As reflected in a notice issued through the Federal Register electronic notice system, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives intends to publish tomorrow, Friday, December 18, 2020, its "Objective Factors for Classifying Stabilizer Braces" in the Federal Register, which we previously blogged about in our article ATF to Institute Rulemaking … "It is a travesty against justice that the ATF can criminalize possession, not misuse, of literally millions of firearms in the United States with the stroke of a pen. The ATF initially cleared the device, stating that “the submitted brace, when attached to a firearm, does not convert that weapon to be fired from the shoulder and would not alter the classification of a pistol or other firearm.” Guidance documents are not binding and do not have the force of law. ATF Solicits Public Comment on Pistol Brace Re-Classification. The ATF, evidently, is not indicating that the mere presence of a brace on a pistol automatically converts the firearm into one under the purview of the National Firearms Act (“NFA”). The ATF decided once again to tangle with gun owners everywhere and begin going after pistol braces, (for example with the ‘Honey Badger’ SBR). SUBMIT YOUR COMMENT TO THE ATF ↗ If the button doesn’t work, try clicking here to submit a formal comment. We need your input to make sure our comment letter reflects the questions, concerns and voice of the firearm and ammunition industry. ATTN: ATF 2020R-10. These delightful accessories therefore infringe upon the government’s infringement upon an American gun owner’s Constitutional right to configure their firearms however they wish (an intentionally convoluted grammatical construct). The rescinding of the new guidance allows for current guidance to remain in effect. The rule includes what ATF calls, “the objective factors it considers when evaluating firearms with an attached stabilizing brace to determine whether they are considered firearms under the National Firearms Act (“NFA”) and/or the Gun Control Act … One thing is sure, though- if you do NOTHING, then you have NO CHANCE of having an effect. What is going on? Deputy Attorney General, ATF is withdrawing, pending further Department of Justice review, the notice and request for comments entitled “Objective Factors for Classifying Weapons with ‘Stabilizing Braces’,” that was published on December 18, 2020. But, I believe that the “guidance” refers to guidance to ATF officers and courts on what a weapon with a pistol brace is. The Pistol Brace and the ATF’s Comment Period. Congressmen Question ATF’s Pistol Brace Move December 23, 2020 by John Richardson 1 Comment In a move organized by Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC), he and 89 other members of the House of Representatives have sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr and BATFE Acting Director Regina Lombardo expressing their “deep concern” on proposed guidance on pistol … That isn’t happening. This proposal will affect the gun industry, as well as citizens who own the weapons in question. Tag: atf pistol brace ban. The ATF solicits comments from now through Jan. 4. The proposal seeks to evaluate AR pistol with braces on a case by case bases. A stabilizing brace is designed to make shooting a rifle or shotgun one-handed possible for people with disabilities. The ATF decided once again to tangle with gun owners everywhere and begin going after pistol braces, (for example with the 'Honey Badger' SBR). ATF proposes that they will take a “holistic” approach to determining whether a pistol with an arm brace is actually an SBR. The due date is 01/04/21. Comment REQUIREMENTS: ATF is accepting comments from all interested persons on the use of the objective factors listed in this document. The National Shooting Sports Federation (NSSF) is also asking for comments. Marketing – The ATF will consider how a firearm is marketed in determining the manufacturer’s intended use of a pistol brace. The ATF has just posted a notice that they have withdrawn their request for public comment on “Objective Factors for Classifying Weapons with ‘Stabilizing Braces‘” in the Federal Register. The ATF response was that they were withdrawing their request for comment and their guidance on the proposed pistol brace issue. If you're interested in what else the The Captain's Journal has to say, you might try thumbing through the archives and visiting the main index, … However, ATF is absolutely attempting to crack down on what it will consider a pistol, and … AR15 braced pistols and similar firearms are in common usage. The ATF was required to publish their new guidelines in the Federal Register, and allow the public to make comments … ATF - Pistol Brace Comments. That criteria includes: caliber, weight, length, design of brace, if it can be fired one handed, and what type of optic or accessory is on the firearm. We reported on Friday how the ATF had released new ‘guidelines’ on what would make a braced pistol into a short barreled rifle — and thus an illegal firearm. You are currently reading "ATF Withdraws Pistol Brace Guidance", entry #26486 on The Captain's Journal.This article is filed under the category(s) BATFE and was published December 23rd, 2020 by Herschel Smith. In light of this, the ATF says it “must evaluate whether a particular firearm configured with a stabilizing brace bears the objective features of a firearm designed and intended to be fired from the shoulder, and thus subject to the NFA, on a case-by-case basis.” The ATF is taking public comment via the Federal Register through January 4, 2021. On December 22, 2020, Breitbart News informed readers that the ATF had posted guidance for AR pistol