#Regulation

The ATF published (yet another) new administrative rule that impacts many American gun owners. We previously covered the “engaged in the business” rule when it was proposed last year. The final version of that rule is now published, but it has already been stayed by a judge. Let’s look at what this rule says, and who it applies to.

The hits just keep on coming in the lawsuits against the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. ATF took their most recent L on June 30th in the case VanDerStok v. Garland in the Northern District of Texas (case number 4:22-cv-00691-O). Let’s go through this decision, what it means, and what it may signal for other issues.

The U.S. House of Representatives passes House Joint Resolution 44 on June 13th. What does this mean for owners of pistol braces? Is this really that big of a deal?

Yet again, an “assault weapons ban” has been proposed in the United States. HR 1808, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022, has passed the House of Representatives and been sent to the Senate. What is in this bill, and how would it work if it were passed? Well, dear reader, let’s take a look at the bill and how it both compares and differs from the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban.

The effort to deregulate of silencers has reached an important milestone: The Hearing Protection Act has made it out of committee, and been incorporated as part of another larger bill. House Resolution 3668 – the Sportsmen Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act – has been introduced to the House floor with a new subsection, Title XV, Hearing Protection. The new subsection provides for the change in classification of silencers from NFA items to standard firearms such as long guns, just like the HPA. Its text is reproduced at the bottom of this post.

Could the complete deregulation of silencers (also called “suppressors”) be near? That’s the goal of a new bill introduced simultaneously to the House and Senate, which seeks to invalidate the provisions pertaining to silencers of the National Firearms Act, entirely. The bill, called the SHUSH (Silencers Help Us Save Hearing) Act, would nullify the NFA’s requirements for silencer registration via two modifications: First, by making anyone seeking to purchase a silencer (who is otherwise acting within the law) automatically meet the NFA’s requirements; and second, by invalidating all state regulations regarding silencers. Further, these changes would retroactively apply to all silencer transfers more recent than October 22, 2015.

Note to all readers. This information was in error. I had an attorney who represents many FFL’s across the country with license matters as well as NFA cases contact me. I’ve consulted with him several times on these types of matters. He informed me there has been no change in the law or BATF policy. Local law enforcement does not have to do the fingerprints.

The Mariana Islands are a US controlled territory often forgotten, but now they have everyone’s attention. This small set of islands far off in the Pacific ocean passed a Senate Bill which is drawing a lot of criticism. As of April 11th, all new handgun sales are subject to a $1,000.00 tax. The governor of the islands, Ralph Torres, has since defended his position on passing the bill, and even suggested that this could be a model for others (referring to states in the U.S.).