Posted on 09/05/2022 5:59:07 AM PDT by Joe Brower
ATF Requests Funding for Pistol Brace Amnesty Registration Program
Ammoland Inc.
September 2, 2022
John Crump
Washington, DC – -(AmmoLand.com)- AmmoLand News has uncovered information showing that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is planning to force gun owners to register firearms with pistol braces as a National Firearms Act (NFA) ATF Form 1 item.
The document (embedded below) was uncovered in a budget justification from the ATF to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This form confirms the leaked information AmmoLand News has heard for months from our inside sources at the ATF.
The document reads: Due to the upcoming Amnesty Registration of Pistol Brace weapons, photos of the weapon being registered will be required to prove the weapon does utilize a pistol brace in its configuration and would qualify for an amnesty registration.
Pistol Brace Amnesty/Registration
Our ATF inside sources have told AmmoLand News that the ATF was planning for an amnesty period where gun owners would be able to register their braced pistols as short-barreled rifles (SBR) and that it is expected they will receive a free tax stamp. The ATF charges $200 per SBR. Currently, there are at least four million braced pistols in the United States.
The ATF posted the proposed pistol brace rules to the Federal Register late last year for public comment. Over 250,000 comments were submitted, with most comments being against any new regulations. The gun community let their voices be heard, and the ATF ignored them.
The ATF has issued multiple letters stating that pistol stabilizing braces are legal to put on pistols, but this action would change agency’s course.
The White House ordered the ATF to redefine the definition of a firearm and change rules surrounding pistol stabilizing devices. The proposed rule covering frames and receivers was unveiled 30 days later, and the proposed rule for braced pistols was revealed 60 days later. The frames and receiver rule went into effect on August 24th after a 120-day grace period.
The final pistol stabilizing device rule has not been finalized. Based on this budget request and information from our sources, it seems to include a registry. The ATF recently implemented the eForms systems for some Form 1 NFA items. The new system automates a lot of the tedious work that ATF employees and the National Firearms Act (NFA) division used to do manually. It remains to be seen if the system can withstand millions of additional form submissions.
This influx of millions of new applications will also backlog any other forms submitted for processing. The ATF promised that the average time to process a Form 1 tax stamp application would be 90 days. The ATF is nowhere close to that number, with only 30% being processed in the promised time period. With millions of additional applications, the 90-day period seems to be a pipe dream.
The new rule is expected to be announced by December of this year.
This is bad news ahead for anyone who bought any pistol that employs a stabilizing brace. Typical of the ATF to change its mind back and forth and now, with the American-hating marxists currently ruling the roost, settle on the worst possible decision with the most damaging outcome.
"The worse, the better", to quote comrade Lenin.
Perhaps of interest.
I don't own one but can see the value. My ARs that have collapsible stocks are just fine. They just lack the tacticool factor of the brace. I can live with that.
Hey look, another gun law to ignore.
In fact, from what I understand, 300 BLK was designed to attain even max supersonic velocities in 9" of barrel. At which point, getting the shorter barrel and then putting a can on it makes good sense.
Pardon, I’m not trying to be a wise-ass, but what is the difference between a pistol brace and a collapsible stock? A braced pistol could be considered a short barreled rifle.
𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘰𝘯, 𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘦-𝘢𝘴𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘭 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘤𝘬? 𝘈 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘭𝘦.
Pistol braces are designed for one handed shooting, and will look kind like a stock, but are either flat, or kind of clip or wishbone shaped to go around the forarm. Many of them appear to be more like stocks though.
Exactly how are you gonna “force” us to register?
Look, there are hours and hours of posts and articles praising “pistol braces” as devices to evade the NFA.
Now, I favor repeal of the NFA - and a Supreme Court ruling overturning the NFA would be good as well - but if you spend the better part of a decade pointing out how smart you are, and how stupid the ATFE pencil pushers are - eventually, they are going to notice you.
“Now, I favor repeal of the NFA - and a Supreme Court ruling overturning the NFA would be good as well - but if you spend the better part of a decade pointing out how smart you are, and how stupid the ATFE pencil pushers are - eventually, they are going to notice you.”
Post of the thread. Wise words.
If I’m not mistaken there’s also been back and forth on the interwebs regarding the legality of shouldering a pistol brace equipped gun.
Anyone who purchased one of these things who already owned (in this case an AR pistol, but there are other pistols out there that use braces) a pistol could simply remove it and restore the pistol to it’s factory configuration, I don’t see how the ATF can do much about that unless we’re going full bumpstock here. For those guns that came with them installed I don’t know how it’s going to be handled. I would be shrieking about amending the Code of Federal Regulations and creating law without legislation, but that ship sailed in March of 2019, probably a lot earlier than that.
“The White House ordered the ATF to redefine the definition of a firearm and change rules surrounding pistol stabilizing devices.”
Changing laws is a legislative fuction, not an executive function. The ATF can’t just change the law absent Congress, and the President lacks the power to order such a change as well.
Lindsey will vote to fund it.
L
What I'd REALLY like to see is the repeal of 18 USC 922 (o)....or better yet, Chapter 4 of the GCA.
And whoever becomes the test case for that will have their life ruined. That is how lawfare and anarcho-tyranny work.
Hiel.
I’d love to see all that repealed. Considering how few incidents we’ve had with lawfully owned short barreled rifles, short barreled shotguns, AOWs, select fire, silencers/suppressors in the 88 years since the NFA was signed into law, we’re way overdue for the debate on repealing the whole damned thing. As it is, I believe murders committed with long guns are uncommon, pistols taking the lion’s share of firearms related deaths after you factor in other means. As far as usage of unlawful/unregistered short barreled rifles and shotguns, silencers/suppressors, select fire weapons being used in crimes, it’s maybe a blip on the radar.
To me, the “brace” term and the very slight differences between its construction and functionality with a true stock is in “how” it is used (or can be used) area. What does that mean? Well, if you readily can use the ‘brace’ which may or not be extendable/adjustable as a SHOULDER BRACED part of the gun, then it’s just a short-barreled weapon.
Most of the ‘brace’ designs have that curve in the widest part of them that is ostensibly meant for the user to ‘brace’ the pistol against the user’s forearm. Some even have strap looking options where I guess the operator could slip his and and forearm through to use it as a truly braced pistol.
In the end, my opinion is the manufacturers clearly designed them so that they can be used as a stock YET! due to definitions that were existing with ATF communications allowed barrels that were much shorter than the minimum 16”/26” (barrel/OAL) 1934 NFA definition.
I know I’ll get flamed over this, but the only thing I can say is that I think the 1934 NFA needs to be repealed in its entirety and that the ATF is a lawless organization operating on BS interpretations, intimidation and un-Constitutional gatekeepers of rights to which they have no right in deciding.
The brace was always a work around to make a short barreled rifle legally a pistol. That’s all. No other practical reason for a brace. They aren’t better than a collapsible stock.
Frankly, I think hostilities start very soon, so this illegal act by the ATF won’t even matter.
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