You know the toys you're shopping for are the coolest when the webpage says their sale is restricted to US citizens and residents only. Is that an ITAR thing?
Small arms researchers and manufacturers who are inside the US should not be affected by ITAR nearly at all. The only restriction ITAR / EAR places on a US company is to not sell or share technical assistance (any kind of design, etc) with any foreign persons (which includes public disclosure).
What he may have done is change the classification of certain small arms technologies. But that does not affect the "ITAR" process or its "looseness".