10
Loading video...
By Marni Rose McFall
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The types of guns that some Americans can own and how they will be registered is about to change following a ruling by a Texas judge—issued to deregulate certain weapons—that the Trump administration had declined to pause.
On August 5, U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix of the North District of Texas gave the Justice Department a deadline of one week to request a stay before his ruling came into effect. That deadline expired at midnight on Thursday, August 13, and as such the ruling came into effect.
The Texas ruling represents a consolidation of two separate cases and signifies a change to firearm regulations that had been in place for nearly a century under the National Firearms Act (NFA), which required buyers to register items with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), undergo additional background checks, and receive federal approval before taking possession.
Read More on News
The court's decision stems from Congress's 2025 decision to reduce the NFA's $200 transfer and manufacturing taxes on suppressors, short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns to zero dollars.
The move has been met with criticism from gun control advocates. Kris Brown, the president of the gun control group Brady, said in a statement to X, “The DOJ failed to protect common-sense regulations on silencers, short-barreled rifles, and other uniquely dangerous firearms and devices that have been in place since 1934!”
The Justice Department can appeal the ruling.
Newsweek has contacted the DOJ outside of regular working hours via an online form for comment.
...
Guns Affected by the New Texas Firearm Ruling
The following guns are affected by the new ruling:
Suppressors: A suppressor, or silencer, is a device attached to a firearm to reduce the noise of a gunshot. Previously, they had been subject to federal registration and approval requirements through the NFA.
Short-barreled rifles (SBRs): Rifles with barrels shorter than the minimum length established under federal law, which have long been regulated under the NFA.
Short-barreled shotguns (SBSs): Shotguns with shortened barrels that historically required additional federal registration and approval before transfer.
The ruling does not apply to machine guns, which remain subject to separate NFA restrictions.
The injunction is not nationwide. Its immediate effect is limited to the plaintiffs, their members and covered customers involved in the case.
One of the cases in Texas had been brought by: Gun Owners Foundation, Gun Owners of America, Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition, B&T USA, Palmetto State Amory, Silencer Shop Foundation and Silencerco Weapons Research, among other individuals.
The other had been brought by the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, the Texas State Rifle Association, FPC Action Foundation, and Hot Shots Custom, among other individuals.
Related Story
ICE’s Electric Shock Gloves Could Actually Make Arrests Safer
Texas Gun Owners Celebrate Ruling
The Gun Owners of America and Silencer Shop shared a post on X just after midnight on Thursday, celebrating the ruling and sharing that two gun owners had gone into a firearms dealer to purchase silencers without completing the registration process for the first time.
“@SilencerShop completed the first lawful, unregistered suppressor transfer since June 26th, 1934,” the group wrote, noting that the purchase had been done without a background check, and said that it was “One Big Beautiful Victory.”
The gun control group Giffords, founded by former Democratic Congresswoman and gun control advocate, Gaby Giffords, wrote in a post on X, “Trump’s Justice Department just failed to defend nearly 100 years of safety protections on silencers, short-barreled rifles and shotguns. DOJ could have fought to keep these safeguards in place. Instead, it gave gun industry CEOs exactly what they wanted.”
Gun violence remains a problem in the U.S.
According to the latest available statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 44,000 people died of gun-related injuries in the U.S. in 2024.
Gun Control Law Debates and Regulation Changes
The Trump administration has moved to repeal many gun control policies since President Trump returned to office. Those in favor of these repeals argue that the regulations have been returned to where they were before President Joe Biden’s term in office.
However, gun control advocates have criticized the reversals and raised concerns about potential impact.
The Trump administration has scrapped over three dozen firearms regulations, including a crackdown on illegal sales and restoring gun rights to some individuals with mental illness.
...
In 2025, mass killings in the U.S. dropped to their lowest level in two decades, despite Congress having failed to enact any new federal gun control laws.
However, experts cautioned that this is more of a signifier of a return to typical levels than a victory for gun reform.
Across the country, states take different approaches to firearms policy, and multiple states, including Colorado, Rhode Island and Virginia, implemented new restrictions on firearms, ammunition and certain semi-automatic weapons in July.
The Trump administration has sought to intervene on some states firearm regulations, filing lawsuits this year seeking to overturn Virginia's assault weapons ban and California's restrictions on certain semiautomatic pistols.
Gun-rights groups continue pursuing Second Amendment challenges in courts nationwide.
This latest ruling is relevant only to the Lone Star State, but could go on to have wider implications.
Similar lawsuits are moving through federal courts in other states, while advocates continue to challenge state-level restrictions on suppressors and certain firearms. Although the Texas decision is not a nationwide injunction, supporters hope it will provide a roadmap for future challenges to federal and state gun regulations.
Contact Newsweek editor on this story: Edward Pearcey.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines