reasonable, common-sense gun control.

Just look that horrendous burden of managing paper records.  Why, oh why, won't that evil NRA let this agency digitize all gun transfer records?"

Sorry NY Times, I'm not buying one bit of that narrative.

just get rid of them. Significant tax savings.

3 hours ago, The_Matrix said:

just get rid of them. Significant tax savings.

You can't. That was proposed years ago. Other agencies would take on the duties but not the sub-standard ATF personnel.

The ATF lost all my respect when they put a bullet in the head of a naked Kenyon Ballew on 6/7/71.

https://bearingarms.com/john-petrolino/2021/05/04/lets-all-lament-the-woes-of-the-aft-n44620

Quote

...

Getting through the article was tough. I’m not even going to comment on its entirety. To sum it up, it’s straight up political rhetoric and propaganda. The Times seems like it’s trying to paint the ATF as some sort of a injured bird that needs to be nursed back to health, while the big bad NRA just lords over its broken wings. When in reality, if the ATF did not run as a rogue agency making up the laws as they wish to, they’d probably get more support than they do. I certainly feel for the agents that are well meaning and intentioned. But, I’m not about to feel bad for an organization that has had little positive effect on society.

...

 

If you want a good insight into the ATF, read Mike Detty's "Guns across the border" or "Operation wide receiver".  Based on the author account, if he hadn't kept great records and recorded every interaction with ATF, he probably would've ended up in jail (all while they're telling him he was cooperating and on their side to help fight illegal arms trafficking). And this was back in the Obama/Holder era.

https://www.amazon.com/Guns-Across-Border-Government-Smuggled/dp/1620875993/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=guns+across+the+border&qid=1620222590&sprefix=guns+across+the&sr=8-1