This is NOT BP mortar related, just my experience with dealing with ATF's FTB.
Here's the letter on the Golf Ball Launcher
http://www.bloomautomatic.com/atfThis is a golf ball launcher that attaches to a rifle and uses a blank round to launch the ball. See the second paragraph on the second page for the crux of it.
It's not a DD because;
It is not designed to be a weapon, but is intended for recreational use only.
It does not fire fixed ammunition, the balls are muzzle loaded.
It took them about 6 months from when I sent the letter to when I received the reply. It also took several phone calls, further explanation, documentation of similar items currently available, etc. It ended up going through their legal department to get to the final answer. The examiner I dealt with, Earl Griffith, seemed to be a good guy.
They don't seem real big on email. For the phone, I made it my responsibility to contact them occassionally to see how it's going. They have enough other work to do other than remembering to call me with updates.
Most people think of ATF as some big evil machine. When it gets to the examiner level, you're dealing with another person. Treat them with professional courtesy and that's probably what you'll get in return.
My last letter to them regarding a .22 conversion kit for machine gun, took them less than 2 months to answer. It appears to be legal, but is probably going to require a physical sample to get a definite answer.
Vince
