We lately reported on how the Trump Administration’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) remains to be implementing the Biden-era pistol brace rule, regardless of that rule being killed.
In a March 16 courtroom submitting, the ATF quietly admitted that it continues to implement its interpretation that some pistol-brace-equipped firearms are unregistered short-barreled rifles (SBRs)—a federal felony carrying as much as 10 years in jail—although the rule that codified that interpretation has been universally vacated.
Angered by the revelation, Gun Homeowners of America (GOA) is looking on its members to contact their representatives in Congress, demanding they maintain the Division of Justice (DOJ) accountable within the matter.
“A federal courtroom vacated the Biden pistol brace ban,” GOA wrote in a nationwide alert to members. “President Trump campaigned on ending it. Bondi’s DOJ remains to be implementing it anyway.”
As GOA identified within the alert, President Donald Trump stated he’d eliminate the pistol brace rule in the course of the marketing campaign.
“President Trump promised twice on the marketing campaign path to finish the pistol brace ban on day one,” the alert acknowledged. “He stated it in Indianapolis in 2023. He stated it once more in Harrisburg in 2024. His personal DOJ is now proving these guarantees have been by no means saved.”
The matter is a crucial one as a result of so many Individuals could be negatively affected by it with out even understanding it.
“This issues as a result of ATF has refused to problem classification letters telling house owners which pistol braces are authorized, except it’s in a prison case,” GOA wrote. “Meaning each single gun proprietor with a pistol brace is a possible goal for felony expenses.”
The alert additionally famous that GOA management has gone on to senior DOJ officers and raised issues concerning the enforcement of the vacated regulation. Nonetheless, they’ve obtained no indication that the ATF plans to reverse course.
Within the alert, GOA offers a hyperlink to a pre-written letter to Congress that members can simply and rapidly signal onto and have despatched to their congressman or girl.
“I’m writing as a constituent and law-abiding gun proprietor to demand that you simply take instant motion to carry the Division of Justice accountable for its continued, illegal focusing on of pistol brace house owners,” the letter states. “Tens of millions of Individuals bought pistol braces in good religion and in full compliance with ATF steering on the time of buy. They need to not face the specter of felony prosecution for exercising their constitutional rights.”
Stabilizing braces have been round for almost 15 years and have been initially permitted by the ATF, which stated attaching one to a pistol didn’t reclassify the firearm as an SBR, later repeating that in 2014.
 In 2014, the company doubled down, confirming that even shouldering a braced pistol didn’t change its classification. That reassurance helped drive adoption to an estimated 7 to 10 million Individuals.
Nonetheless, in 2023, the Biden Administration created a sweeping administrative rule that successfully labeled the overwhelming majority of braced pistols as unregistered SBRs. That rule was vacated early within the Trump Administration.
