Rep. Auchincloss Faces Criticism Over Gun Ban Ad Missteps
Republican nominee Brandon Herrera criticizes Rep. Jake Auchincloss for inaccuracies in a Massachusetts gun ban ad.
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Republican Texas congressional nominee Brandon Herrera criticized Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Jake Auchincloss for apparent ignorance about federal firearms laws in an early Saturday morning post. Pro-Second Amendment activists placed a referendum on the Massachusetts ballot to gauge public support for a 2024 gun-control law targeting so-called ‘ghost guns’ and ‘assault weapons.’ Auchincloss shared a video on X, stating he supported the ad ‘as a Marine and dad.’
Controversial Demonstration Sparks Debate
In the video, Auchincloss claimed that parts for a ‘ghost gun’ can be purchased online, then removed a disassembled AR-15 from two boxes, reattached the rifle’s upper receiver to the lower receiver, loaded a magazine, and chambered a round. Herrera responded with a post, accusing him of not fact-checking the ad. ‘Imagine paying a political consulting firm to record and produce an ad, but nobody bothers to fact check anything you say,’ Herrera wrote. ‘What he’s demonstrating here is already a federal crime. What a joke.’
As a Marine and dad, I’m voting Yes on 9 to keep assault weapons off our streets. https://t.co/eckH0z3Ids
A Community Note added to Auchincloss’s post stated, ‘It is federally illegal per 18usc922 [sic] to have a firearm, including a stripped lower, from being shipped to your house. What he has shown, is already a federal felony and has been for nearly 60 years.’ Many gun owners interested in building their own firearms tend to purchase partially-completed receivers or frames for popular firearms like the AR-15 rifle, M1911 pistols, and Glock-style pistols, sometimes in kits with other parts. The gun owner still has to build the firearm, using tools and jigs in a process that can take up to three days of active work, depending on the skill and experience of the gun owner and the complexity of the project, according to The Gun Zone.
Clarification on Federal and State Laws
‘The ad refers to ordering the parts to build an untraceable gun. Federal law does not require all firearms assembled at home for personal use to have serial numbers,’ a spokeswoman for Auchincloss’s campaign told the Daily Caller News Foundation. ‘The 2024 Massachusetts law at issue in Question 9 closes that gap by requiring privately made firearms, including those assembled from unfinished frames or made by 3D printing, to be serialized and registered with the state. The Congressman is advocating for preserving these protections under Massachusetts law.’
Imagine paying a political consulting firm to record and produce an ad, but nobody bothers to fact check anything you say. What he’s demonstrating here is already a federal crime. What a joke.
Herrera, also known as ‘the AK Guy,’ is a federally licensed firearms manufacturer and social media influencer. He won the Republican primary against Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales after Gonzales dropped out prior to the runoff election over a sex scandal involving a staffer who later committed suicide.
Source: Daily Caller
