ATF Report Reveals Mass Noncompliance With Pistol Brace Rule

Submitted by Gun Owners of America,

As we previously predicted in an article prior to the rollout of ATF’s pistol brace rule, very few gun owners have complied with the regulation and registered their pistol braced firearm via the ATF’s registration scheme. 

According to a report published by The Reload, as of June 1, 2023, ATF received 255,162 applications for registration. The Congressional Research Service estimates that the number of braces in circulation is anywhere from 10 million to 40 million. This would mean total compliance with the pistol brace rule is around 0.2 – 0.6 percent. 

Comparatively, this statistic is similar to compliance with ATF’s 2019 bump stock regulations. About 0.1% of all bump stocks (around 546 out of 520,000) were turned in or destroyed in compliance with ATF’s ruling. 

According to @ATFHQ, gun owners turned in a whopping 0.105% of all bump stocks (or 546 of ~520,000) after President Trump’s arbitrary & unconstitutional ban😂 pic.twitter.com/1GPqK43IQ7

— Aidan Johnston (@RealGunLobbyist) January 18, 2023

Although, it could be argued that the noncompliance with the pistol brace rule is more egregious to ATF, as there are 80 times as many braces in circulation compared to bump stocks.

This statistic shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s been following the public outcry from gun owners about the pistol brace rule. 

Who can blame them? ATF hasn’t exactly been forthcoming and consistent in its rulemaking process. Prior to the pistol brace rule, ATF stated in court that their recent “definition of frame or receiver” rule allows companies to sell pistol frame blanks without background checks, as long as those frames do not include jigs and tools to manufacture into firearms. Then, months later, ATF issued an open letter reversing their position and classifying these same frames as firearms.

Fortunately, Gun Owners of America is fighting ATF’s unconstitutional overreach. We were recently issued an injunction in our case GOA/GOF/Texas v. ATF halting the enforcement of the pistol brace rule for our members. We’re currently trying to expand that ruling to cover ALL gun owners nationwide.

🚨 BREAKING🚨

GOF and @GunOwners just received the order for our Pistol Brace lawsuit and our case has resulted in a PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION for ALL GOA MEMBERS.

When the clock strikes midnight, millions of GOA members will still be law-abiding Americans. We are thankful for… pic.twitter.com/41LD8WY1Tq

— Gun Owners Foundation (@GunFoundation) June 1, 2023

We’re also working in Congress to pass a joint resolution of disapproval. The legislation is currently awaiting a vote in the House. 

Using the Congressional Review Act, the ATF rule could be reversed and the agency could be prohibited from ever enacting a similar rule in the future. 

Two joint resolutions of disapproval have already been introduced. H. J. Res. 44, introduced by Rep. Andrew Clyde, has 189 sponsors in the House of Representatives and S. J. Res. 20, introduced by Sen. Kennedy, has 47 sponsors in the Senate.  

Public calls for Speaker McCarthy to hold a vote to block the pistol brace rule have only mounted in recent weeks, with several coalitions calling for immediate action—including 27 Attorneys General currently suing the Biden Administration, 2A influencers with over 30,000,000 combined followers, and numerous members of the gun industry. 

That’s why GOA is also urging activists to contact Congress and urge them to provide oversight and protect all gun owners nationwide. 

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We’ll hold the line for you in Washington. We are No Compromise. Join the Fight Now.