Tucked inside the $1.7 trillion omnibus passed in December was a $1.67 billion budget for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This funding will be used to regulate “stabilizing braces”—more commonly known as “pistol braces”—which are attachments designed to allow a firearm to be fired comfortably by one-handed shooters. The Department of Justice recently submitted the final rule to the Federal Register, requiring owners to register their firearms with the ATF to avoid NFA (National Firearms Act) tax. If owners do not register, they will need to replace their barrel with one 16 inches or longer or remove the brace so that it cannot be reattached. Other alternatives are to forfeit the firearm to the ATF or destroy it. Failure to do so by May 30th may lead to a felony charge, jail time, and a $250,000 fine.
According to an April 2021 report from the Congressional Research Service, up to 40 million firearms could be made illegal by this new rule. That means potentially tens of millions of gun owners who legally purchased their firearms and pistol brace accessories could be subject to registrations, additional tax burdens, or even criminalization if they fail to meet the ATF’s registration demands. This ruling is an unnecessary regulation that accomplishes nothing in the way of security, and creates taxes that may bar individuals without disposable income from exercising their constitutional right to keep and bear arms.
