BATF is apparently delaying or seeking to avoid releasing any more 
statistics on NFA Registration Activity, such as have been publicly 
released annually since approximately 1990.  My 1997 Congressional 
testimony before the House Subcommittee on Treasury, Postal Service 
and General Government Appropriations, which documents serious errors 
in the NFRTR, was based on an analysis of the NFA Registration Activity 
data released in 1992 through 1996.  Since February of 1998, this year, I 
have been requesting, via FOIAs, copies of the 1997 data, and have been 
rejected twice because, BATF contends, the 1997 data are still being 
worked on.

The 1997 NFA Registration Activity statistics would provide some 
indication of the extent, if any, to which the BATF has amended the NFRTR 
to reflect the addition of NFA firearms for which it previously had no 
record in the NFRTR.  It could also clarify certain kinds of registration 
and transfer practices that are of interest to all Class III dealers.  
Release of the 1997 data may also provide evidence that NFA records may 
have been tampered with.  It seems unlikely that the 1997 NFA 
Registration Activity is still ongoing, during the 9th month of 1998; but 
it does seem likely that the BATF is deliberately withholding these data 
from public scrutiny--a reversal of its past policy of some 10 years.  
Any guesses why?  Could Eric M. Larson, and his analyses of these data 
which indicate possibly criminal violations of federal law, have 
something to do with this?

On September 1, 1998, I filed yet another FOIA for the 1997 data in order 
to carry my analyses forward.  I received back the return receipt 
postcard, indicating that Cherie L. Butler of the BATF Disclosure Branch
signed for and received my certified mail FOIA request on September 2, 1998.

As of today, September 26, 1998, the BATF has not responded to my 
request, even to aknowledge it or to ask for extra time to respond to it. 
To the best of my knowledge, the BATF has not provided SMALL ARMS REVIEW 
with any of the NFA Registration Activity statistics.  My letter to BATF 
requesting these statistics appears below.
---------------------------------------------------------
			Eric M. Larson
			P.O. Box 5497
		Takoma Park, Maryland 20913
			(301) 270-3450
			larsone@erols.com

					September 1, 1998
Ms. Dorothy Chambers, Chief
Disclosure Branch
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
650 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C.  20226

Dear Ms. Chambers:

This is a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 
(FOIA).

I hereby request copies of the following documents containing data on 
registration activity under the National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934, as 
amended.  These are annual data that BATF has released each year since 
approximately 1990, and follow a standard format.  Specifically, I am 
requesting:

1.  A data tabulation for 1997 entitled "NFA REGISTRATION 
ACTIVITY--ANNUAL COMPARISON" or with a similar title.  These data should 
be through December 31, 1997, and summarize NFA registration activity by 
year from 1934 to 1997 for Forms 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 4467, "LTR", 
"OTHER" and "TOTAL" as in past years.

2.  A data tabulation for 1997 entitled "NFA WEAPONS INVENTORY--BY YEAR 
OF CURRENT OWNERSHIP" or with a similar title.  These data should be 
through December 31, 1997, and summarize NFA weapons ownership according 
to whether the firearm is a machinegun, any other weapon, etc., by year 
from 1934 to 1997.  Again this tabulation simply duplicates tabulations 
that BATF has publicly released each year since approximately 1990.

I am willing to pay up to $50 to for this information.  If you expect 
that costs will exceed $50, please advise me so that I may decide as to 
how to proceed.  These are standard data tabulations that BATF has 
produced annually since approximately 1990.

Thank you.


Very truly yours,

(signed)

Eric M. Larson