I mean, I’ll take what I can can get, but how about Short Barreled Shotguns and Any Other Weapons too, huh?

House Appropriations 2027 Funding Bill Ends Suppressor, Short Barrel Rifle Registration

You may recall that language in the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) removed registration for suppressors and SBRs early on, but that language was later removed, resulting only in the removal of the $200 tax stamp fee.

House Appropriations Committee member Rep. Andrew Clyde (R) responded by showing that the tax was the basis for registration and that now, with the tax gone, the registration should be gone as well. But the registration of suppressors and SBRs has continued since the OBBB took effect, and the GOP-led House Appropriations Committee is trying to end it.

On Wednesday Clyde posted to X, “I secured a measure in the OBBB to zero out NFA taxes for short-barreled firearms and suppressors. $0 tax = Zero registration. Yet the DOJ is currently defending this NFA registration. While litigation is ongoing, your tax dollars shouldn’t fund invalidated NFA requirements.”

Moreover, Gun Owners of America noted that the 2027 funding bill not only deregulates suppressors and SBRs, but also defunds regulatory gun controls instituted by the ATF during the Biden administration.

The funding bill defunds “Biden export restrictions,” among other things.

The surprising reason why buying guns helps endangered species
And why wildlife agencies are building so many shooting ranges.

Here’s a weird fact: Every time someone buys an assault weapon in the US, such as an AR-15, they’re funding wildlife conservation. The same is true if they purchase a handgun, a shotgun, or any other kind of gun or ammunition.

That’s thanks to a law most people have never heard of: the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, commonly known as the Pittman-Robertson Act. Passed by Congress in 1937, the law channels revenue from a tax on firearms, ammo, and archery equipment to state wildlife agencies — government organizations that restore wildlife habitat, monitor threatened species, and oversee hunting and fishing. Levied on firearm manufacturers and importers, the tax is 11 percent for long guns and ammunition and 10 percent for handguns, and it sits on top of other common taxes.

Over the last decade, the law has channeled close to $1 billion a year into state wildlife agencies across the country, amounting to a substantial share of their budgets. One recent analysis found that Pittman-Robertson made up about 18 percent of state agency budgets, on average, in 2019. (License fees for fishing and hunting, along with a hodgepodge of other revenue streams, including a similar tax on fishing gear, make up the rest.) And revenue from Pittman-Robertson has been increasing, roughly doubling in the past two decades — in no small part because gun sales have surged.

Key takeaways

  • An obscure law from the 1930s channels money from an excise tax on firearms and ammo into state wildlife agencies.
  • Revenue from this tax makes up almost a fifth of these agencies’ budgets on average.
  • Some scholars and environmental advocates worry that funding conservation with guns is morally problematic and creates perverse incentives for state agencies to promote firearm use.
  • Yet, these agencies already face severe funding shortfalls, and losing revenue from this gun tax would likely be disastrous for wildlife.
  • Even with this tax in place, state wildlife agencies need more money to conserve the increasingly long list of endangered wildlife within their borders.

Continue reading “”

Armed Carjacking Suspect Shot by Off-Duty New York State Trooper in Yonkers

Armed Carjacking Suspect Shot by Off-Duty New York State Trooper in Yonkers
Yonkers Teen Armed with Knife During Carjacking; Apprehended by Yonkers Police After Fleeing
Yonkers, NY – At approximately 12:45 pm on Sunday, April 26, 2026, the Yonkers Police Department received a call from an off-duty New York State Trooper requesting assistance at the Mobil gas station at 838 Kimball Avenue. The Trooper reported that she had shot a male suspect who had attempted to stab her.

The investigation revealed that the off-duty New York State Trooper was refueling her vehicle at the gas station. When she finished fueling, the suspect approached her, brandished a knife, and entered the driver’s seat of her vehicle. The Trooper fired one shot from her off-duty firearm, striking the suspect in the left arm. The round continued into his torso. The suspect accelerated the vehicle toward the rear of the gas station, driving through a shed and fence at the end of the property before coming to rest in the parking lot of the adjacent apartment building at 1296 Midland Avenue.

