American gun owners scored a significant victory in federal court on Tuesday in the fight against the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) controversial “engaged in the business rule.”
U.S. District Judge Corey L. Maze struck down several facets of the regulation. The National Rifle Association (NRA) and two Alabama gun collectors challenged the ATF rule.
Good citizens should not become felons for enjoying gun collecting
Maze sided with the gun collectors—who are also NRA members—and the venerable organization itself. The plaintiffs and the millions of NRA supporters are now safe from federal enforcement of the Final Rule.
The collectors argued that good people, such as themselves, could be transformed into felons simply for enjoying their hobby. The rule had a chilling effect on a significant segment of the American cultural fabric.
Plaintiffs declared the Final Rule subjected millions of Americans to ‘irreparable harm’
The NRA argued that the collectors were being legally demonized.
“Mr. Butler reasonably fears that the continued enhancement of his personal firearms collection through private sales, which he has lawfully done for decades, would be presumptively felonious under the Final Rule and would subject him to a substantial threat of enforcement by the ATF and corresponding civil, regulatory, and even criminal penalties,” the plaintiffs charged.
The business rule took effect on April 10, 2024. The contentious scheme tried to make criminals out of upstanding citizens who do nothing more than sell a legal firearm to another individual.
Federally licensed firearm dealers are required to implement the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) for every weapon sale. The ATF reclassified private citizens as being “engaged in the business” solely for transactions with other hobbyists.
A single firearm sale could mean a private individual is now on the federal government’s radar.
Before the Final Rule became entrenched, Second Amendment advocates warned that it was hopelessly ambiguous. Even the former ATF director could not define exactly which private citizens would be “engaged in the business.”
There’s no better way to show your patriotism than with merch that speaks before you do.
Defend America is more than a name, it’s a stand for freedom, resilience, and the values this country was built on. Every tee, hat, and mug is a symbol of unapologetic pride. Wear it loud, wear it proud, and let the world know: freedom isn’t negotiable.
Click the link below to join the movement.