Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
History was made just after midnight in Texas.
For the first time since the National Firearms Act (NFA) became law in 1934, two Americans legally took possession of suppressors without complying with the federal registration requirements that have governed those items for more than 90 years.
The milestone comes after a federal judge issued an injunction preventing the ATF from enforcing NFA registration requirements on suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and “any other weapons” against the plaintiffs in GOA’s lawsuit.
The first transfers took place at Silencer Shop’s new retail location in Leander, Texas. GOA members Brandon Herrera and Texas State Rep. Wes Virdell became the first people to receive suppressors under the court order.
🚨BREAKING🚨
— Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) August 13, 2026
It's official! @SilencerShop completed the first lawful, unregistered suppressor transfer since June 26th, 1934.@TheAKGuy's purchase was approved & @WesVirdellTX skipped the background check with his concealed carry permit. This is One Big Beautiful Victory. 🇺🇸🔫 https://t.co/5cyDgVWeM9 pic.twitter.com/grhXqpMjJV
Table of contents
A Long Fight Finally Pays Off
This moment didn’t happen overnight.
Earlier this year, Congress eliminated the NFA’s $200 transfer tax on suppressors and certain other NFA items through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Gun Owners of America strongly backed that effort, working alongside Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) to strip away the tax that had been the constitutional foundation for much of the NFA.
But while the tax disappeared, the registration requirement remained.
GOA immediately filed what it called its “One Big Beautiful Lawsuit,” arguing that without the tax, Congress no longer had constitutional authority to require federal registration of these firearms.
Last week, a federal judge agreed. At least for the plaintiffs in the case.
The ATF Didn’t Object
Before completing the transfers, GOA, Silencer Shop, Herrera, and Virdell formally notified both the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that they intended to transfer suppressors without NFA registration.
According to GOA, the ATF did not object.
That cleared the way for the transfers to occur just after 12:01 a.m. Central Time on August 13, while still complying with every other applicable federal and state law.
GOA: “The Era of Federal Registration Must End”
GOA Senior Vice President Erich Pratt called the moment the next step in dismantling what the organization considers unconstitutional restrictions.
“GOA fought to crush the NFA’s unconstitutional restrictions through the One Big Beautiful Bill, but we didn’t stop there. We promised to keep fighting until these restrictions were gone, and now our members are putting the historic victory into action. The era of federal registration for constitutionally protected arms must end.”
Brandon Herrera: “Tip of the Spear”
Brandon Herrera, one of the two GOA members receiving a suppressor under the injunction, said he was proud to be part of the legal milestone.
I’m happy to once again be working with Gun Owners of America to help be the tip of the spear fighting for gun owners, constitutional rights, and civil rights of not only Texans, but all Americans.
Silencer Shop Calls It a Historic Moment
Silencer Shop CEO Dave Matheny said the company was honored to play a role in what many in the firearms industry view as a landmark event.
We couldn’t be more excited for our customers, dealers, and the future of the Second Amendment. This is a huge victory, but we still have a long way to go… Silencer Shop will continue to lead the way… working to unwind the NFA.”
The company’s nonprofit arm, the Silencer Shop Foundation, also emphasized that the case was made possible through financial support from its members and donors.
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CEO Lauren Spivey added:
“This win belongs to the people and customers who made it possible… we’ll keep working to ensure all lawful Americans are protected under this ruling.”
More Challenges Still Ahead
Although this marks the first known suppressor transfers without NFA registration since 1934, the legal fight is far from over.
The injunction currently applies only to the plaintiffs covered by the case, and the Department of Justice is expected to continue defending the NFA registration system on appeal.
Still, the event represents a dramatic moment in the ongoing legal battle over the National Firearms Act.
Whether this ultimately becomes the beginning of the end for federal suppressor registration (or simply another step in a lengthy court fight) will likely be decided in the months ahead.
For now, though, GOA, Silencer Shop, and the lawsuit’s plaintiffs have accomplished something that hadn’t happened in more than nine decades.
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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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If the NFA registration is eliminated silencers and short barred long guns will become the dominate tools of the gang bangers and mass murderers. Once said items are sold by the original owner then they are not traceable anymore as they were when they were new and signed for on a 4473 form.
The government banned ghost guns when they rocketed to the top of the list of guns used by mass murderers.
dacian, why are you so often choosing violence with this hateful rhetoric? Gangbangers? You speak with the forked tongue of a fascist. You might as well demand photo id for never ending pasta or overturn net neutrality.
(don’t look up the English translation of fasces)
quote——————–dacian, why are you so often choosing violence with this hateful rhetoric?———–quote
Nothing hateful about telling people the truth. I know the truth hurts you but you cannot change reality. Do you really think that once the registration of suppressors is gone that every gang banger in the country will not have at least half a dozen of them and all unregistered, You must be very naive if you think otherwise.
As I said before no one needs a suppressor that is why they invented shooting muffs and or ear plugs. The down side of flooding the market with unregistered suppressors is so obvious a 5th grader could understand the consequences of such a dumb move. If you want one then make it tough for the gang bangers to get them, you do not hand them boxes of them with no paperwork.
“Nothing hateful about telling people the truth.” -dacian
You should have stopped there.
Komisar dacian use of coded racist terms like “gang banger” (sic) and “hilljack” prove that dacian has hates all races.
Tell me Komisar dacian, where does the power to regulate firearms originate?
Hint, it’s NOT the Courts and you bungled your attempt to quote Scalia.
:^I
The Courts traditionally ignore the Constitution. And the Scalia Decision stated the Court has the right to “regulate firearms” which is disingenuous double talk for restrict or ban. So the chance of the NFA registration being repealed is slim to none. The NFA has worked well and the Government knows it.
Scalia decision? I guess I don’t know a Scalia decision. Please illuminate this humble provincial villager, dacian.
I hope you aren’t calling the Heller decision the Scalia decision. That would be embarrassing. Like having to as someone else to open a pickle jar for you embarrassing.
I am quoting Scalia himself when he wrote his brief about the Heller decision. Read it sometime. I quoted him verbatim.
Komisar dacian, provide the Scalia quote where he stated that ‘the Court has the right to “regulate firearms.”’ If you had any appreciation of Scalia, you would have noted that Scalia considered the separation of powers is the keystone in preserving American liberty though you claim Scalia stated that US courts pass regulations. Prove it.
I told Komisar dacian was an idiot.
Komisar dacian could NOT pull off the simplest legal discussion without a complete breakdown of reason. Did I mention that I told that the Komisar was an idiot?
Really, Scalia said in a legal decision that ‘the Court has the right to “regulate firearms.”’ I would love to see the quote where Scalia made such a legal blunder.
In Komisar dacian’s mind the US Courts determine its own power to “restrict or ban” a right even though there is no such stated authority whatsoever in the US Constitution.
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my brother sent me an article about this and currently ohio will still require the nfa paperwork, hopefully they will change that law soon!