The suspect then fled from the stolen vehicle, running toward Midland Avenue. Yonkers Police Officers quickly located the suspect at the entrance to 1328 Midland Avenue and placed him into custody without incident. A knife was recovered from the suspect at the time of arrest. Medical aid was rendered at the scene, and the suspect was transported to an area hospital where he was treated for non-life-threatening gunshot wounds and remains in stable condition.

Due to New York State law prohibiting the identification of minors charged with a crime, he can only be identified as a 17-year-old male resident of Yonkers. No further information will be released regarding his identity.

The suspect is still awaiting arraignment but will be charged with Robbery 1st Degree, Robbery 2nd Degree, Robbery 3rd Degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon 4th Degree, and Menacing 2nd Degree. The criminal investigation is being led by the Yonkers Police Department’s Detective Division Major Case Squad, while an internal review is being conducted by the New York State Police, consistent with department protocol.

As the Trooper was the victim, no further identifying information will be released, consistent with the Yonkers Police Department’s policy of not identifying victims of crimes in news releases. The Trooper will only be identified as a female off-duty New York State Trooper assigned to Troop New York City.

Additional information may be released as it becomes available.

SPECIAL REPORT: Everytown using AI to strip away our Second Amendment rights

Last year, the parents of a 16-year-old boy alleged in a lawsuit that ChatGPT encouraged their son to kill himself.

In October 2004, a New York AI system falsely told business owners they could steal tips, fire anyone who complained about sexual harassment and serve food even after it was chewed by rats.

In August 2005, a 56-year-old man killed his 83-year-old mother in her home and then committed suicide. He believed his mother was a secret agent who was poisoning him with psychedelic drugs, and his chatbot agreed and supported his delusions.

In July 2005, an AI system told a user how to break into an attorney’s home and to bring “lock picks, gloves, a flashlight and lube.”

Now, Everytown for Gun Safety is using AI to help them further erode our Second Amendment rights.

What could possibly go wrong?

On Monday, Everytown announced they had created the Everytown Evidence Engine, or E3, an AI system they claimed would help them “harness AI policy to identify gun safety solutions.”

They made the move to AI because “efficient systems for analysis can lead to new questions and new answers in the field of gun violence prevention research.”

How reliable is Everytown’s new AI?

You can judge for yourself.

Claude

Everytown admitted its new E3 AI system was built using Claude, an AI system designed by the firm Anthropic. Both Claude and Anthropic have had significant problems.

Just four days ago, in a story titled “Anthropic Admitted Claude Code Broke. We Were Right,” a reporter at Medium announced he had found issues with the system.

The reporter’s hard work forced Anthropic to admit that Claude had major problems.

In a story titled “An update on recent Claude Code quality reports,” Anthropic claimed they had fixed everything.

“Over the past month, we’ve been looking into reports that Claude’s responses have worsened for some users. We’ve traced these reports to three separate changes that affected Claude Code, the Claude Agent SDK, and Claude Cowork. The API was not impacted,” Anthropic claimed.

The firm also promised they would “do things differently to avoid these issues,” and that more of their staff would use the public version of the software.

Sky News recently released a damning YouTube video about public interactions with Claude.

The British report discusses how the chatbot tells users what they want to hear.

“What happens when AI starts pulling people away from reality and even encourages them to act on distorted beliefs?” the reporter asked.

The video discusses a recent Canadian research paper that found one of every 1,000 conversations with Claude has the “potential for severe reality distortions.”

“We don’t know why Claude responds as it does consistently,” an expert said.

The researchers also discovered that the number of potentially harmful discussions with Claude was actually growing over time. An Anthropic spokesman admitted they knew that Claude had problems, but they didn’t know why.

“LIMITATIONS”

When Everytown addresses everything that its new E3 tool cannot do, you have to wonder why anyone would use it.

Even Everytown admits E3’s limitations are simply breathtaking.

“For example, at this time, E3 does not currently weigh all of the factors that could be influencing gun violence such as gun ownership, employment and earnings, strength of policy implementation and enforcement, law-enforcement practices, and many other relevant and granular socioeconomic and demographic characteristics particularly at the county and/or neighborhood-levels,” Everytown wrote.

