It all started at a local Dallas pawnshop more than a decade ago. On the shelf was an HK53, a very short 5.56 rifle. Had it been registered with the NFA, this story may end here. The ATF seized the SBR in June of 2005. Tracking down the source of the rifle, the ATF eventually ended up on the doorsteps of Adam and Benjamin Webber.
As is often the case with law enforcement investigations, officers will start unraveling one case that turns into another. Just a couple months after that first pawn shop seizure in June, the ATF yolked up several machineguns and suppressors from the Webbers, alleging that they were purchased for resale. They took custody of multiple Fleming Hk autosears, a number of automatic MAC-10’s, and some suppressors and magazines. Eventually in 2007 the Department of Justice came to a civil settlement with the them. Per the conditions of the settlement, Adam and Benjamin would be allowed to consign the Fleming sears to a third party FFL for sale, and would renounce the rights to all other assets seized. Additionally they agreed to never apply for or act as an FFL, or even be what’s called a “Responsible Party” for an FFL. The stipulated settlement did specifically state that the manufacture and sale of gun parts and components was authorized.
Shortly thereafter, Adam Webber started HK Parts, which you may know as hkparts.net as a sole proprietorship. He started out small and later grew to have several employees. In 2009 Webber officially incorporated in the state of Utah and became HK Parts Inc.
Hk guns and items are highly revered in this country, likely due to a combination of performance, relative scarcity, and the Rainbow Six series of videogames. Strict German exportation policies had kept genuine HK parts in scant supply aside from a select few items. Previous attempts at American manufacturing by others didn’t help, as there were many negative reports about quality, craftsmanship, and efficacy. Promising to change all that, and appearing to follow through, rapidly HK Parts became a ‘go to’ supplier for, you guessed it, parts for HKs and weapons themselves.
But all was not happy. Two years ago in August of 2014, a federal grand jury dropped an eight count indictment on Adam Webber. It alleged he was dealing in firearms without a license, smuggling goods out of the United States, and six counts of filing a false tax return. This indictment made a small blip on the screen in the gun community, mostly paid attention to by Hk enthusiasts.
Hundreds of firearms were seized from his property. They were located in a residential safe, a fortified dedicated gun room, and a shipping container. More than 210 HK P7’s alone were confiscated, along with dozens of PTR-91 receivers and .22lr models of HK 416’s.