WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a bold move against one of America’s oldest federal gun control measures, U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson (R-IA) and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) have reintroduced the Repealing Illegal Freedom and Liberty Excises (RIFLE) Act as S.1224 and H.R. 2552, bills that would eliminate the unconstitutional $200 tax on firearms and accessories regulated under the 1934 National Firearms Act (NFA).
This legislation would gut one of the NFA’s core pillars by striking down the financial penalty levied on law-abiding Americans for simply exercising their Second Amendment rights — particularly those who purchase suppressors, short-barreled rifles, or other regulated items.
“The Second Amendment is a Constitutional right that is not to be infringed,” said Rep. Hinson. “Law-abiding gun owners should not be forced to pay an unconstitutional firearm tax. This bill will remove unnecessary financial barriers on lawful gun owners from the antiquated 1934 National Firearms Act and protect the Second Amendment rights of Iowans and Americans.”
Senator Cotton doubled down: “Law-abiding Americans who exercise their Second Amendment rights should not be subject to unnecessary taxes and restrictions preventing them from doing so. Passed into law in 1934, the National Firearms Act needs to be amended. Our legislation will remove the red tape that places an undue financial burden on would-be gun owners.”
For decades, the NFA’s $200 tax has acted as a de facto infringement — a punitive financial barrier meant to discourage the ownership of constitutionally protected items. It’s not about safety; it’s about government control and revenue at the expense of freedom.
Chris McNutt, President of Texas Gun Rights, praised the RIFLE Act, calling it “a necessary strike against 90-year-old gun control tyranny.”
“Forcing Americans to pay a $200 tax to own a suppressor or short-barreled rifle is not only unconstitutional — it’s tyrannical,” McNutt said. “Texas Gun Rights applauds Rep. Hinson and Senator Cotton for standing up to the gun control cartel and attacking the very foundation of the NFA. But let’s be clear — this is only the beginning. We must also pass H.R. 335 to repeal the NFA in its entirety and return the Second Amendment to its proper place: uninfringed.”
With support from over two dozen co-sponsors in the House and more than a dozen in the Senate, momentum is building. But as always, the battle will be won or lost based on grassroots pressure.
As McNutt warned, “Gun owners must keep up the fight. If we let our guard down, the bureaucrats and anti-gun politicians will keep taxing our rights until they’re gone.”
The RIFLE Act is a strike for freedom — and one step closer to dismantling the oppressive legacy of the NFA, once and for all.