So, despite its long list of limitations, how does Everytown intend to use its new E3 tool?

They don’t really say.

“[T]his new tool can provide users with important directions regarding policy effectiveness that can be used for critical decision-making. And it is the hope that future iterations of the E3 will incorporate these kinds of variables and, ultimately, increase its ability to conduct additional types of analyses,” Everytown wrote.

Takeaways

So far, all of Everytown’s critical decision-making has involved how to strip guns from the hands of gun owners. They spend millions annually trying to create more local, state and federal anti-gun laws. Whether their new E3 system will help them remains to be seen.

Alan Gottlieb founded the Second Amendment Foundation more than 50 years ago and serves as its executive vice president. He was struck but not surprised by the problems with Everytown’s new AI system.

Said Gottlieb: “When you are unintelligent, you think any AI system will be better than your own brain. But being unintelligent, odds are you will pick the wrong one. Everytown sure did!”

A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious.
But it cannot survive treason from within.
An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly.
But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself.
For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men.
He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist.
A murderer is less to fear.
–  Marcus Tullius Cicero (42BC)

Opinion: OK, ‘gun control’ had its chance — here are the results

Using the alleged Trump assassination attempt as a case study, Thomas L. Knapp argues strict gun-control laws failed at every step and show why he sees them as immoral, impractical and ineffective.

In the wake of Cole Tomas Allen’s alleged attempt to assassinate U.S. President Donald Trump and/or other political officials, journalists and general-purpose celebrities come the usual calls for “gun control” because that’s just how things work.

My preferred argument against such nonsense leans hard on morality (it’s evil to infringe on the unalienable human right to self-defense) with a chaser of overall practicality (more than 100 million Americans own several hundred million guns and won’t be giving them up without a fight you do NOT want to witness).

However, it occasionally it seems worthwhile to change lanes and instead examine just how well “gun control” actually works in practice. This is one of those times.

On April 21, Allen boarded an Amtrak train in Los Angeles.

California generally, and Los Angeles specifically, have some of the strictest “gun control” laws on the books, and Amtrak only allows firearms to be carried in locked, checked baggage, with prior written notice/declaration, none of which conditions Allen complied with.

After switching trains in Chicago,, he arrived in Washington, D.C., on April 24 and checked into the Washington Hilton. Like California, Illinois and the District of Columbia have strict “gun control” laws on the books, none of which Allen complied with. The Hilton forbids firearms on its premises other than those carried by “law enforcement personnel.” Allen ignored that rule.

The following day, carrying the 12-gauge shotgun and .38-caliber pistol he’d brought with him over a trip spanning more than 2,000 miles in, from and through various “gun control” zones, he attempted to charge a security checkpoint and reach the hotel’s International Ballroom, intending violence.

“Gun control” had chance after chance after chance to prove it could thwart Allen’s plans.

And. It. Didn’t.

Whoa … violent criminals don’t obey “gun control” laws and private-venue gun rules any more than they obey other kinds of laws and rules? Whodathunkit?

It’s not that the laws and rules aren’t adequately enforced. The only way to reliably prevent Allen from traveling from LA to D.C. with guns would have been to force him to travel on foot and buck naked … after which he’d have almost certainly been able to buy a gun on the street if he wanted one.

“Gun control” laws aren’t just evil and impractical, they’re stump-stupid. As a solution to the violence of criminals, they make about as much sense as a gaudy new White House ballroom.

Thomas L. Knapp (X: @thomaslknapp | Bluesky: @knappster.bsky.social | Mastodon: @knappster) is director and senior news analyst at the William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism

 

ATF Align Group

21F: Conforming Change for Approving a Making Application – FINAL RULE

ATF is issuing a final rule to formally codify in regulation the existing practice of conducting National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) checks as part of the National Firearms Act (NFA) approval process for individuals seeking to make NFA firearms. ATF already conducts these checks as part of its standard processing. This final rule aligns the regulatory text with existing statutory requirements and ATF’s current operational practice, ensuring the regulatory framework accurately reflects how background checks are being administered.

