ATF Finally Admits This Rule Was Stupid

Added: 2026-05-19

[00:00:00]All right, welcome back to There Is No America Without Eric and we all need a little Eric in our lives. So, once upon a time the government accidentally created one of the most popular AR-15 configurations in America by making the legal alternative to damn annoying to deal with. No, seriously, one of the biggest reasons pistol braces ARs exploded in popularity wasn't because people were trying to be sneaky. It was because normal gun owners looked at the NFA process and said, "Yeah, I'm not dealing with all that bullshit." Because people don't just look at the cost of an NFA item, they look at the entire legal minefield attached to it. The fingerprints, the photos, the tax stamps, the wait times, the paperwork, the transportation restrictions, the possibility of accidentally committing a felony because you cross some invisible line wrong. And honestly, one of the dumbest parts of the entire thing has always been interstate travel.

[00:00:55]Right now, if you own a registered SBR, SBS, machine gun, or destructive device, you generally have to file ATF Form 5320.20 before crossing state lines and waiting for approval. Think about how stupid that sounds. You already passed the background check, you already paid the tax, you already registered the item, the ATF already knows you own it, but then you still have to basically ask permission like, "Excuse me, federal government, may I pretty please drive to another state for a training class?"

[00:01:25]It's ridiculous. And honestly, that is one of the giant reasons braces became so popular because people wanted compact rifles without stepping into the NFA swamp.

[00:01:37]And before somebody screams, "Well, then just don't buy short-barreled rifles."

[00:01:41]Okay, cool. Then maybe stop making a rifle 2 in shorter turn into a federal paperwork ritual. That's the part normal people look at and immediately realize the system is stupid. Now, before we get any further, quick shout out to the people supporting the store over at Only Tactical Fans, at myshopify.com. You guys have been absolutely killing it lately on the MREs, medical gear, and food storage stuff. We also got more uh Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers in stock for the people building long-term food storage setups because apparently half this audience has accepted we're all one bad week away from becoming raccoons guarding buckets of rice in our basement, which is kind of true. And honestly though, thank you guys because the support generally keeps all this going. All right. Now, here's where this story gets interesting because now the ATF is proposing a rule change that basically admits this whole transportation process became an unnecessary bureaucratic nightmare. The proposed rule would remove the approval requirement for interstate transportation of most NFA firearms for trips lasting 365 days or less. Meaning instead of filing paperwork and waiting for approval every time you cross a state line, the transportation would just be categorically authorized as long as the firearm is legally registered, the destination state allows it, the trip is lawful, and you carry proof of registration. That's a massive change, and honestly, it's probably one of the smartest things they proposed in years because the current system mostly punishes normal people trying to follow the rules. According to the proposal itself, the ATF processed almost almost 97,000 transport requests between 2020 and 2025, and only around 0.5 were denied because the firearm was illegal in the destination state. You know what most of the denials were? Paperwork mistakes.

[00:03:38]Not criminals, not gang members, not terrorists, not prohibited persons, paperwork mistakes. So, what does that tell you? It tells you the system was mostly functioning as a giant bureaucratic obstacle course for people already trying to comply with the law.

[00:03:53]And this is what anti-gun people never seem to understand about pistol braces.

[00:03:59]Braces become popular because they solved a problem. Not a ballistic problem, not a lethality problem, not a crime problem, a bureaucracy problem. People wanted easier transportation, easier storage, easier truck truck guns, easier backpack setups, easier travel, easier training classes, easier home defense setups without feeling like they needed a law degree every time they crossed a state border.

[00:04:22]And honestly, can you blame them?

[00:04:24]Because once you enter NFA territory, suddenly everything starts feeling like a legal trap. Can I transport this here?

[00:04:31]Do I need approval for this? What if I stop overnight? What if I move? What if the state changes its laws?

[00:04:38]What paperwork do I need with me? What if the cop I interact with doesn't even understand NFA law?

[00:04:45]The last one alone probably spikes half your blood pressure because there are cops out there that are barely understand normal gun laws and somehow people are expected to navigate this bizarre federal state legal maze perfectly. And meanwhile, suppressors are already exempt from this transportation requirement entirely, which makes the whole thing even dumber because apparently a suppressor crossing state line isn't scary, but an SBR crossing state lines is somehow uh Defcon 1. Makes total sense. Now, obviously, this proposed rule doesn't fix everything. The tax stamp is still there. The NFA registry is still there.

[00:05:22]The waits the wait times still exist. The extra cost still exist. But right now, it looks like the ATF is at least trying to reduce part of the legal minefield surrounding these items. The cast was already crossed years ago. Millions of Americans already showed they wanted compact rifles without all the nonsense attached to them. That's why braces exploded in popularity, not because America suddenly became obsessed with crime, because Americans hate unnecessary bureaucracy. And honestly, the ATF is now basically admitting a big chunk of this process turned into pointless red tape. Now, this is still just a proposed rule. Nothing is final as yet, but if this actually goes through, it removes one of the biggest practical headaches attached to SBR ownership. And that matters because for years the government acted shocked that people overwhelmingly chose option with fewer legal admins attached to it. Like, wow, really? You mean people preferred the version that didn't require banging permission to drive across Wisconsin?

[00:06:27]What a mystery.

[00:06:29]Anyways, guys, before I get out of here, if you want to support the channel and pick up some generally useful gear, check out only tacticalfans.myshopify.com and the link below. We've got MREs, medical gear, tourniquets, food storage supplies, a bunch of stuff. And also, if you guys were going to do some shopping at Amazon, don't forget to click the link down below. And even when you click on that link and you don't buy what's in our store just cuz you're going to do some shopping there from our link, we get a little kickback. And don't forget to subscribe. And until next video, guys, peace.