Despite recent leadership shake-ups and policy rollbacks at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the agency is proving that its war on gun owners is far from over.
In a string of coordinated raids across the country, the ATF has been targeting 3D printing enthusiasts, cracking down on individuals accused of manufacturing NFA-regulated items—including unregistered suppressors, machine gun conversion devices, and other firearm components.
These actions come at a time when gun owners were hopeful for change.
After all, under President Donald Trump’s recent leadership overhaul, the ATF saw Director Steve Dettelbach ousted, the Zero Tolerance Policy against federal firearms licensees rescinded, and pro-Second Amendment figures like Kash Patel and Robert Leider placed in influential positions.
But these raids are a stark reminder: bureaucratic inertia and anti-gun enforcement remain alive and well.
The Raids: 3D Printing Community Under Fire
The ATF’s latest crackdown has swept up individuals in New York, Georgia, and beyond, targeting gun owners using 3D printers to produce components deemed illegal under the National Firearms Act (NFA). High-profile cases include:
- The arrest of a New York man for allegedly producing unregistered machine guns and conversion devices in his home using 3D printers.
- A Georgia resident who pleaded guilty earlier this year after posting videos of homemade suppressors and machine gun parts fabricated via 3D printing.
These cases, amplified by leaked ATF memos, reveal the agency’s growing obsession with 3D-printed machine gun conversion devices (MCDs) like the “Yankee Boogle” and “Lightning Link”, which can convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic ones.
The War on Gun Owners Continues
For Texas Gun Rights (TXGR) and their national affiliate, the National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR), these raids are proof that cosmetic leadership changes aren’t enough.
The anti-gun bureaucracy at the ATF is too entrenched, too emboldened by decades of gun control legislation like the NFA, and too willing to criminalize lawful gun owners for exercising their constitutional rights.
“The ATF is still raiding homes, still treating gun owners like criminals, and still enforcing unconstitutional laws that should’ve been repealed years ago,” said TXGR President Chris McNutt. “That’s why we’re not letting up.”
The Solution: Abolish the ATF, Repeal the NFA
In response to this latest round of ATF abuses, Texas Gun Rights is doubling down on its push for H.R. 221, the bill to abolish the ATF, and H.R. 335, the bill to repeal the National Firearms Act.
These two measures, championed by pro-Second Amendment lawmakers, would dismantle the legal framework the ATF relies on to criminalize gun owners for possessing unregistered items like short-barreled rifles, suppressors, or conversion kits.
But time is running out.
With the 2026 midterm elections looming, and history showing that the party controlling the White House typically loses seats, the current Republican trifecta in Washington is fragile.
Should Republicans lose control of Congress, any hope of abolishing the ATF or repealing the NFA could vanish.
“Congress must act now—before it’s too late,” McNutt urged. “We can’t sit back and hope this problem fixes itself. We need to strike while we still have a majority in Washington.”
The ATF raids prove that even in the wake of policy victories, gun owners cannot afford complacency. The fight for the Second Amendment is ongoing—and Texas Gun Rights isn’t backing down.
Click here to encourage your elected officials in Washington to Abolish the ATF & Repeal the NFA.
