#PistolBraces

I don’t think any of us like to see new proposed regulations when it comes to gun rights but the fact of the matter is that it is simply the reality that we live in right now. Thankfully, we have many tools at our disposal for making our voices and opinions heard and we aren’t just stuck shouting into the void with our guns in our hands. One of the most effective means by which we can counteract any proposed rulemaking by the ATF is by submitting comments. This is a fairly quick and simple method to encourage the ATF to rethink their proposed rulemaking. So today I’ve put together a brief guide for you to follow when commenting on proposed ATF regulations now and in the future.

The ATF took another step toward regulating firearms with attached stabilizing braces today by proposing an amendment to the definition of a rifle in the Code of Federal Regulations and creating a worksheet that uses a point system to determine if a firearm is a “rifled barrel weapon”. The move comes after years of the agency attempting to classify certain pistol braces as stocks.

In what may go down as a Christmas miracle, the ATF has rescinded the notice pertaining to weapons with stabilizing braces. The potential rulemaking would have had a massive effect on both individual owners as well as the firearms industry, redefining pistols as rifles using a new set of criteria. The withdrawal comes after tens of thousands of comments were posted to the official notice and dozens of representatives signed on to a letter to the ATF in opposition to the proposal.

As we discussed yesterday, the comment period is open for the ATF’s proposed rulemaking on certain pistol stabilizing braces. While it is easy to believe that our comments will be ignored and will not effect the outcome, I believe making our voices heard is an important part of the process. I submitted my comment yesterday and dedicated half of it to the fact that laws surrounding the ownership of property are inherently unjust. Our friends at Open Source Defense have made a cleaner, more succinct argument that needs repeating. The NFA laws and regulations are unfair and built on a weak foundation from a 1934 attempt to ban handguns using an exorbitant tax.

Good morning everyone and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the new YHM NITRO N20 lightweight, modular, multi-caliber suppressor. We got an initial look at the NITRO N20 last week and I promise to bring you additional testing in the weeks ahead. This week we need to talk about ATF Rulemaking and the impact it can have on other aspects of NFA regulations. Believe me, I’m tired of writing about near soul-crushing topics and would rather be slinging sone heavy subsonic lead quietly downrange. But unfortunately we have some important business  to discuss – there are unconfirmed reports that solvent trap/Form 1 kit manufacturer Diversified Machine was raided by the ATF.

Preliminary ATF documents published by the Prince Law Blog may show a move to classify firearms outfitted with pistol braces as items controlled under the National Firearms Act (NFA). If the move is formalized, it could potentially affect hundreds of thousands or even millions of gun owners in the United States, forcing them to make a choice: remove their pistol braces and destroy them, register their guns as NFA items or change the barrel length to anything over 16 inches. The revised look at the way pistol stabilizing braces are categorized is not necessarily a surprise. For years the ATF has scrutinized the configurations of certain braces, announced that a brace cannot be legal shouldered and most recently issued a cease and desist letter to Q, LLC regarding the brace on the honey badger pistol.