20-03D: Export Control Reform – Conforming References to Department of Commerce – FINAL RULE

ATF is issuing a final rule to make technical and administrative clarifying amendments to its regulations in 27 CFR parts 447 and 479, which control the import and export of firearms, ammunition, and defense articles under the Arms Export Control Act. These changes correspond to regulatory changes previously made by the departments of Commerce and State. The rule adds references to reflect that certain transactions now fall under Commerce’s export and temporary import jurisdiction. These changes respond to actions by the departments of Commerce and State to divide export and temporary import controls between those agencies. The rule also makes minor technical amendments for clarity. No substantive policy changes are made.

04P: Update to Proscribed Countries for Import Restrictions – NPRM

ATF is proposing to update the import restrictions applicable to certain countries under the Arms Export Control Act (AECA). The proposed rule would remove the existing, static list of proscribed countries from which ATF denies applications to permanently import defense articles and services, replacing it with a dynamic reference to the Department of State’s list of proscribed countries. This ensures ATF’s import restrictions remain current and consistent with State Department designations without requiring separate ATF rulemaking each time the list changes. The rule also proposes to remove the list of former Soviet countries from which ATF currently denies applications to permanently import most firearms and ammunition, retaining only the Russian Federation as a proscribed country of origin for these imports.

39P: Adding Component Definitions Under the Arms Export Control Act – NPRM

ATF is proposing to amend the language in its specialized subset of regulations under the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) to align with Department of State terminology already in use in the United States Munitions List (USML). By aligning terminology used to describe defense articles, this technical update would reduce ambiguity for Federal Firearms Licensees, Federal Explosives Licensees, and defense industry stakeholders.

2006R-01: Implementing PATRIOT Act Improvements: Contraband Cigarettes and Smokeless – FINAL RULE

ATF is issuing a final rule implementing provisions of the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 related to trafficking in contraband cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. The rule reduces the quantity threshold triggering jurisdiction under the Contraband Cigarette Trafficking Act (CCTA) from more than 60,000 cigarettes to more than 10,000; extends CCTA coverage to contraband smokeless tobacco for the first time; expands recordkeeping requirements and the class of persons subject to them; imposes reporting requirements on persons engaged in delivery sales above specified thresholds; and requires that cigarettes and smokeless tobacco seized and forfeited under the CCTA be used in law enforcement operations or destroyed. The rule does not apply to electronic cigarettes or other vaping products.

45F: Changes to National Firearms Act Tax Remittance Provisions – FINAL RULE 

ATF is issuing a final rule to amend its National Firearms Act (NFA) regulations to reflect changes made by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to reduce the tax remittance rate for certain NFA firearms. This final rule is necessary to align regulatory text with statutory requirements and implement the legal changes.

ATF Clarify Group

06P: Firearm Activities in Foreign Trade Zones, Customs-Bonded Warehouses – NPRM

ATF is proposing to amend the definition of “importation” in its Gun Control Act (GCA) and National Firearms Act (NFA) regulations to create a parallel exclusion from import requirements for items brought into Customs Bonded Warehouses (CBWs), matching the exclusion that already exists for Foreign Trade Zones (FTZs). The proposal also removes a restriction that currently limits permissible Federal Firearms Licensees (FFL) activities in FTZs and CBWs to storage only, expanding the range of lawful activities FFLs may conduct on items held in these facilities. Together, these changes reduce regulatory ambiguity for importers and licensees operating within international trade environments.

09P: Importing Dual-Use Frames, Receivers, or Barrels – NPRM

ATF is proposing to clarify that Federal Firearms Licensees may lawfully import firearm barrels and frames/receivers capable of being used on both sporting and non-sporting firearms provided that an identified sporting configuration for the barrel or frame/receiver exists at the time of importation. The proposed rule also clarifies that once lawfully imported, a dual-use barrel or frame/receiver may be incorporated into the assembly of a sporting, non-sporting, or NFA-regulated firearm, subject to compliance with all other applicable federal firearms laws.

