(Bearing Arms)—The Department of Government Efficiency is turning its attention to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and we could see dozens of regulations be tweaked in favor of gun owners and the firearms industry or eliminated altogether as early as next week.
The Washington Post reports that DOGE staffers have been working with ATF officials, including General Counsel Robert Leider, on an overhaul of the plethora of regulations that are in place, and are hoping to complete their work (or at least this round) by July 4.
The initial target was to change 47 regulations, an apparent reference to Donald Trump’s status as the 47th president of the United States, two of the people said. But ATF and DOGE staffers are now poised to exceed that goal, with upward of 50 changes planned.
The revisions are part of a seismic shift unfolding at ATF as the Trump administration proposes slashing the law enforcement agency’s budget and dramatically reducing the number of inspectors who ensure that gun sellers are in compliance with federal laws. Some Republicans in Congress have called for abolishing the agency altogether, and Attorney General Pam Bondi has said she wants to merge ATF with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The exact scope and details of the potential changes are still being determined. ATF has hundreds of regulations, and revisions could include changing the responsibilities of certain ATF positions, updating what types of firearms can be imported, and making licensing fees refundable.
We’ve already seen some changes to regulations this week, like the ATF easing imports of dual-use barrels and training rounds. It sounds like that’s just a preview of what’s in store, though, and there’s much more to come.
I’m hoping that alongside the changes to regulations, we’ll also see an annoucement about starting the formal repeal of every rule that Joe Biden and former ATF Director Steve Dettelbach put in place.
We’ve been told that’s in the works for several months now, and next week would be a great time to announce that the rule treating unfinished frames and receivers as completed firearms will be going away, along with the pistol brace rule and the “engaged in the business” rule treating almost every private gun seller as an unlicensed gun dealer.
- Read More: bearingarms.com
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