Yesterday, Merrick Garland and the ATF released their long awaited new pistol brace rule. This has been a long process with numerous variations of proposed rules, worksheets & points systems, all eventually culminating in the rule released yesterday. This new pistol brace rule is supposed to go into effect this coming Monday, January 16, 2023.
I think John Crump in his article over at Ammoland best summarizes the new brace rule – “Everything Is An SBR!”
While that is said somewhat in jest, it is essentially true, at least as best I can determine from reading (skimming really) the 293 page long document that is what law abiding gun owners are supposed to read in order to determine what they need to do in order to not become felons.
On a serious note, if a retired cop who is very used to reading laws and other legalese can’t clearly make out what was once legally considered a pistol with a brace, but has now been redefined to be a short barreled rifle (SBR), how is the average gun owner supposed to do it? I think the answer to that question is pretty obvious – they aren’t.
The intent of this ridiculously long, onerous rule is to scare gun owners into either getting rid of their legally purchased and possessed firearms, or to register them with the feds, out of fear of unintentionally, accidentally becoming a felon.
You know who this new ATF brace rule is NOT aimed at? Criminals.
No one out there who is running around using guns for nefarious purposes is doing so with a braced pistol. If you are planning on jacking the local shop-n-rob or engaging in a gang shooting with a short barreled AR, you aren’t putting a brace on it so as to be compliant with the law. You are putting a stock on it because they are more plentiful, cheaper, and because (I’ll shout this part for the stupid people) you don’t give a crap about obeying the law!
If you don’t think the people pushing this new rule don’t know this will NOT affect criminals and will not do anything to lower “gun violence,’ then I have some ocean front property in North Dakota to sell you. Wake the hell up! They are lying to you.
