Part of a key firearms law lapsed following a federal court decision. What happens now?
A federal judge in Texas has invalidated key parts of the National Firearms Act, allowing for the purchase of certain silencers and firearms without federal registration. While gun rights groups celebrate the ruling as a major victory, the decision creates a complex patchwork of regulations across different states.
Why it matters
This ruling significantly alters the regulatory landscape for firearm accessories and challenges long-standing federal gun control laws.
Gun rights groups are celebrating a federal ruling that lifts restrictions on the purchase of silencers, used to lessen the sound of gunshots, and certain firearms.
Judge James Wesley Hendrix out of the Northern District of Texas invalidated key components of the nearly 100-year-old National Firearms Act (NFA) in more than a dozen states.
Hendrix gave the Justice Department one week to submit an emergency appeal before his decision went into effect. But the DOJ never did. The department has more than a month to submit a non-emergency appeal, but it's unlikely. The agency has made a wider push to restore gun rights to people with felony convictions, with exceptions, including violent offenses such as domestic violence and gang-related offenses, according to a final rule published Monday.
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