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On Oct. 9, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives issued a press release detailing new guidance regarding the making and transfer of certain firearms and devices regulated under the National Firearms Act of 1934.
An open letter to federal firearms licensees and the public, signed by ATF Director Robert Cekada, appeared on the bureau’s website the same day.
The letter explains how certain provisions of the NFA and their enforcement apply to firearms no longer subject to the $200 “tax stamp” — silencers, short-barreled rifles and shotguns and “any other weapons” as defined in 26 U.S.C. § 5845(e).
What does it mean?
In a nutshell, it means that as of Oct. 9, 2026, people who are not prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm under the Gun Control Act of 1968 may make, buy and transfer suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and “any other weapons” under the revised federal requirements.
Gone is the $200 special tax, along with certain paperwork requirements and the notoriously long wait times associated with obtaining approval for firearms regulated under the NFA, commonly known as Class III items.
Your gun cabinet is going to get a little more exciting.
What firearms are affected?
Only firearms and items defined as firearms under ATF rules and covered by the tax repeal under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are affected. This includes rifles with barrels shorter than 16 inches and shotguns with barrels shorter than 18 inches, as well as certain firearms with an overall length of less than 26 inches.
Suppressors, also known as silencers, are included because the ATF defines them as firearms for regulatory purposes.
The “any other weapon” classification applies to certain concealable firearms and devices, including disguised firearms such as cane guns, umbrella guns, pen guns and flashlight guns. It can also include certain wallet holsters and pistols equipped with vertical foregrips, depending on their design and classification.
All these categories are addressed in the ATF guidance letter.
What hasn’t changed?
It is important to note that not all firearms regulated under the NFA are affected by the new ATF guidance. Machine guns and destructive devices remain subject to applicable federal taxes, forms and registration requirements under the National Firearms Act.
Specific parts that convert semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic firearms are also defined as “machine guns” under current federal law. That has not changed, and the regular NFA process still applies.
State specific rules
While the ATF sets federal firearm rules under the National Firearms Act and Gun Control Act, individual states have their own firearm laws.
Across the nation, states have myriad differences in what is legal within their borders. Examples include waiting periods, concealed carry, allowable firearm designs and magazine capacity.
Ownership and possession of suppressors, short-barreled firearms and “any other weapons” also fall under state law.
Read the ATF open letter on ATF.gov