In a long-overdue win for gun owners and the firearm industry, the Department of Justice and ATF have officially scrapped the Biden administration’s infamous “zero tolerance” policy—a move hailed as a major victory for freedom and small businesses alike.
The NSSF, the firearm industry’s top watchdog, is celebrating the announcement. For years, this draconian policy gave unelected bureaucrats at the ATF the green light to shut down lawful gun dealers for minor clerical errors—we’re talking paperwork typos, not criminal misconduct.
“This is great news for the industry that provides for the lawful exercise of the Second Amendment,” said Lawrence Keane, NSSF’s Senior VP. “We have worked with the Trump administration to secure this critical industry victory since the first day of the president’s second term…”
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Why Junking ATF’s Zero Tolerance Matters
Under Biden’s regime, even a single slip-up on a 4473 form could trigger a license revocation. That policy crushed small FFLs, drained them financially, and drove dozens out of business. In some cases, shop owners simply surrendered their licenses rather than fight the federal leviathan in court.
It was regulation by intimidation—and now, it’s over.
Two More Rules Headed for the Scrap Heap?
Even better: DOJ and ATF also announced they’re reconsidering the Biden-era “Engaged in the Business” rule and the infamous stabilizing brace ban—two wildly unpopular policies currently facing legal challenges.
The “Engaged in the Business” rule attempted to reclassify nearly any private firearm seller as a licensed dealer, forcing everyday gun owners into federal paperwork hell. The goal? Backdoor universal background checks—something Congress has repeatedly rejected.
The stabilizing brace rule was even worse. After years of saying braces didn’t alter a pistol’s classification, the ATF pulled a 180—declaring braced pistols to be short-barreled rifles and threatening to turn millions of gun owners into felons overnight.
Now both rules are under review. And that’s not just good news—that’s a massive course correction.
A President Who’s Actually Protecting the 2A
This shift didn’t happen by accident. It follows President Trump’s Executive Order, which directed the DOJ to assess and repeal policies that infringe on Second Amendment rights. And the results are already starting to roll in.
Acting ATF Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi are taking real steps to undo the Biden administration’s mess, including these gun control rules that never had any business existing in the first place.
Looking Ahead
The NSSF is also urging the DOJ to finalize a rule allowing FFLs access to NICS for voluntary employee background checks—a common-sense step enabled by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
But for now, let’s call it what it is: a major win for freedom, gun owners, and the Constitution.
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is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
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In reality having to go through a dealer to sell your gun would benefit gun owners because it would vastly reduce the amount of used guns available to gang bangers, lunatics, and criminals. The current system is insane. ATF tracings and also Law Enforcement tracings show that Southern States with lax gun laws ship via the “Iron Pipeline” thousands of used guns north to states that have tough gun laws which is the major source for criminals to acquire guns with no paperwork. It’s not rocket science!
So why do we not have such a worthwhile gun law like the entire rest of the civilized world has had for decades???? It’s simple. The Far Right’s demented paranoia lead them to mistakenly believe that registration always leads to confiscation. In reality the Government has never needed registration if they want to outlaw a certain type or class of weapons. Once these weapons are made illegal you could not ever use one in a self defense situation, never sell it without paperwork without the risk of going to prison, and never shoot it at any public range which today is where the majority of guns are used.
The benefits of registration are far greater than the drawbacks. Yes, it’s a bother and yes you probably may have to pay a few pennies for the transaction but the far lower mass murder and far lower crime rate with guns that that went through a background check has proven to reduce crime with guns and the easy availability of them to criminals. The civilized world has had Universal Back Ground Checks for decades and its success in reducing crime has been proven beyond all doubt. No law is perfect but not to have such a basic common sense law is pure insanity. Europe has had Registration and background checks for decades and yes they do own weapons and lots of them. Even in Japan that has the most draconian of gun laws allows the ownership both of high powered semi-auto rifles and shotguns proving that registration does not mean an automatic banning of all weapons.
In fact the best way to guarantee your eventual loss of all your gun rights is to let the current insanity continue because an enraged public (the majority who do not own any firearms) will demand more and more draconian gun laws when criminals and lunatics can buy all the firepower they want on the used gun market with no questions asked.
Biden’s zero tolerance policy was only directed at non family members.
i hope that those affected by these bogus laws will be able to sue the agencies for damages and anguish. might be a cash cow for the scum sucker attorneys
They have a lot of work ahead of them. I want to see the sporting purposes clause done away with and the import barrel ban.
Time to get rid of the Hughes Amendment.
how about just making a law that harassment of gun owners is illegal?………errrr…..oh wait they already have that it’s called the constitution and the 2A!!! lets just start backing that then.