Will This Lawsuit Kill the NFA Once and For All?

The most significant pro-gun reform package in American history — tucked away inside of Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill — was inches from the finish line.

It would’ve obliterated the tyrannical National Firearms Act’s (NFA) regulations on suppressors and short-barreled rifles and shotguns (SBRs/SBSs), restoring Second Amendment rights stolen by bureaucrats nearly a century ago.

But what happened instead?

The Republican establishment tucked tail and surrendered to a partisan, Democrat-appointed Senate parliamentarian, who ruled that deregulating these firearms was somehow not acceptable for reconciliation.

Did Cornyn and company fight back? Nope.

Instead, swamp creatures like John Cornyn and Mitch McConnell cheered the removal of the $200 tax as a “pro-gun win.” A price cut. No liberty restored. No registry abolished. No bureaucracy burned down.

And just like Texas Gun Rights predicted, Democrats like Senator Chris Murphy immediately pounced — introducing legislation to hike the NFA tax from $0 to a staggering $4,709.

“They stripped the price tag, but left the chains. That’s not a victory — that’s a political trap,” said Chris McNutt, President of Texas Gun Rights. “And the weak-kneed compromisers in Washington walked right into it.”

GOA Fights Back With Lawsuit to Blow Up the NFA

Now, Gun Owners of America (GOA) is taking the fight to court — filing a motion for summary judgment in the Northern District of Texas that could finally unravel the unconstitutional mess that is the NFA.

This lawsuit — backed by Texas Gun Rights and dubbed by supporters as the “One Big Beautiful Lawsuit” — was filed in partnership with groups like the Silencer Shop Foundation, Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition, B&T USA, Palmetto State Armory, SilencerCo, and 15 pro-gun states led by Texas.

It seeks to do what Cornyn wouldn’t: completely dismantle the NFA’s regulatory grip on:

• Suppressors
• Short-barreled rifles
• Short-barreled shotguns
• So-called “Any Other Weapons” (AOWs)

And it makes the case with surgical precision: now that the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) eliminated the $200 tax on these items (effective Jan 1, 2026), the entire taxing authority justification for the NFA is gone.

That leaves behind a regulatory zombie — no tax, but a federal registry, long wait times, background checks, and ATF permission slips.

That’s not taxation. That’s tyranny.

“The NFA’s regulatory scheme was sold as a tax law. But if there’s no tax, then there’s no legal justification,” said McNutt. “If the courts don’t strike this down, then we’ll know for sure: the Second Amendment is just words on paper to the feds.”

The NRA Sold Us Out. The Lawsuit Is Our Only Hope.

Let’s be blunt: Texas Gun Rights fought like hell to keep deregulation of suppressors and SBRs in the OBBB. TXGR sounded the alarm, mobilized grassroots pressure, and told Republicans: DO. NOT. BLINK.

But while TXGR and real gun rights groups fought on the frontlines, the NRA gave cover to cowards — treating a tax cut as a victory and hanging gun owners out to dry.

Now the GOA lawsuit may be our last, best shot to torch the NFA before the political winds shift again.

“This lawsuit is do-or-die,” McNutt added. “Because if we don’t kill the NFA now, it’ll come roaring back under the next anti-gun regime — and this time they won’t stop at $4,700.”

Indeed, Democrats have already signaled what they’ll do if they seize back control of Congress and the White House. Senator Murphy’s proposal was a test balloon — and the GOP’s betrayal handed him the fuel.

Late to the Fight? Second Lawsuit Filed by NRA & Company

Just days after GOA filed summary judgement on their lawsuit, a second lawsuit — Jensen v. ATF — was filed by a coalition that includes the NRA, Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC), American Suppressor Association (ASA), Texas State Rifle Association (TSRA), and others.

This lawsuit makes many of the same arguments: now that the $200 NFA tax has been repealed under the OBBB, the registration scheme lacks any constitutional authority and violates the Second Amendment.

But let’s be real. Where were these groups when it mattered most?

While groups like Texas Gun Rights and National Association for Gun Rights were demanding that deregulation stay in the bill, these groups either stayed silent or applauded a tax cut that left the NFA intact.

“They called surrender a win. Now they want a second chance in court? Fine. But let’s not forget who actually fought when the stakes were highest,” said Chris McNutt, President of Texas Gun Rights.

More lawsuits are always welcome — but let’s set the record straight. If every group had stood their ground during the Congressional battle instead of waving the white flag, we could’ve won this fight months ago.