Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) used an X post Tuesday to highlight the ATF’s alleged continued enforcement of the nullified pistol brace rule and then doubled down on his call to abolish the agency.
On April 1, 2026, The Truth About Guns reported that the ATF “is still enforcing the Biden-era pistol brace rule, despite that rule being killed.”
As Gun Owners of America pointed out, “A federal court vacated the Biden pistol brace ban,” but via a March 16, 2026, court filing the gun rights group learned that the ATF allegedly continues enforcement to some degree.
The Firearm Blog explained it this way:
If the ATF determines a specific firearm qualifies as an SBR under the NFA’s existing statutory definition (barrel under 16 inches, overall length under 26 inches, designed to be fired from the shoulder) the $200 tax stamp and registration requirements still apply, rule or no rule.
Rep. Burlison is fed up with it and posted to X: “A federal court struck down the ATF’s pistol brace rule. The DOJ dropped its appeal. And now the ATF admits it’s STILL enforcing that same interpretation against law-abiding gun owners.”
He added, “Up to 10 years in prison for a rule the courts already killed. This is exactly why I introduced the Abolish the ATF Act. This agency is out of control.”
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and the director of global marketing for Lone Star Hunts. He holds a PhD in Military History with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. He enjoys reading Philosophy and novels by Jack Carr and Nelson DeMille. Follow him on X: @awrhawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.