reclassification to the Federal Register. Whatever the case may be, the ATF has officially published through the Federal Register its proposed “Objective Factors for Classifying Weapons with Stabilizing Braces.” The irony is that “objectivity” seems to be the antithesis of the ATF proposal, just as it has been all along with bureau’s treatment of pistol stabilizing braces. Again. By Dan Zimmerman via TTAG and republished with permission. As of 12/16/2020, a lot of things have come down the pipe when it comes to Pistol Braces/Stabilizers and the ATF/DOJ. Remember the M855 debacle- our 80,000 comments caused the ATF to back down on an importation ban… maybe we can do the same again. Pistol braces allow American gun owners to enjoy better control of their big-boned handguns. GPM has reported repeatedly that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms’ (ATF) was on the verge of making millions of law-abiding gun owners criminals overnight. Yes, it even opened for comment over the holidays—how nice of the ATF. ATF recently published a notice in the Federal Register that has the gun world up in arms – and it’s being reported as a ban on pistol braces. The ATF is allowing comments until Jan 4th of 2021 regarding the re-classification of Pistol Braces. (Indeed, the ATF has no authority to declare accessories like pistol braces to be NFA components, though the agency’s previous conduct provides little reassurance.) ATF Withdrawals Pistol Brace Threat. Well it appears that there is a 16 page rough draft copy of proposed rulemaking specifying “Objective Factors for Classifying Stabilizing Braces” according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). 85 FR 82516. ATF’s history of confusing and conflicting determinations on pistol braces has created a situation where law-abiding gun owners and manufacturers have no way to … 2. Close. Link to the ATF page with their proposed letter above; my comment below. A stabilizing brace is designed to make shooting a rifle or shotgun one-handed possible for people with disabilities. The public comment period for the ATF’s proposed rules for pistol stabilizing braces just opened last Friday, but already more than 13,000 comments have been received by the agency. It is very important you all follow these instructions and voice your opinion. It’s obvious that they are no longer receiving comments from the public on the issue. Here is the full announcement from the ATF: ATF is announcing the withdrawal of a notice and request for comments entitled … The pistol braces acceptance will be based on a set of criteria by the ATF. Posted by 1 month ago. Can we get a roll call to those are have or are going to comment regarding the ATFs clarification around pistol stabilizing braces. With the leak of a new letter showing that ATF is opening up a public comment period ahead of finalizing their “Objective Factors for Classifying Weapons with Stabilizing Braces” document, there is renewed fear of an impending pistol brace ban. That’s not true, because the document doesn’t actually do anything. The Feel free to reuse/improve my language! Now, the ATF’s proposed guidance on pistol braces is only open for comment for 18 days, and that includes Christmas and Christmas Eve as … The decision on pistol braces has since seen a rise in short-barreled, AR-15 style firearms that use these pistol braces, under the understanding that they are classified as pistols by the ATF. In a 2015 letter, the ATF upheld their prior determination, but said shouldering such braces instead of a shooter wearing them on their wrist, would constitute a redesign of the … All comments must reference this document’s docket number, ATF 2020R-10, be legible, and include the commenter’s … On that same day, Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) and 89 other U.S. Reps. sent a letter to the ATF demanding they reverse course and correct the “injustice” of reclassifying AR pistols. ATF - Pistol Brace Comments. Nonetheless, the ATF is taking comment before it makes its final decision. ATF's longstanding and publicly known position is that a firearm does not evade classification under the NFA merely because the firearm is configured with a device marketed as a “stabilizing Start Printed Page 82518 brace” or “arm brace.” When an accessory and a weapon's objective design features, taken together, are not consistent with use of the accessory as an arm brace… During that 5-day time frame over 48,000 comments were left to the ATF regarding the potential new guidance on pistol braces. For over 40 years there have been pistols chambered in large calibers like … Again. The public comment period for the ATF’s proposed rules for pistol stabilizing braces just opened last Friday, but already more than 13,000 comments have been received by the agency. The notice drew over 67,401 public comments in less than a week, of which only about 7,000 had been published by Wednesday afternoon. ATF was advised by the first manufacturer to submit an arm brace for classification that the intent of the arm brace was to facilitate one-handed firing of the AR15 pistol for those with limited strength or mobility due to a handicap, and to reduce bruising to the forearm when firing with one hand. Posted on December 21, 2020 December 21, 2020. Teresa Mull Dec 23, 2020 0 Comments. By: Teresa Mull. ATF claims that one factor is the caliber of the pistol. It’s a guidance document, sort of an official announcement of ATF policy, but ATF policy is not law. That’s a good start, but we still need gun owners and Second Amendment supporters to add their voice to the growing chorus that’s objecting to the ATF’s proposal. 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