10P: Importing Training Rounds – NPRM

ATF is proposing to formally clarify in regulation that ”training rounds” — including inert, marking, or simulated-projectile products used for training purposes — do not meet the statutory definition of “ammunition” under the Gun Control Act (GCA) and are therefore not regulated under the GCA or the Arms Export Control Act provided the round is not for a firearm. This codification provides regulatory certainty for importers, manufacturers, and law enforcement suppliers who produce, acquire, or distribute these products.

16P: Converting Temporary to Permanent Imports for Defense Articles – NPRM

ATF is proposing to create a formal administrative process through which a firearms importer may convert a temporarily imported firearm to permanent import status by submitting an ATF Form 6 application when a temporary import authorization has expired or is otherwise no longer operative. Under current regulations, importers whose temporary import authorization expires must re-export, permanently reimport, or destroy the firearm — options that impose significant cost and logistical burden. The proposed rule fills this regulatory gap with a streamlined conversion pathway while maintaining all applicable import controls.

17P: Allowing Makers to Adopt Certain Markings for National Firearms Act – NPRM

ATF is proposing to allow individuals who make National Firearms Act (NFA) firearms by altering existing firearms to adopt markings already applied by the original manufacturer rather than applying additional, redundant markings. Because the original importer and manufacturer’s serial number and markings are already required by statute and regulation, this proposal eliminates a duplicative regulatory requirement while ensuring NFA marking requirements are satisfied. ATF has previously accommodated this practice through individual variances; this proposed rule codifies that accommodation into regulation to provide consistent, clear guidance across the industry.

23P: Clarifying Delivery to a Common or Contract Carrier When Transporting Firearms – NPRM

ATF is proposing to clarify that, for purposes of the Gun Control Act’s  provisions governing the delivery of firearms and ammunition to common or contract carriers, a person traveling aboard a common or contract carrier while personally maintaining direct control over a firearm or ammunition does not constitute “delivery” of that firearm or ammunition to the carrier. This clarification addresses longstanding regulatory ambiguity regarding the obligations of law-abiding travelers who retain physical possession of a firearm during common carrier travel.

24P: Revising Definitions of “Adjudicated as a Mental Defective” and “Committed to a Mental Institution” – NPRM

ATF is proposing to modernize the regulatory definition of “mental defective” — the term used in the Gun Control Act to identify a category of persons prohibited from possessing firearms — to reflect current medical and legal standards. The proposed rule would refine the term “mental defective,” associating it with “intellectually disabled” and clarify that a person receiving assistance in only one functional area (such as financial management) would not, on that basis alone, be considered prohibited under this definition. The proposal also clarifies existing prohibitions. Specifically, individuals committed to a mental institution resulting from a determination that an individual is a danger to themselves or others or is found not guilty by reason of insanity, properly fall within the definition of “committed to a mental institution,” and not within the definition of “mental defective.”

25P: Clarifying Exceptions to the Brady Act Background Check Requirement – NPRM

ATF is proposing to clarify the regulatory standards that govern when a state-issued firearms permit qualifies as an alternative to a National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check under the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act. The proposed rule makes targeted regulatory adjustments to require confirmation that the state permit is both valid and unexpired and that the language of the state statute conforms with certain requirements established by Congress. The proposed rule provides clearer guidance for Federal Firearms Licensees operating in states where such permits are recognized.

33P: Selecting Biological Sex on ATF Forms  – NPRM

ATF is proposing to amend its regulations to clarify that, in response to questions about sex on ATF forms, individuals should select their biological sex. This refers to the individual’s immutable biological classification as either male or female and does not include the concept of gender identity. These are clarifying amendments to align ATF’s regulatory forms with the President’s signed Executive Order 14168, Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government and do not alter any substantive eligibility criteria.

36P: Definition of Business Premises – NPRM

ATF is proposing to clarify the regulatory definition of ‘business premises’ for Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) to explicitly include properties that adjoin each other or that are adjacent to each other and share a common parking lot, sidewalk, or road. This clarification is intended to resolve regulatory ambiguity for licensees whose operations span multiple adjacent buildings or parcels and to provide a consistent, clear standard for FFL licensing determinations.

