WASHINGTON, D.C. –-(Ammoland.com)-The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) has sent its new proposed set rules surrounding pistol braces to the White House ahead of publishing the proposed regulations on unfinished frames and receivers.
The new rules surrounding unfinished frames and receivers are due to be published in the Federal Registry tomorrow for a public comment period. The comment period will be open for 90 days. Last December, gun owners pushed back against the proposed regulations on pistol braces, causing the ATF to pull the new set rules. With the Biden administration’s push for more gun control, it will take a monumental effort by gun owners to sway the tide against the new regulations.
A Biden executive action gave the ATF 30 days to develop new rules and regulations on unfinished frames and receivers. In his press conference, Biden referred to the items as “ghost guns” and tried to insinuate that companies market the kits to criminals.
In reality, only a small percentage of completed firearms made from these kits are used in crimes. Most guns used in crimes are stolen.
Another executive action Biden took during the same press conference was to give the ATF 60 days to develop new rules and regulations about pistol stabilizing braces. It looks like the ATF provided the Whitehouse with a preview of the new rules on May 17. The ATF has wanted to take action on pistol braces for a while. When the Biden transition team asked the ATF for a “want list.” The agency’s leadership team said their main concerns were pistol braces and homemade firearms.
Many expect the rules to look like the ATF regulations submitted to the Federal Registry last December. Those regulations would make any stabilizing brace based on a stock design a shouldering device. That would mean any pistol with a barrel under 16 inches equipped with the device would become a short-barreled rifle (SBR) and be subjected to the NFA.
The regulations did say the ATF would waive the $200 fee for a tax stamp on the newly created SBR, but that would mean the gun owner would have to go through the lengthy and confusing process of applying for a tax stamp. The newly created rifle would also be registered with the ATF. That registration is something many gun owners will refuse to do.
The new ATF rules on unfinished frames and receivers will hurt the market. It will vastly expand the definition of readily convertible to anything that can be finished in eight hours in a fully equipped machine shop. Almost all unfinished frames and receivers will require a background check to transfer.
The regulation aims to kill off the market for unfinished frames and receivers and shut down the companies that produce these kits. Gun rights groups see this as a way Biden is trying to get around the Congressional blockage of gun control measures the same way the government agency changed the classification of bump stocks. They believe that the ATF is basically creating gun laws which it does not have the authority to do. These groups plan to challenge any new regulations against new rules against unfinished frames and receivers.
The Federal Registry will open the comment period on unfinished frames and receivers as soon as the new rules are published. AmmoLand encourages its readers to submit well-thought-out comments. Once we obtain a copy of the pistol brace rule, we will publish it for our readers to review.
Once the comment period begins, readers can file comments at the following link.
About John Crump
John is a NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people of all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, or at www.crumpy.com.
“The agency’s leadership team said their main concerns were pistol braces and homemade firearms.” Gee! And here I would have thought the main concern of the ATF would have been the flagrant misuse of firearms by career criminals like the ones in the south side of Chicago, and those who engage in diverting legal firearms into the hands of same. You literally have a better chance of being eaten by a Great White Shark or being struck by lightning than being shot by someone using a “ghost gun” or a pistol brace. The GCA68’s prohibition of criminal misuse, posession, or… Read more »
The alphabet soup agencies of the ilegitiment corrupt Biden administration can write all the unconstitutional executive orders they want . Then they can role them up and bend over and take turns stuffing them up each others ass . We the people will not comply with these idiots anymore than we did the Britts bullshit !
Since when does the atfe write, make up, law? What part of “the RIGHT of the people to keep and bear arms SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED is difficult to understand? The RIGHT, the MANDATE to keep and bear arms is given to mankind from the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY through the very SCRIPTURE this nation is founded upon. This RIGHT, this MANDATE is further written into LAW as our constitution, something that all who serve this nation are sworn to defend and uphold. I which I was surprised at what they are doing. They know what they are doing is illegal… Read more »
I’ve said it before – as have many others – that the demonizing of pistol braces is very likely a direct violation of the ADA. We must continue to ‘remind’ TPTB that the reason such devices were invented was to facilitate disabled vets to continue to be able to engage in shooting sports.
A piece of molded plastic does not make a firearm whether it’s a pistol brace or a bump stock yet these idiots in D.C. want to stop a citizens rights to own either one, also a rule is not a law and should not be allowed.
There also needs to be sweeping reform on the use of executive actions by the president, whoever it is, that’s the job of congress to make laws for the people to follow.
we are getting closer to having retraining camps and thought police , scotus needs to rule on agencies making laws
Read Kurt Schlichter’s book series!
Seriously, every gun owner, every gun rights organization, needs to tell their representatives and tnose ass-clowns in DC- NO! We are not jumping through sny more hoops, for any more tax stamps. No more changing the rules after the game has started. I dont want all of my braced pistols regulated and tracked and chained to paperwork. I dont want the drop in resale value caused by the red tape and hassle a buyer must endure. NO! NO! NO!