The Biden administration’s plan to withdraw gun-control advocate David Chipman’s nomination to head up the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) should be greeted with a huge sigh of relief for gun owners across America.
Two sources with direct knowledge of the decision told WaPo Thursday morning that Chipman’s nomination withdrawal comes amid a bipartisan pushback over his radical gun control advocacy.
Chipman, who worked at ATF for more than two decades and then joined major anti-gun organizations for years, was hugely opposed by Republicans and some Democrats.
Our latest coverage on Chipman comes from an Op-Ed via The Machine Gun Nest (TMGN), who last week penned a piece titled “No Path For Confirmation To ATF For Chipman? Biden Admin: “Not Over ‘Till It’s Over!”” which explains the former ATF agent’s willingness to ban average semi-automatic sporting rifles could hinder his nomination.
Responding to the Chipman news, TMGN said:
We expected Chipman to withdraw his nomination, as he had no path to his position after key democrats dropped support. We expect Biden to create some sort of “office of gun violence prevention” that would advise the president. Similar to Neera Tanden who we saw this year withdraw her nomination, yet still receive an appointment to a position in the White House.
This is a win for gun owners right now and a loss for President Biden, who has declared war on National Rifle Association and has demanded stronger gun control.
But as TMGN warned above, the administration will likely create some sort of gun violence task force that would advise the president.
Heckler & Koch needs no introduction. Many of us grew up dreaming of one day owning the legendary MP5 or MP5SD but had to settle for Call of Duty or Counterstrike. Some of us grew up and bought SP5 or even MP5 clones but now H&K is giving us a 22LR option to make our childhood dreams a little more attainable.
Right: Pistol Configuration
A few years ago, H&K had a sleeper hit on their hands with their dedicated 22LR HK 416 and they’re now expanding their 22LR offerings with the MP5 chambered in 22LR. This version of the MP5 comes in both rifle and pistol configurations, made to H&K’s specifications by UMAREX. At Primary Arms Range Day 2021 I managed to get my hands on the rifle configuration that features a 16.1″ barrel shrouded in a faux suppressor that looks and feels pretty damn close to the 9MM original.
Most companies cut corners on their dedicated 22LR versions of popular firearms, opting to substitute polymer for otherwise metal components. True to form, H&K maintains comparable form and function to the 9MM version.
Controls are the same. The 10 and 25 round magazines are comparable dimensions and load the same way. The metal iron sights are the same. Even the classic “slap & go” charging handle remains intact.
I can’t overemphasize how similar to the MP5 this felt. I think this is best reflected in its 7-pound weight. While the exterior feels almost identical to the MP5, the internals are obviously different from the 9MM classic. Featuring a blowback action instead of the famous roller-delayed system found in the MP5, the 22LR variant cycled flawlessly and was incredibly fun to shoot. Guilt-free mag dumps for days.
The pistol configuration comes with an 8.5″ barrel and comes stockless but features a rear butt-cap. After speaking with the H&K rep, he confirmed that the 22LR MP5 is compatible with aftermarket accessories designed for the MP5. It launched this week and both versions retail for $479.
