Leaked ATF Rule Would Upend Firearm Industry
26th April 2021
The draft rule primarily adds and alters definitions that are used to implement federal firearms laws. The new definitions make it possible for firearms to have more than one “frame or receiver.” A conclusion that is both at odds with the controlling federal statute and could disrupt the entire industry. It also creates an entirely new marking requirement for certain Federal Firearm Licensees that has no basis in federal statutes.
In effect, the rule would mean that many manufacturers would need to get pre-approval from ATF for new firearm designs. To put it another way, the draft takes 107 pages to say “we’ll know it when we see it.”