41P: Firearms Transactions and Straw Purchases – NPRM

ATF is proposing to amend its regulations to provide greater regulatory clarity around the federal prohibition on straw purchases. A straw purchase effectively hides the identity of the actual purchaser/ultimate recipient of the firearm and circumvents the regulatory requirements for a firearm transfer by forgoing background checks and impeding the ability of law enforcement to trace guns involved in the commission of a crime to the true purchaser/ultimate recipient. The proposed rule is intended to provide clearer guidance for licensees, including which transactions are not considered straw purchases, thereby supporting enforcement efforts against true straw purchases.

47P: Creating a Definition of “Willfully” for Firearms Violations – NPRM

ATF is proposing to formally define the term “willfully” in its implementing regulations as it applies to violations of the Gun Control Act, specifically in the context of ATF’s authority to suspend or revoke a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) license or impose civil penalties. The proposed definition would implement the standard established by the U.S. Supreme Court in Bryan v. United States, under which a person acts “willfully” when they know their conduct is unlawful, even if unaware of the specific statutory provision being violated.

ATF Reduce Burden Group

03P:  Interstate Transport and Temporary Export of National Firearms Act – NPRM

ATF is proposing to update the administrative process for transporting lawfully registered National Firearms Act (NFA) firearms within the United States. Under the proposal, individuals transporting NFA firearms for short-term purposes (365 days or fewer) would no longer be required to submit advance notice to ATF or await approval before departing. Individuals transporting NFA firearms for long-term purposes (more than 365 days) or permanent relocation would still submit notice but would not need to await ATF approval before transporting. This change to ATF Form 5320.20 (Form 20), per 27 CFR § 478.28, is intended to remove an unnecessary regulatory burden on law-abiding NFA firearm owners without affecting applicable federal, state, or local legal requirements.

13P: Joint Registration for Spouses under the National Firearms Act – NPRM

ATF is proposing to allow married couples to file a joint application as makers and/or transferees of NFA-regulated firearms. Under current regulations, spouses who wish to jointly possess an NFA firearm typically establish a legal trust to do so, a process that involves legal expense and administrative complexity. This proposal would allow both spouses to be registered jointly as possessors without creating a trust. Under a joint registration, the transfer of a firearm between spouses would not constitute a separate NFA transfer, reducing both administrative burden and cost for law-abiding NFA firearm owners.

15P: Removing CLEO Notification Under the National Firearms Act – NPRM

ATF is proposing to remove the requirement for an applicant to forward to the Chief Law Enforcement Officer (CLEO) of his or her locality a copy of their National Firearms Act (NFA) application to make or transfer a firearm as well as a copy of the Responsible Person Questionnaire (ATF Form 5320.23) required to be completed. The requirement to forward these documents to CLEOs has faced sustained legal challenges and has not achieved its intended public safety outcomes.

18P: Clarifying Interstate Transportation of Firearms under the Gun Control Act – NPRM

ATF is proposing to clarify regulations that govern the interstate transportation of firearms by lawful owners. The proposed rule formally recognizes that common, reasonably necessary activities during travel – including overnight stops, vehicle maintenance, refueling, emergency stops, and medical treatments – are considered as a necessary part of “transport,” and are therefore covered under the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act’s interstate transport protections. The proposed rule also updates requirements for transporting ammunition and firearm accessories and clarifies requirements for securing firearms during transit.

19P: Transferring Machine Guns Between Qualified Licensees – NPRM

ATF is proposing to simplify regulatory requirements for machine gun transfers between licensed manufacturers, importers, and dealers in two specific, limited circumstances: 1) when demonstrating firearms to government entities, and 2) when a licensee is discontinuing a business. The proposed changes update implementing regulations to more closely align with the authority provided by the Gun Control Act and ATF parameters established in a January 2023 Open Letter to prevent misuse of the dealer sales sample exception. This reduces unnecessary regulatory complexity for these narrow commercial transactions while maintaining all applicable NFA requirements and federal licensing controls.

