Week in Review: NFA Limbo and a NICS Warning for FFLs

Washington spent five days widening the gap between what gun law now allows and what ATF has told dealers to do. The FFL news digest for the week of September 21, and the decisions you should not make yet.

By Fred Thompson •

DOJ Stands Down on NFA Challenge After White House Intervention

President Donald Trump has ordered the Justice Department not to appeal the Silencer Shop ruling, leaving a major injunction against key National Firearms Act registration and approval provisions in place for covered plaintiffs, members and customers.

By John Crump •

FBI Violates Brady Act With NICS Surveillance of Lawful Gun Buyers

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that NICS Monitoring tracked firearm transactions involving Americans who remained legally eligible to buy guns. The program violates the Brady Act’s written restrictions and turns a lawful Second Amendment exercise into a federal investigative alert.

By Duncan Johnson Editor in Chief •

FFL News: DOJ Won't Appeal NFA Ruling; Virginia Dealer Unit

The administration won't appeal the Texas NFA ruling, but the injunction covers members and customers of the plaintiffs, not the general public — 4473, NICS and Section 922(b)(4) all still apply. Plus Virginia's new FAIR enforcement unit, the FBI's NICS Monitoring confirmation, and the state-level split on registration.

By Fred Thompson •

One Couple Paid $12,800 in Permit Fees to Carry in 46 States: SAF, NRA and Four Other Groups Urge Supreme Court to Make Minnesota Honor Trucker’s Out-of-State Carry Licenses

SAF, NRA and four other groups urge the Supreme Court to take Johnson v. Jacobson and make Minnesota honor out-of-state carry permits. Read the original story: One Couple Paid $12,800 in Permit Fees to Carry in 46 States: SAF, NRA and Four Other Groups Urge Supreme Court to Make Minnesota Honor T...

By Luke McCoy •

Virginia's FAIR Unit Is Live: What FFL Dealers Face Now

Virginia's FAIR Unit can now investigate and sue firearm dealers under the state's reasonable-controls standard. Plus: why SIG SAUER's new dealer locator makes accurate in-stock data a marketing asset.

By Fred Thompson •

How a 45-Day Moratorium Becomes a Permanent Gun Store Ban

Two Southern California jurisdictions froze new firearms retailer approvals within two weeks of each other. The mechanism was not a gun law — it was land use, and it moves faster than anything most dealers track.

By Claire Eason •

FBI Director Confirms NICS Surveillance Five Years After AmmoLand Exposed It

Five years after AmmoLand’s John Crump exposed a secret program monitoring lawful firearm purchases through NICS, FBI Director Kash Patel has confirmed its existence before Congress. ATF restricted the surveillance system in 2025 but did not eliminate it.

By Duncan Johnson Editor in Chief •
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