Washington, D.C. — In a bold move to roll back nearly a century of unconstitutional gun control, U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) has reintroduced the Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles Today (SHORT) Act, H.R. 2395, a bill aimed squarely at removing short-barreled rifles and shotguns from the National Firearms Act (NFA).
The bill is simple, but powerful: strip short-barreled firearms from the NFA’s regulatory list, eliminating the absurd requirement for gun owners to submit fingerprints, pay a $200 tax stamp, and register their firearm with the ATF — all for owning a rifle with a barrel less than 16 inches.
Rep. Clyde, a gun store owner, knows firsthand how the ATF has used this rule to harass, entrap, and criminalize law-abiding gun owners.
The rule is arbitrary, at best — treating two identical firearms differently based solely on barrel length. It’s the definition of “gotcha” lawmaking.
“It’s not about safety. It’s about control,” said Chris McNutt, President of Texas Gun Rights (TXGR). “If you can trust someone with a firearm, you can trust them with a short barrel. Period.”
The SHORT Act comes on the heels of Sen. Mike Lee’s SHUSH Act, which would remove suppressors from the NFA as well.
Texas Gun Rights fully supports both efforts, viewing them as critical steps toward the ultimate goal — repealing the NFA entirely, which is why TXGR is throwing its full weight behind H.R. 335, a bill to do just that.
“This isn’t just about SBRs or suppressors,” McNutt added. “This is about restoring the Second Amendment to what our Founders intended. The NFA is a relic of the 1930s, and it needs to be tossed in the ash heap of history.”
Meanwhile, Texas is preparing for Washington to make a move.
Texas State Senator Brent Hagenbuch’s SB 1596, which would remove short-barreled firearms from the state’s prohibited weapons list, is already on the Senate Intent Calendar, meaning a floor vote could happen any day now.
CJ Grisham, Lead Counsel for Texas Gun Rights, testified in support of the bill last month, urging lawmakers to align state law with the direction Congress is heading.
Its House companion, HB 259 by Rep. Richard Hayes, still awaits a hearing in the House Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
“Texas needs to be prepared,” McNutt said. “If the federal government repeals the SBR rule, we don’t want state law to be the last obstacle standing in the way of Texans enjoying their rights.”
As both federal and state battles heat up, gun rights groups like Texas Gun Rights are doubling down on their mission: end the NFA, abolish the ATF, and restore liberty for law-abiding Americans.
