120 Day “amnesty” period to register pistol braces begins today.
Washington, D.C. – Today begins the 120-day amnesty period for law-abiding Americans to either register their pistol braces with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) or be destroyed before the amnesty period ends. While there is no official number of pistol braces in circulation, most estimates are in the millions.
Failure to register or destroy a previously legally owned pistol brace can result in a 10-year prison sentence and up to $250,000 in fines.
“This is government overreach, the expansion of an already unconstitutional registry, and forced destruction of private property – plain and simple,” said Dudley Brown, President of the National Association for Gun Rights. “We look forward to fighting against this ridiculous registry scheme and holding these anti-gun government bureaucrats accountable for betraying their oath to the U.S. Constitution.”
Stabilizing braces, which are commonly attached to AR-15 pistols, are an accessory that simply make a gun more controllable and safer for handicap citizens to shoot — they do absolutely nothing to alter the function of a firearm.
But under new definitions from ATF, pistols equipped with braces are now considered de-facto short barrel rifles – thus falling under control of the National Firearms Act of 1934 and the NFA registry.
Rep. Bob Good (R-VA-5) recently introduced H.R.381 the “PISTOL Act,” which blocks the ATF from redefining braced pistols as short barreled rifles (SBRs).
Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA-09) is also introducing the SHORT Act which repeals parts of the NFA and he will also introduce a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act disapproving of the ATF’s executive authority to alter the previous law which allowed Americans to purchase pistol braces as an unregistered accessory.
“We’re thankful that Representatives Good and Clyde are fighting for the Second Amendment – but we need every single pro-gun Member of Congress, especially Speaker Kevin McCarthy, to go the offensive and make this fight a top priority in Congress. I cannot overstate how egregious and malicious the ATF and Biden administration are acting. They’re literally funneling millions of Americans into a gun registry, or demanding they destroy previously legally owned property. Any politician who calls themselves pro-gun should be fighting against this tooth and nail,” concluded Brown.
The National Association for Gun Rights opposes the pistol brace ban and registry and is lobbying Congress to overturn this executive action by the ATF and the Biden administration.
The National Association for Gun Rights is the nation’s largest “no compromise” pro-gun organization, with 4.5 million members nationwide.
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