A case that sounds almost unbelievable has gun owners across the country furious.
According to Gary Marbut, president of the Montana Shooting Sports Association (MSSA), a Montana resident recently had all his firearms confiscated – not because of anything he did in his own state, but because of a judge in Washington State.
In a report published by Ammoland, Marbut explained that the man, who lives in Montana, simply called an old girlfriend in the Seattle area to ask her a question. She later claimed she felt threatened and reported it to local police in Washington.
That was all it took.
Without a hearing, and without the accused man ever stepping foot in a Washington courtroom, a Washington judge issued an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) – also known as a red flag order – that barred him from possessing firearms.
Washington’s Order Reaches Into Montana
What happened next shocked even long-time gun rights advocates.
As Marbut told it, Washington authorities sent the order to the small town in Montana where the man lived. Local Montana police then enforced the Washington judge’s order by showing up and seizing his guns.
“Done,” Marbut wrote flatly. “The guns were gone.”
That might seem impossible in a state like Montana, where red flag laws are explicitly banned. But because the order came through official court channels, local police treated it as valid.
“This is how gun control from liberal states leaks across borders,” Marbut said. “Even when Montana law forbids ERPOs, we’re still seeing their effects.”
The Accuser Recants – But the Damage Is Done
According to both Marbut and attorney Tom Grieve, who covered the case on his YouTube channel, the woman who made the original accusation recanted her story after realizing the consequences of her report.
The Washington judge dismissed the temporary restraining order. But by that point, the damage had already been done.
“The man still can’t get his firearms back,” Marbut said. “Washington’s ten-day waiting period is being enforced against him – in Montana.”
Grieve, a former Wisconsin prosecutor, explained how bureaucratic red tape traps people even after false accusations are withdrawn. “You’re guilty first, due process later,” he said. “Good luck cleaning it up afterward.”
The Federal System Makes It Worse
Both sources agree the federal government plays a major role in making cases like this a nightmare.
When the Washington court entered the red flag order, the data was automatically sent to federal databases. That means the Montana man is now flagged as a “prohibited person” under federal law – a category that makes it a felony for him to even possess ammunition.
Marbut warned that even though the Washington judge dismissed the order, the federal record won’t update automatically.
“Getting that fixed is a heavy lift,” he said. “It requires more lawyers, more money, and more time. And even then, it’s uncertain.”
Grieve echoed that point. “The system doesn’t talk to itself,” he explained. “Computer A doesn’t talk to Computer B. Tron and HAL aren’t getting along. So now, you’re flagged as a felon and no one tells you.”
He added that most people don’t even find out they’re on the list until it’s too late — when they’re denied a gun purchase, lose a carry permit, or get arrested for possession.
“Guilty First, Due Process Later”
In his video, Grieve called this kind of scenario “the system we’re deliberately creating.”
“Even in a deep red state like Montana, you can have your guns taken away because of a complaint from a blue state,” he said. “It’s guilty first, due process later – if you can afford the lawyers to fight it.”
He noted that in this case, the man had to hire two attorneys, one in Washington and one in Montana, just to navigate a situation that should never have existed.
Marbut described it as “a travesty” and said Montana police “should have had the good sense to ask their county attorney before enforcing this nonsense.”
A Growing Problem Nationwide
This isn’t an isolated case. Grieve backed up his warning with statistics showing how fast Extreme Risk Protection Orders are spreading.
Between 2022 and 2023, the number of ERPOs issued across the country grew by nearly 59%, according to his research. Since 2018, more than 50,000 red flag orders have been filed nationwide.
“About 60% of counties in red flag states have had at least one petition filed,” Grieve said. “That means this isn’t just happening in liberal cities. It’s reaching into rural counties, conservative counties, places where people thought they were safe.”
Marbut fears that states like Washington and California are exporting their laws through national databases and interstate enforcement. “It’s gun control pollution,” he wrote. “It’s seeping across borders and poisoning states that have no red flag laws of their own.”
Consequences for False Accusations? None
Both Grieve and Marbut highlighted another disturbing issue: false accusers face virtually no consequences.
“The ex-girlfriend recanted her story, and nothing happened to her,” Grieve said. “That’s the system your tax dollars are funding.”
He said this type of misuse isn’t rare. “In my experience, people file these complaints out of anger or revenge,” he explained. “Once it’s done, you can’t undo the damage easily. You lose your rights first and fight to get them back later.”
Marbut shared that sentiment, saying this case proves how easily personal grudges can be weaponized under red flag laws.
Montana’s Gun Advocate Fights Back
Marbut isn’t taking the issue lying down.
He said he’s already drafting legislation for Montana’s next legislative session to block out-of-state gun control orders from being enforced within the state’s borders.
“MSSA has worked for decades to make Montana the most pro-gun state in the nation,” Marbut said. “We’ve passed 73 pro-gun laws, and yet this still happened. That tells you how bad the federal system has become.”
His goal is to create legal safeguards preventing local police from acting on out-of-state orders that conflict with Montana law. “We need to draw a line,” he said. “Montana law must protect Montanans, not enforce Seattle’s gun politics.”
A Warning for Every Gun Owner
Grieve ended his video with a stark message. “If an anti-gun state can weaponize your sheriffs, your law enforcement, your justice system against you – it can happen anywhere,” he said. “It’s real, and it’s coming to your red states eventually.”
He also reminded viewers of what’s at stake beyond the Second Amendment. “Once we normalize taking away firearms without due process, what stops the government from doing the same thing to speech, religion, or property?” he asked.
Marbut agreed, saying this case should be a wake-up call. “If this can happen in Montana, it can happen anywhere,” he said.
“It’s not about one man’s guns. It’s about whether states like ours can remain free from the anti-gun contagion spreading from the coasts.”
The Dangerous Power of Interstate Gun Control
This case exposes a troubling truth – state sovereignty isn’t protecting gun rights like it used to.
Even in the reddest states, blue-state policies are being enforced through digital systems, federal cooperation, and police who may not realize the legal overreach they’re enabling. It’s a soft invasion – not with troops, but with court orders and computer files.
What’s fascinating, and terrifying, is how fast this could spread. Technology has made borders irrelevant when it comes to law enforcement databases. Once a judge in Seattle presses “enter,” that command echoes across the nation.
And when rights can be stripped away in one state and enforced in another, the balance of power between the states – and between citizens and the government – changes forever.
Or, as Thomas Jefferson once warned in a quote Grieve used to close his video, “What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms.”
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Image Credit: Survival World
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Ed spent his childhood in the backwoods of Maine, where harsh winters taught him the value of survival skills. With a background in bushcraft and off-grid living, Ed has honed his expertise in fire-making, hunting, and wild foraging. He writes from personal experience, sharing practical tips and hands-on techniques to thrive in any outdoor environment. Whether it’s primitive camping or full-scale survival, Ed’s advice is grounded in real-life challenges.