The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) published its pistol brace rule in the Federal Register on Tuesday and was immediately sued by Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL).
The ATF, under the auspices of the National Firearms Act (NFA), is categorizing pistol braces under the NFA, thereby requiring registration of the devices with the ATF.
In April 2021 the Congressional Research Service observed, “In November 2012, however, ATF determined that attaching a stabilizing brace to an AR-type pistol would not change that firearm’s classification from a solely Gun Control Act regulated handgun to an NFA-regulated short-barreled rifle.” But the ATF, at President Joe Biden’s direction, now claims that a stabilizer brace on a pistol does turn the firearm into a short-barreled rifle, with some exceptions.On January 13, 2023, Breitbart News noted the finalization of the ATF’s pistol brace rule and that individuals in possession of said braces have 120 days to register them once the final rule appears in the Federal Register.
