A Crack in the NFA Wall: What the End of the $200 Tax Really Means ~ VIDEO

For nearly a century, the National Firearms Act (NFA) has treated ordinary gun owners like suspects—forcing them to pay a steep tax and register perfectly legal firearms accessories just to exercise their rights. On January 1, that changes in a real and measurable way.

As discussed on Bearing Arms Cam & Company, the $200 transfer tax on suppressors and short-barreled firearms officially goes to $0. That may sound like a technical change, but it’s actually the first meaningful rollback of the NFA since 1934.

That alone makes this moment historic.

Why the $200 Tax Always Mattered

When the NFA was passed, $200 wasn’t symbolic—it was punitive. It was meant to stop ownership, not regulate it. Adjusted for inflation, that tax would be several thousand dollars today.

For decades, the federal government defended the NFA as a “crime-fighting” law. But as Cam Edwards and American Suppressor Association president Knox Williams explain, the law has always been about control, not crime. Suppressors, in particular, are widely legal and unregulated in many countries—and are rarely used in violent crime here.

Removing the tax strips away the original justification for the NFA’s entire framework.

ATF’s Quiet Shutdown—and What Buyers Need to Know

There is a short-term wrinkle. In preparation for the new law, the ATF will temporarily stop accepting new Form 1 and Form 4 applications in late December. This is a technical pause while the system switches from a paid tax to a zero-dollar tax.

Nothing is being banned. Nothing is being reversed.

But it does mean buyers should expect a brief processing gap before applications resume under the new rules in January.

The Bigger Fight: Registration Without a Tax

Here’s where things get interesting.

The NFA registry exists to track who paid the tax. But once the tax is zero, the legal foundation for that registry becomes shaky. As Knox Williams explains, the government is now arguing that the registry survives under the Commerce Clause—a theory that could justify federal registries for nearly any taxed business or product.

That argument is already being challenged in court by a coalition including the American Suppressor Association, NRA, and the Second Amendment Foundation.

This fight won’t be quick. Lawsuits take time. But the removal of the tax opens a door that has been locked for 91 years.

What This Means for Gun Owners

In practical terms:

• Gun owners will collectively save hundreds of millions of dollars each year.
• Suppressors—especially rimfire and entry-level models—will become far more accessible.
• Demand is likely to surge, at least initially, as buyers who waited finally enter the market.
• The legal case against NFA registration requirements is now stronger than ever.

This isn’t the end of the NFA—but it is the first real sign that it can be dismantled piece by piece.

A Small Step, But a Real One

Gun owners are used to playing defense. That’s why this moment matters.

For the first time since the 1930s, federal gun law moved in the direction of liberty—not restriction. It didn’t happen by accident. It happened through sustained pressure, careful strategy, and organizations willing to play the long game.

As Knox Williams put it, zeroing out the tax wasn’t the final goal—it was the opening move.

And for anyone who cares about the Constitution, that’s worth paying attention to.

Live Inventory Price Checker

	Dead Air Armament 5.56 Nitro PVC Front Cap, Cerakote Black - DA201	Palmetto State Armory	$ 54.99 $ 49.99
	Dead Air Armament 5.56 Sandman K - SOLGW Edition (1/2x28 NOX)	Rainier Arms	$ 789.00
	Dead Air KeyMount 5.56 Muzzle Brake Black Steel	Ammunition Depot	$ 69.99
	Dead Air Sierra 5 Suppressor | 223/5.56 NATO - KEYMO (Personal)	Ammunition Depot	$ 857.89

Gun Groups Sue ATF to End the NFA Once and for All

2nd Amendment Foundation Sues California Over New Excise Tax On Guns & Ammunition