FNC SEARS??

[ELVIS]

where the crap are all of these FNC sear guns coming from...did someone have a wearhouse full of sears or what..shit there must be 200 of em for sale in Dallas alone.

 

[tony k]

A whole bunch of them were tied up in court in a business dispute for years and years and years, and finally got released a coupla months ago.

The owner who was awarded "custody" sold 'em off in batches of 10 for $25k. The next day, market price of semi FNCs went from $2.2k to $3k, and the sears started popping up individually for resale at about $3k-$3.3k.

 

[MuzzleFlash]

What I heard:

The 'S' in S&H is Tom Sesslar. He was sentenced in 1995 to 6.5 years in the big house for drug charges (possession with intent to distribute meth). Higgins and Sesslar had terminated their partnership prior to this. Before Sesslar was convicted and sentenced, Higgins prevailed in a court case to recover 330 autosears and other inventory that Sesslar took from their defunct partnership. Sesslar apparently ignored the judgement and did not return the sears. In October, after Sesslar was convicted, Higgins got a court order to enforce the earlier judgement and the Sheriff siezed Sesslar's property. It is unclear if the sears were also recovered. After the seizure order had been executed, Norrel sued Higgins claiming that 60 of the 330 autosears were 10-22 sears that he had paid Sesslar $18,500 to purchase. Norrel lost. Presumably because they were not Sesslar's to sell.

Here's where things get fuzzy: I have heard that the ATF tried to sieze the sears and other inventory as contraband since it was in Sesslar's possession during the time he was in possession of illegal drugs and also post conviction between his guilty plea and sentencing. I can't find any records of that happening, but I heard that Higgins eventually prevailed and got his sears back.

Sounds like Sesslar was a real piece of work:

http://courts.state.ar.us/opinions/1998a/980226/97-610.txt

http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/wbardwel/public/nfalist/us_v_seslar.docket_listing.txt

 

[grassyknoll]

That ass-like behavior sounds like the typical meth-head. If he really does serve those 6.5 years, then good! Meth is the bane of modern society, and I get stuck dealing with it every day. In general, they have the potential to be some of the most violent offenders on the street......and don't even get me started on contamination issues......:devfire

On the other hand, I have heard many good things about Higgins, so score one for the good guys!

 

[ELVIS]

so let me see here...a reg sear is a machinegun...this guy has what ammounts to 330 machineguns gets nailed on dope charge and all he gets is 6 years...to top this all off nobody seizes sears...this has snitch all over it. someone got lucky or un-lucky.

 

[tony k]

so let me see here...a reg sear is a machinegun...this guy has what ammounts to 330 machineguns gets nailed on dope charge and all he gets is 6 years...to top this all off nobody seizes sears...this has snitch all over it. someone got lucky or un-lucky.

All 330 were legally registered. Yes, as a convicted felon he forfeited the right to continue to own them, but they were legal business-product assets unrelated to the criminal charges.

BTW, the sears that were released a coupla months ago were NOT owned by Curtis Higgins -- that's why he is insisting on finishing his own installations first. Instead, they were part of a block of sears that S&H originally manufactured and registered but which were somehow awarded by the courts to a third party.

Also FWIW, Curtis has never sold sears outright -- back when he still had his own in inventory, he sold them only as an installed package. That's another tip that the uninstalled sears on the market now, while made by S&H, did not come directly from Curtis.

 

[MuzzleFlash]

so let me see here...a reg sear is a machinegun...this guy has what ammounts to 330 machineguns gets nailed on dope charge and all he gets is 6 years...to top this all off nobody seizes sears...this has snitch all over it. someone got lucky or un-lucky.

The gun charges were dropped in a plea bargain by the US Attorneys' office.

It's good for the NFA community that the 330 autosears were not Sesslar's property - they were Higgins' and I'm going to guess Sesslar had them stashed away to spite Higgins. Had they been discovered in his possession, I still think they should be returned to Higgins. If I had a car swiped and the cops recovered it in a drug bust, I want my car back!

I don't support laws that take other people's property when a felon is found to be in controil of it. When it came out that the Smith & Wesson CEO had a 1950's felony on his record, the ATF didn't sieze the company inventory - nor should it have. That would amount to government theft from stockholders.

This seizure stuff has gone way over the top, IMO.

 

[ELVIS]

I agree....Good for NFA for sure! I wish someone would dump a bunch of AK reg receivers on the market. 330 would do the trick. Hell, with the FNC sears and the AWB Sept 13....Could make for some very cool toys. DSA needs to start making a FNC.

 

[MuzzleFlash]

... DSA needs to start making a FNC.

Yep. But not until I can buy a sear. My Gun Fund is about as empty as Julia Robert's cranium right about now.

 

[raffica]

"empty as Julia Roberts cranium"

Yea, but your gun fund doesn't have anywhere the cosmetic appeal of Julia's cranium!!

P.S.- I have one of those sears, thinking about selling it. sitting in my safe, in a nice little envelope.