ATF Withdraws Stabilizing Brace Guidance

(Image: NSSF / ATF Stabilizing Brace Guidance)

Well it seems that as always with the ATF, Americans should expect the unexpected, while hoping and praying for the abolition of said Bureau.

This time, we’re talking about Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF)’s confusing actions in recent weeks in regards to stabilizing braces. Just days after publishing a “guidance” document called “Objective Factors for Classifying Weapons with ‘Stabilizing Braces'” they withdrew it.

Here’s the December 23, 2020 statement released by NSSF regarding this:

ATF Rescinds Stabilizing Brace Notice

NSSF®, the firearm industry’s trade association, reports that late today the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) rescinded its Notice of “Objective Factors for Classifying Weapons with Stabilizing Braces” that was published just last week.

NSSF had been engaging with manufacturers, distributors, retailers, as well as policymakers to highlight concerns surrounding the proposed guidance. NSSF was working to illustrate the potential impact this guidance would have had on the firearm industry.

NSSF has long requested the ATF to publish objective criteria by which firearm manufacturers can readily produce firearms equipped with arm braces in compliance with the law. To date, the criteria is subjective and open to interpretation on a case-by-case basis. The guidance proposed by the ATF last week did little, unfortunately, to clear the ambiguity that exists with subjective criteria.

NSSF is committed to working with the ATF, on behalf of firearm manufacturers, to establish objective criteria for stabilizing brace-equipped firearms. The firearm industry trade association will continue to monitor and provide updates on any further developments.

I join NSSF in their frustration… and I for one most heartily desire the abolition of ATF, for the good of liberty everywhere. Unfortunately, history shows that government power almost always grows and rarely shrinks.

As the editorials used to say: That’s what I think. Write, and tell me what you think.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.