NRA-ILA Petitions the U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to NFA Restrictions on Short-Barreled Rifles

January 29, 2026
11:01 am

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The NRA-ILA just dropped a bombshell by petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court in *Rush v. United States* to strike down the National Firearms Act's draconian restrictions on short-barreled rifles (SBRs)—those handy rifles with barrels under 16 inches that have been shackled by taxes, registration, and felony threats since 1934. We're talking up to 10 years in federal prison, $250,000 fines, and forfeiture for owning what amounts to a common, compact firearm configuration that's been popular for over a century. NRA EVP Doug Hamlin nailed it: these rules have no grounding in the text, history, or tradition of the Second Amendment, echoing the Bruen framework that demands historical analogs for any gun restriction. This isn't some fringe challenge; SBRs are arms in every sense, from Revolutionary War carbines to modern AR builds, and the NFA's scheme treats everyday Americans like gangsters for exercising a right. What makes this petition a potential game-changer is how it spotlights the chaos ripping through lower courts post-Bruen—judges flip-flopping on everything from AR-15s to standard-capacity mags, leaving gun owners in a legal limbo that erodes SCOTUS precedents like *Heller* and *Bruen*. The NRA-ILA's filing masterfully argues there's zero historical tradition for taxing or registering bearable arms akin to SBRs; the 1934 NFA was a Depression-era revenue grab dressed as crime control, not rooted in founding-era practices. If the Court takes it up, we're looking at a domino effect: dismantling NFA barriers could greenlight pistol braces, suppressors, and maybe even full-auto relics without the $200 tax stamp circus. For the 2A community, this is rocket fuel—imagine ditching the ATF's endless paperwork for braces and SBRs, freeing innovators to build without Big Brother's boot. NRA-ILA Executive Director John Commerford's right: law-abiding folks have been criminalized too long. Stay locked on nraila.org/litigation for updates—this could be the shot heard 'round the ranges, reaffirming that the Second Amendment isn't a government permission slip. Pro-2A warriors, now's the time to amplify: share, donate, and gear up for history in the making.

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The NRA-ILA just dropped a bombshell by petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court in *Rush v. United States* to strike down the National Firearms Act’s draconian restrictions on short-barreled rifles (SBRs)—those handy rifles with barrels under 16 inches that have been shackled by taxes, registration, and felony threats since 1934. We’re talking up to 10 years in federal prison, $250,000 fines, and forfeiture for owning what amounts to a common, compact firearm configuration that’s been popular for over a century. NRA EVP Doug Hamlin nailed it: these rules have no grounding in the text, history, or tradition of the Second Amendment, echoing the Bruen framework that demands historical analogs for any gun restriction. This isn’t some fringe challenge; SBRs are arms in every sense, from Revolutionary War carbines to modern AR builds, and the NFA’s scheme treats everyday Americans like gangsters for exercising a right.

What makes this petition a potential game-changer is how it spotlights the chaos ripping through lower courts post-Bruen—judges flip-flopping on everything from AR-15s to standard-capacity mags, leaving gun owners in a legal limbo that erodes SCOTUS precedents like *Heller* and *Bruen*. The NRA-ILA’s filing masterfully argues there’s zero historical tradition for taxing or registering bearable arms akin to SBRs; the 1934 NFA was a Depression-era revenue grab dressed as crime control, not rooted in founding-era practices. If the Court takes it up, we’re looking at a domino effect: dismantling NFA barriers could greenlight pistol braces, suppressors, and maybe even full-auto relics without the $200 tax stamp circus. For the 2A community, this is rocket fuel—imagine ditching the ATF’s endless paperwork for braces and SBRs, freeing innovators to build without Big Brother’s boot.

NRA-ILA Executive Director John Commerford’s right: law-abiding folks have been criminalized too long. Stay locked on nraila.org/litigation for updates—this could be the shot heard ’round the ranges, reaffirming that the Second Amendment isn’t a government permission slip. Pro-2A warriors, now’s the time to amplify: share, donate, and gear up for history in the making.

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