{"id":2641211,"date":"2026-08-05T22:23:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T02:23:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-judge-muzzles-1930s-law-restricting-suppressors-some-guns\/"},"modified":"2026-08-05T22:28:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T02:28:34","slug":"federal-judge-muzzles-1930s-law-restricting-suppressors-some-guns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-judge-muzzles-1930s-law-restricting-suppressors-some-guns\/","title":{"rendered":"Federal judge muzzles 1930s law restricting suppressors, some guns"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffederal-judge-muzzles-1930s-law-restricting-suppressors-some-guns%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2641211&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A federal judge in Texas has ruled that certain provisions of the nearly century-old National Firearms Act (NFA) can no longer be enforced. This decision was based on the finding that Congress lost the constitutional basis for regulating suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and shotguns after deleting the tax that originally justified these restrictions. U.S. District Judge James Hendrix, a Trump appointee, issued a permanent injunction against enforcing parts of the NFA related to these firearms, which could allow individuals to purchase suppressors and short-barreled firearms without the federal registration process. The ruling stems from legislation signed by President Trump last year that removed the $200 tax on these items but maintained registration requirements. Historically, the NFA was enacted in 1934 to regulate risky weapons like machine guns and silencers, justified by Congress\u2019s taxing power. The judge concluded that without the tax, the remaining restrictions lack constitutional foundation.Supporters see the ruling as a victory for gun rights that might challenge similar restrictions nationwide and reach the Supreme Court, while opponents argue it undermines public safety safeguards.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A federal judge in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/texas\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"253\">Texas<\/a> on Wednesday ruled that key provisions of a nearly century-old federal <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/guns-and-firearms\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"780\">firearms<\/a> law can no longer be enforced, finding that <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/congress\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"31\">Congress<\/a> lost the constitutional basis for regulating suppressors and certain short-barreled firearms after eliminating the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tax\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"536\">tax<\/a> that originally justified the restrictions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. District Judge James Hendrix, a President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a> appointee, issued a permanent injunction barring enforcement of portions of the National Firearms Act governing suppressors, also known as silencers, as well as short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4677148\/judge-texas-law-silencers-short-barreled-guns\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Federal judge muzzles mafia-era law restricting suppressors and some firearms<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4676522\/doj-puts-25-million-bounty-on-us-born-cartel-leader\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>DOJ puts $25 million bounty on US-born cartel leader<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4676591\/new-mexico-doj-todd-blanche-epstein-lawsuit\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>New Mexico sues DOJ and Todd Blanche for allegedly blocking state Epstein investigation<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ruling stems from legislation signed by Trump last year that reduced the act\u2019s long-standing $200 transfer and manufacturing tax on those items to zero while leaving the registration requirements in place.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The National Firearms Act, enacted in 1934 amid concerns over <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mafia\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"8426\">organized crime<\/a> and Prohibition-era violence, imposed taxes and registration requirements on weapons considered especially dangerous, including machine guns, suppressors, and certain short-barreled firearms. For decades, courts upheld the law as a valid exercise of Congress\u2019s taxing power.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hendrix concluded that once Congress eliminated the tax on suppressors and the affected firearms, the remaining registration and approval requirements could no longer be justified under that constitutional authority.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo longer can the challenged NFA provisions be justified \u2014 as they have been for nearly 90 years \u2014 under Congress\u2019s taxing power,\u201d Hendrix wrote.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/the-big-beautiful-bill\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/the-big-beautiful-bill\/\">HOW THE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL BECAME LAW: READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER\u2019S 10-PART SERIES<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The decision could allow purchasers to acquire suppressors and short-barreled rifles and shotguns without completing the federal registration process under the NFA. Standard federal background checks would still apply to purchases through licensed firearms dealers, but opponents of the ruling said the decision eliminates an additional layer of scrutiny that included notifying local law enforcement during the registration process.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gun rights organizations celebrated the decision as a major victory, saying it could provide a road map for challenging similar federal restrictions nationwide and eventually reach the Supreme Court. Gun control advocates, including Giffords Law Center, called the ruling a setback for public safety, arguing it removes long-standing safeguards for firearms subject to heightened federal oversight.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Texas judge rules key firearm law provisions unenforceable after tax removal<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4130,"featured_media":2641212,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Gun-Silencers-Suppressors-scaled-e1785980466779.webp?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[83755,83754,56069,43169,83756],"class_list":["post-2641211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-1930s-firearm-law","tag-firearm-restrictions","tag-gun-legislation","tag-judicial-ruling","tag-suppressors-regulation"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Gun-Silencers-Suppressors-scaled-e1785980466779.webp?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2641211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4130"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2641211"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2641211\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2641214,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2641211\/revisions\/2641214"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2641212"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2641211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2641211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2641211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}