New Year’s Day is a time of rest—and recovery—for millions of Americans as the long holiday season finally wraps up. But for many gun owners and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), it was a frustrating day.
The turning of the calendar saw an incredible spike in e-Forms submissions to the ATF, triggering a widespread system crash that affected the firearms industry.
Changes to the NFA with the new year threw ATF operations into confusion
On a typical day, the ATF receives approximately 2,500 e-Form submissions. On January 1, that number magically transformed into some 150,000.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) reported that the massive surge in submissions caused a severe strain on the ATF infrastructure. Operations for Federal Firearm Licensees (FFLs), the weapons industry, and the sporting public experienced outages that forced technicians to scramble to make the system operational again.
The NSSF encouraged immediate action to update the ATF system to prevent revenue loss for the industry and complications in exercising Second Amendment rights.
NSSF urges the sporting public to lobby lawmakers to fund ATF infrastructure improvements
Gun owners are encouraged “to contact their congressional representatives in support of additional funding for ATF’s IT modernization.”
It is concerning that the turn of the new year and drastic changes in the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) regulations caused a spike that the ATF was unprepared for. Constitutional liberties should not be impeded by insufficient investment in the structures that enable their free exercise.
With the increasingly positive developments on gun rights at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the establishment of the Second Amendment Section, there’s a golden opportunity to invest in making the agency more responsive to the industry and the public.
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.