20P: Clarifying Special (Occupational) Tax Payments Per Business Activity – NPRM

ATF is proposing to clarify that Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) who pay the Special Occupational Taxpayer (SOT) fee under the National Firearms Act (NFA) owe one SOT per business activity (manufacturing, importing, or dealing) conducted at a given location, regardless of the number of Gun Control Act (GCA) licenses the FFL holds to carry out such activity at that location. This is a regulatory clarification designed to provide licensees with a clear, consistent understanding of their NFA tax obligation.

38F: Removing Triplicate Filing Requirement for Importing Plastic Explosives – FINAL RULE

ATF is amending its regulations governing the importation of plastic explosives to remove the requirement that importers submit the required attestation in triplicate when filing a Form 6 import application. ATF’s current processing procedures do not require three copies of this document, making the triplicate requirement an administrative artifact with no current operational function. This change eliminates redundant paperwork without affecting any substantive requirement governing the importation of plastic explosives.

ATF Modernize Group

01P: Revising Firearms Transaction Record, “Form 4473” – NPRM

ATF is proposing comprehensive updates to ATF Form 4473 (the Firearms Transaction Record required for all commercial firearms transfers) and its implementing regulations. The proposed rule would streamline identity and residency verification requirements for transferees; increase the time period for which a National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) background check remains valid; clarify exceptions to background checks; permit electronic notice; and authorize the use of electronic forms, auto-population, and digital record attachments. The proposed rule would also incorporate ATF rulings and other guidance to align regulations with their authorizing statutory text as well as make minor technical revisions. These updates reflect modern business practices and are intended to reduce administrative burden on law-abiding citizens and businesses, while maintaining robust safeguards against unlawful transfers.

07P: Firearms Electronic Record-keeping – NPRM

ATF is proposing to formally authorize Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) to generate, maintain, and store required records, including ATF Form 4473 and Acquisition and Disposition (A&D) records, using electronic record-keeping systems. ATF has already permitted this practice for many licensees through blanket and individual variance authorizations. This proposal codifies that authority into regulation, standardizing electronic recordkeeping across the industry, reducing the paperwork burden on licensees, and enhancing ATF’s ability to support timely firearm tracing and investigative efforts.

08P: Firearm Records Retention Periods – NPRM

ATF is proposing to replace the current practice of indefinite retention of Federal Firearms Licensees (FFL) records with definite retention periods for ATF Forms 4473 and Acquisition and Disposition (A&D) records. ATF is considering retention periods of either 20 or 30 years and is requesting public comment on the appropriate timeframe for certain records. ATF also proposes a 20 or 30 year retention period would be required for ATF’s Out-of-Business Records Center at the National Tracing Center. The proposal introduces a 90-day retention period for records related to private-party transfers and voluntary firearm handler checks. Additionally, the proposal includes a five-year retention period for multiple sales reports, pistols and revolvers (ATF Form 3310.4), theft loss reports (ATF Form 3310.11), and Forms 4473 where the transaction is initiated but not completed. This update reflects standard federal records management principles and provides regulatory clarity for licensees.

32D: Licensee “eZ Check” Verification for Transfers – DIRECT FINAL RULE

ATF is issuing a direct final rule to allow Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) transferring firearms to other FFLs to verify the transferee’s license using ATF’s publicly available ‘FFL eZ Check’ online system rather than requiring the transferor to obtain a certified paper copy of the transferee’s license. The rule also removes an outdated and now unnecessary ‘grace period’ provision that previously allowed transferors to continue to sell or transfer firearms to an FFL listed on a certified list from multi-licensed organizations for up to 45 days after the expiration date of that licensee’s specific license.

26P: Revising Non-Over-the-Counter Firearms Transaction Requirements – NPRM

ATF is proposing to amend regulations to authorize “Non-Over-the-Counter” (NOTC) firearm sales by Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) to residents of the same state. The proposed rule would allow FFLs to comply with the requirements of NOTC transactions originally implemented by the Gun Control Act of 1968 and the requirements of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1994 more efficiently to include identification verification. This update is based on the recognition of increased options to securely verify photo identification of prospective purchasers, thereby providing greater flexibility while maintaining the rigorous identification verification and background checks required by the Brady Act.

