ATF is Just Making it Up at this Point || More NFA Than Ever

February 12, 2026
11:55 am

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Lies, damned lies, and statistics—Mark Twain's timeless quip hits harder than ever when the ATF starts juggling numbers like a circus act on steroids. Their latest boast? They've somehow processed roughly *three times* as many NFA forms as historical data and their own past admissions would suggest is humanly possible. We're talking suppressors, SBRs, and machine guns under the National Firearms Act—items that gun owners have waited months (or years) for approvals on, only for the feds to now claim a bureaucratic miracle. But hold onto your bump stocks: this isn't efficiency; it's a statistical sleight-of-hand designed to prop up the Biden admin's narrative that they're getting it done amid record NFA demand. Remember, NFA applications have exploded post-Bruen—over 3 million in recent years—fueled by law-abiding Americans exercising their rights, not some criminal cabal. Dig deeper, and the ATF's math doesn't add up faster than a suppressed .22lr. Historically, they've admitted to backlogs topping 700,000 forms with processing times averaging 200+ days, even after their much-hyped eForms upgrade that still glitches like Windows 95. Yet now, poof—3X throughput? No new staff hires announced, no tech overhaul detailed, just vibes and press releases. This reeks of creative accounting: maybe they're fast-tracking pistol braces (post their unconstitutional rule), denying more outright to shrink the queue, or simply lying to justify keeping the NFA tax stamp racket alive at $200 a pop—inflation-adjusted, that's peanuts compared to 1934 dollars, but a goldmine for Uncle Sam. Critics like the GOA and FPC are already calling BS, pointing to FOIA data showing persistent delays for 90% of applicants. For the 2A community, the implications are crystal: ATF's fairy tale is a Trojan horse for more control. If they're processing 3X faster without transparency, what's next—arbitrary reclassifications or AI-driven denials? This fuels the fire for full NFA repeal via bills like the SHORT Act, reminding us that government efficiency is code for erosion of rights. Gun owners, keep filing those forms, document every delay, and vote like your AR-15 depends on it—because statistics might lie, but empty mags don't. Stay vigilant; the real backlog is in D.C.'s respect for the Constitution.

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Lies, damned lies, and statistics—Mark Twain’s timeless quip hits harder than ever when the ATF starts juggling numbers like a circus act on steroids. Their latest boast? They’ve somehow processed roughly *three times* as many NFA forms as historical data and their own past admissions would suggest is humanly possible. We’re talking suppressors, SBRs, and machine guns under the National Firearms Act—items that gun owners have waited months (or years) for approvals on, only for the feds to now claim a bureaucratic miracle. But hold onto your bump stocks: this isn’t efficiency; it’s a statistical sleight-of-hand designed to prop up the Biden admin’s narrative that they’re getting it done amid record NFA demand. Remember, NFA applications have exploded post-Bruen—over 3 million in recent years—fueled by law-abiding Americans exercising their rights, not some criminal cabal.

Dig deeper, and the ATF’s math doesn’t add up faster than a suppressed .22lr. Historically, they’ve admitted to backlogs topping 700,000 forms with processing times averaging 200+ days, even after their much-hyped eForms upgrade that still glitches like Windows 95. Yet now, poof—3X throughput? No new staff hires announced, no tech overhaul detailed, just vibes and press releases. This reeks of creative accounting: maybe they’re fast-tracking pistol braces (post their unconstitutional rule), denying more outright to shrink the queue, or simply lying to justify keeping the NFA tax stamp racket alive at $200 a pop—inflation-adjusted, that’s peanuts compared to 1934 dollars, but a goldmine for Uncle Sam. Critics like the GOA and FPC are already calling BS, pointing to FOIA data showing persistent delays for 90% of applicants.

For the 2A community, the implications are crystal: ATF’s fairy tale is a Trojan horse for more control. If they’re processing 3X faster without transparency, what’s next—arbitrary reclassifications or AI-driven denials? This fuels the fire for full NFA repeal via bills like the SHORT Act, reminding us that government efficiency is code for erosion of rights. Gun owners, keep filing those forms, document every delay, and vote like your AR-15 depends on it—because statistics might lie, but empty mags don’t. Stay vigilant; the real backlog is in D.C.’s respect for the Constitution.

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