Yesterday, United States Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche invited AmmoLand News to witness the signing of the most comprehensive Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) rules package in the agency’s history.
The rules were substantial. They included eliminating the need to mark National Firearms Act (NFA) items when built from an existing receiver. Another change allows Gun Control Act (GCA) firearms to be shipped directly to a buyer’s door from a federal firearms licensee (FFL) in the same state. Many companies, such as Palmetto State Armory (PSA), have a network of FFLs in each state to ship suppressors to purchasers’ doors. It wouldn’t be a heavy lift to use those same FFLs for GCA firearms.
These changes were mostly positive. Newly confirmed Robert Cekada signed each rules package just minutes after being confirmed by the Senate.
The signing of the 34 rules marks the first step in reforming a Bureau many view as out of control. Although the changes were positive, a few changes were missing from the initial rules. The most noticeable missing change was a modification to the frames and receiver rule.
Court cases around the country have been paused for months, awaiting a new rule. Many believed it would be unveiled yesterday. That did not happen. Earlier this month, Justice Department lawyers stated that the ATF would not change the frames-and-receiver rule. They quickly backpedaled, then told opposition lawyers that the rule is still under review and that a new rule would be forthcoming.
Another welcome change is that the ATF’s secret database of out-of-business records will no longer be kept forever. There will be a fixed period of time before these records in Martinsburg, West Virginia, will be destroyed. We do not yet know what that time period will be. It appears that the ATF’s top brass have not decided. Gun owners want the immediate destruction of the database. They view it as an illegal gun registry that is expressly forbidden by Congress.
Sources inside the ATF said they wanted to push further, but wanted to make sure they could defend their actions in court and politically.
The ATF and DOJ did not address the killing of Bryan Malinowski. On March 19, 2024, ATF agents raided Malinowski’s home and killed him. The airport executive for Little Rock airport was a lifelong firearms collector and sold guns from his private collection at gun shows. The ATF believed he might be “engaged in the business” of selling firearms without an FFL. The raid was to gather evidence to use against him, but ended up in tragedy.
To date, no one has been held responsible for the botched raid, raising concerns from the firearms community about the history of lack of accountability inside the ATF dating back to the 80’s with botched raids at Waco and Ruby Ridge.
The ATF’s proposed changes show a willingness to work with the firearms community and industry, a major shift from the past. Two years ago, AmmoLand News was supposed to attend a meeting at ATF headquarters, only to have our invitations revoked the morning of the proposed meeting.
This time, not only was AmmoLand News invited, but so were representatives from Gun Owners of America (GOA), the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), National Associations for Gun Rights (NAGR), National Rifle Associations (NRA), American Suppressor Association (ASA), and the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).
Whether the changes will continue remains to be seen. President Ronald Reagan once said, “Trust, but verify,” and that is exactly what AmmoLand News plans on doing.
About John Crump
Mr. Crump is an NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people from all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons. Follow him on X at @right2bear or at www.crumpy.com.
