AR15 pistol.
Posted on 05/29/2025 1:55:49 PM PDT by absalom01
Texas lawmakers voted to pass a bill that would remove short-barrel firearms from the state's list of banned weapons.
If it becomes law, the legislation, SB 1596, would mark a shift in Texas firearms policy as debate about gun control and public safety continues. The bill has come under scrutiny, as a similar type of firearm was used in a 2018 school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas.
The Texas House of Representatives voted to pass the bill Wednesday afternoon, bringing it one step closer to becoming law. It passed mostly by party lines, with only three Democrats joining Republicans in passing the legislation.
Short-barrel firearms include rifles with barrels shorter than 16 inches and shotguns with barrels less than 18 inches, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
It would not override federal regulations that also require the firearms to be registered, but Texas police could no longer arrest people who fail to properly register them, the San Antonio Express-News reported.
Nicole Golden, executive director of Texas Gun Sense, told Newsweek that she is "beyond disappointed" to see the bill advance.
"Short-barrel firearms are more easily concealable and maneuverable, significantly enhancing their lethality," she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...
In short, when the Biden BATFE decided to magically decide that pistols with stabilizing braces would be considered NFA "short barreled rifles", the TX leg actually did something good. They looked at their penal code, and said, basically "We linked our PC to the Federal rules, basically trusting the Feds to not be crazy and change the rules arbitrarilty. WHAT WERE WE THINKING????"
In short, the long-standing Texas law said "SBR's are illegal in Texas unless it's registered with the feds, tax stamp paid etc. under the NFA. In that case, you're cool.
But with the BATFE arbitrarily deciding that previously legal pistols would suddenly become illegal, unregistered NFA SBR's, that became a problem.
So what the Legislature did yesterday was to simply strike the language that criminalized possessison of SBR's that were not registered per the NFA, removing the risk that Texas law enforcement would be used to arrest those in possession of (for example) an AR-15 pistol with a brace attached.
The federal rules still apply, which most of the reporting fails to make clear.
Of course, I'd like the NFA repealed in its entirety, but that's a story for a different day.
No weapon needs to be “legalized” nor can it be.
Weapons can only be criminalized.
AN ACT relating to the prohibition of short-barrel firearms. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Sections 46.05(a) and (d), Penal Code, are amended to read as follows:
(a) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally or knowingly possesses, manufactures, transports, repairs, or sells:
(1) any of the following items, unless the item is registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record maintained by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives or otherwise not subject to that registration requirement or unless the item is classified as a curio or relic by the United States Department of Justice:
(A) an explosive weapon; or
(B) a machine gun; [or [(C) a short-barrel firearm;]
(2) armor-piercing ammunition;
(3) a chemical dispensing device;
(4) a zip gun;
(5) a tire deflation device; or
(6) an improvised explosive device.
(d) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this section that the actor's conduct:
(1) was incidental to dealing with a [short-barrel firearm or] tire deflation device solely as an antique or curio;
Why does NewsWEAK worry about guns, since their beloved illegal aliens manage to kill citizens using all kinds of other stuff.
“Short-barrel firearms are more easily concealable and maneuverable, significantly enhancing their lethality,” she said. This is my rifle, this is my gun Nicole Golden.
HEY bimbo, I fixed the name of your LIEING FRAUDULENTLY NAMED ANTI-AMERICAN NARROW MINDED GROUP OF demonratcommieblmantifaterrorscumfeminaziguanopathicpedophilegoatrapers.
oh, I see. A shotgun with a 17” barrel is much safer that a shotgun with a 16” barrel.
Pistols are protected by the Second Amendment.
Pistols are more concealable than short barreled rifles.
The law was,is, and always has been idiotic.
It was voted in because of an stupid or Machiavellian Minnesota representative in 1932.
https://www.ammoland.com/2021/06/short-barreled-rifles-were-not-to-be-regulated-nfa/
The bill has come under scrutiny, as a similar type of firearm was used in a 2018 school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas.
~~~~~
Woooo, the dreaded “scrutiny”! The current Texas ban on short-barrel rifles failed to protect the Santa Fe shooting victims, proving that it’s a worthless law. It only outlaws victims of such shooters’ ability to defend themselves.
Why would a criminal care if there’s a law against something?
“Best $1.80 I ever spent!”
Yeah, but rifles will blow your lungs out.
You should have seen what my .308 did to the last deer I shot - lungs blown out indeed!
AR15 pistol.
What good does concealability do when the guns themselves are each heavier than ten boxes?
So personal defense weapons for the civilian market.
I liky, like.
😁😁😁
No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session.
The entire NFA should be “afuera-ed”, to paraphrase Javier Milei.
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