Home / Agencies / DOJ / 2026-08930
Proposed Rule

Removing Factoring Criteria for Firearms With Attached “Stabilizing Braces”

Agency
DOJ
Document Number
2026-08930
Published
May 6, 2026
Effective Date
-

Abstract

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") is proposing to amend Department of Justice ("Department") regulations on firearms with attached stabilizing braces. Courts have found that ATF's revisions in the 2023 final rule on the same topic violated the Administrative Procedure Act. Several courts have enjoined, stayed, or vacated the final rule, which has rarely been in effect. ATF is therefore proposing to remove from the regulatory definitions of "rifle" the two paragraphs added by the 2023 final rule that defined the term "designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder."

Federal Register Source

This document is published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration. Access the full regulatory text, preamble, and docket comments below.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 2026-08930 Federal Register document?
Document 2026-08930 is a Proposed Rule published by the Department of Justice in the Federal Register on May 6, 2026. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") is proposing to amend Department of Justice ("Department") regulations on firearms with attached stabilizing braces. Courts have found that ATF's revisions in the 2023 final rule on the same topic violated the Administrative Procedure Act. Several courts have enjoined, stayed, or vacated the final rule, which has rarely been in effect. ATF is therefore proposing to remove from the regulatory definitions of "rifle" the two paragraphs added by the 2023 final rule that defined the term "designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder." View the original at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/06/2026-08930/removing-factoring-criteria-for-firearms-with-attached-stabilizing-braces.
Is document 2026-08930 an economically significant rule?
No. Document 2026-08930 is not classified as economically significant under Executive Order 12866. Economically significant rules require OIRA review and are estimated to have impacts of $100 million or more per year.

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