ATF Repeal Group

ATF is proposing to formally rescind regulatory changes made in 2023 regarding firearms equipped with stabilizing braces. Multiple federal courts have found that the 2023 rule – as codified in 27 CFR 478.11 and 479.11 – violated the Administrative Procedure Act, and the rule has been enjoined, stayed, or vacated across numerous jurisdictions. This proposal removes regulatory language that has been largely unenforceable, restoring the regulatory definitions to be consistent with the underlying statutory definitions.

27P: Revising Regs Defining “Engaged in the Business” as a Dealer in Firearms – NPRM

ATF is revising regulatory changes it made to the definition of the ‘engaged in the business’ of dealing in firearms. The rule rescinds certain provisions of the definition of ‘engaged in the business.’ The rescinded changes have not produced the anticipated outcomes in terms of Federal Firearms License applications, administrative licensing actions, civil forfeitures, or other anticipated enforcement metrics. The rule retains the definition of ‘engaged in the business’ as specifically revised and codified by Congress in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), ensuring that ATF’s regulatory definitions reflect the statutory language Congress enacted.

2024-01F: Revising Machine Gun Definition in Response to Supreme Court Decision – FINAL RULE

ATF is removing two sentences from its three regulatory definitions of “machine gun” that previously incorporated bump stocks into those definitions. This action responds directly to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Garland v. Cargill (2024), which held that semiautomatic rifles equipped with bump stocks do not satisfy the statutory definition of “machine gun” under the National Firearms Act. This rescission aligns ATF’s regulatory text with the statute and the Court’s binding legal interpretation.

28P: Removing Youth Handgun Safety Act Notice – NPRM

ATF is proposing to rescind 27 CFR § 478.103 to remove the requirement for Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) to post a sign (ATF I 5300.1) and provide a written notification (ATF I 5300.2) to each handgun purchaser regarding the Youth Handgun Safety Act. This 1998 regulation was established to inform purchasers of the 1994 Youth Handgun Safety Act. The proposed recission reduces an unnecessary burden on FFLs to inform purchasers about a law that has been in place for over 30 years and is now readily accessible.

ATF’s New Era of Reform

ATF launched a new era of reform in 2025 focused on a commitment to transparency, accountability, and partnership with the firearms industry, gun owners, and the public. Under new leadership, the agency has fundamentally changed course, moving toward a model built on trust and collaboration. This means working with federal firearms and explosives licensees as partners, reducing unnecessary burdens on law-abiding businesses and citizens, and ensuring ATF’s actions are grounded in clear statutory authority and focused on protecting American communities from violent crime driven by explosives, arson, and the illegal use of firearms.

Proposed Rulemakings

As part of ATF’s commitment, the agency recently published a landmark package of proposed rules representing the most significant modernization of ATF regulations in the agency’s history. These proposed rules take a common-sense approach to modernizing regulations and forms and reducing burden on law-abiding businesses and citizens alike. Public comments are encouraged during the open comment period for each rule.

34 Notices to be signed on April 29, 2026

New Era Actions Taken

  • Published a landmark package of proposed rules to streamline regulations and forms, reducing burden on dealers and gun owners alike.
  • Ended the Enhanced Regulatory Enforcement Policy that had targeted firearms dealers; FFLs whose licenses were revoked or surrendered under that policy may reapply under the new Administrative Action Policy.
  • Published a new Administrative Action Policy emphasizing firearm traceability and public safety while deemphasizing immaterial paperwork errors.
  • Revised processes for determining what inspection and compliance data is published.
  • Instituted a NICS alert policy restricting use of NICS alerts to federal firearms trafficking violations.
  • Established a Senior Industry Partnership Advisor/Liaison to address industry concerns and foster productive engagement.
  • Established a classifications board requiring all new firearm classifications to be reviewed and approved by the Office of the Director prior to publication.
  • Improved response time from the Firearms & Ammunition Technology Division (FATD) to FFL inquiries.
  • Reversed bans on the importation of non-lethal training ammunition and dual-use barrels.

What’s Next

This is an ongoing effort. ATF is committed to continued modernization and welcomes public input on proposed rules or outreach to our Senior Industry Partnership Advisor/Liaison.