Williams | Robinson | Wiggins
insights - all things legal
in omnia paratus
Showing articles tagged "Second Amendment" (clear)
The National Firearms Act: Is the 1934 Gun Law Still Enforceable?
A Depression-era tax, ninety years of challenges, the court order that changed the rules, and the ATF stand-down that followed
Since 1934, the National Firearms Act has taxed and registered suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and machine guns. On August 5, 2026, a federal court held the NFA's registration and approval scheme unconstitutional for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns — because Congress cut the tax behind it to zero. The injunction does not cover everyone, and Missouri did not join the suit. Updated October 2026: the government did not appeal, and on October 9 ATF stopped enforcing those requirements nationwide. Read this article for the history and what it means for you.
Federal Gun Regulation in 2026: What Just Changed — and What Hasn't?
The ghost-gun rule held unconstitutional, the forced-reset-trigger settlement, a revived rights-restoration process, and where the NFA now stands
In twelve August days, one federal court held the National Firearms Act's registration scheme unconstitutional for suppressors and short-barreled firearms, another held ATF's "ghost gun" frame-and-receiver rule unconstitutional, and the Department of Justice revived a firearm-rights-restoration process dormant since 1992. Together with the 2025 forced-reset-trigger settlement, these events mark the sharpest shift in federal firearms regulation in a generation. Updated October 2026: the NFA ruling is final and ATF has stopped enforcing registration nationwide; the ghost-gun ruling is on appeal; restoration applications open to the public November 4. Read this article for what changed, what didn't, and what it means in Missouri.
