Federal Court Blocks ATF Registration of Suppressors and SBRs

There has a been a notable federal legal holding regarding the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA). Two consolidated lawsuits — Jensen v. ATF and Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF — had challenged the NFA’s regulation of now-untaxed firearms, such as suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns. In a memo for the cons the judge held the registration requirements are no longer valid. U.S. District Court Judge James Wesley Hendrix ruled that “[b]y zeroing out the transfer and making taxes for most NFA firearms, Congress eliminated the constitutional basis for the regulations that formerly supported the taxes for those firearms.”

Gun reviewer and attorney Colion Noir explained: “For ninety years, the government defended NFA registration by tying it to Congress’s taxing power. Then the tax disappeared, and suddenly the government tried to argue the same paperwork could be justified another way. The judge didn’t buy it. And honestly, the way the gun groups set this up was borderline masterful. They beat the NFA at its own game.”

The Court’s injunction applies to “the plaintiffs and, where applicable, the plaintiffs’ agencies, political subdivisions, members, and customers—both current and future,” but does not take effect for 7 days “to allow the defendants to seek relief, if any, at the appellate level.”

The Jensen v. ATF plaintiffs included three individuals, Hot Shots Custom LLC, the Texas State Rifle Assoc., FPC Action Foundation, and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. NOTE: This Jensen Case had been consolidated with a similar legal challenge entitled Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF, with plaintiffs Silencer Shop Foundation, Silencerco, Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition, Gun Owners Foundation, Gun Owners of America, Inc., Brady Wetz, B&T USA, and Palmetto State Armory.

The opinion was issued on August 5, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. READ Memorandum Opinion and ORDER.

Because Congress eliminated the NFA’s making and transfer taxes for most regulated firearms in 2025, the District Court held the Act’s remaining registration and recordkeeping mandates lack any valid constitutional foundation.

“This is a massive win and an important step forward in our strategic plan to end the NFA. We cannot wait to fully and finally eliminate this unconstitutional scheme so people can exercise their rights when, where, and how they choose.” — Brandon Combs, FPC President

Legal Analysis by Colion Noir of NFA Lawsuits