Gun Rights Advocates Celebrate Court Victory

Gun rights supporters are quick to act following a significant court ruling that deemed longstanding firearms regulations unconstitutional.

Gun Owners of America (GOA) and Silencer Shop, which holds a federal firearms license, informed the Trump administration on Thursday of their intention to start transferring gun silencers without needing to comply with the National Firearms Act registration process that has been in place for decades.

In a noteworthy incident, just after midnight on Thursday, two gun owners exited a Texas firearms store with silencers without completing the necessary federal registration and approval process, an unprecedented move according to GOA.

Brandon Herrera and Texas Rep. Wes Bardell reportedly made this historic purchase from a silencer shop in Leander, Texas—marking what gun rights advocates say is the first legal transfer without registration since the National Firearms Act came into play in 1934.

Aidan Johnston, the federal director for Gun Owners of America, told FOX News Digital, “This is the first time in 92 years that gun owners have been able to do this.”

He pointed out that violating the old rules once carried severe consequences, including up to 10 years in federal prison and a hefty fine of $250,000 for each breach. “So this was a big federal law,” he remarked, stressing the significance of the change.

Republican Rep. Andrew Clyde, who was present during the initial transfer, described the day as “literally the biggest Second Amendment victory in the history of our country” and emphasized its monumental nature for both the nation and the Second Amendment.

It seems that this ruling will likely go uncontested by the federal government. Clyde mentioned he received assurances from the Trump administration that the Justice Department would not appeal the decision.

“GOA fought to dismantle the NFA’s unconstitutional restrictions through the One Big Beautiful Act, but we aren’t stopping here. Our focus is on continuing this fight until these limitations are fully eliminated,” noted Eric Pratt, the executive vice president of Gun Owners of America.

He added, “The days of federally registering constitutionally protected weapons must end.”

The legal battles trace back to a Republican settlement in 2025, initially intended to rollback many of the National Firearms Act restrictions concerning suppressors and short-barreled firearms.

After facing obstacles that blocked some of the regulatory relief measures, the final One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which President Trump signed, revised the NFA tax rates on suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and similar items to $0, effective from January 1, 2026.

Gun rights organizations acted swiftly to capitalize on this adjustment.

On the same day that Trump signed the bill, Gun Owners of America, the Silencer Shop Foundation, and other plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against the federal government, arguing that the NFA’s registration requirements are no longer constitutionally valid for items exempt from tax.

Fifteen states have since joined this challenge.

In defense, the Justice Department argued that other regulations could still be held valid under remaining NFA taxes and Congressional authority over interstate commerce.

“Congress didn’t fully repeal this; they merely lowered the 1934 tax from $200 to $0,” Johnston commented. “We all realize that there’s really no such thing as $0 in taxes.”

On August 5, U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendricks, appointed by Trump, ruled in favor of the challengers. His decision asserted that once Congress removes taxes, the regulations that were tied to those taxes lose their constitutional standing.

Hendricks permanently barred federal authorities from enforcing the disputed requirements against the plaintiffs and, where relevant, their members and clientele. However, he opted not to issue a nationwide injunction.

Although the plaintiffs also claimed that the NFA’s registration requirements violated the Second Amendment, Hendricks stated, “Congress, not this court, should be the one to make the NFA constitutional.”