First shot: 141 House Republicans challenge ATF tax, registration of AR pistols

Led by Second Amendment advocate Rep. Richard Hudson, 141 Republicans (and likely more to come) are targeting a revived rule from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives backed by the Justice Department to turn AR-style pistols into expensive, hard to get guns.

In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and acting ATF Director Marvin Richardson, Hudson wrote, ..“This proposed guidance is alarming and jeopardizes the rights of law-abiding gun owners and disabled combat veterans across the country.”....He was joined by 140 other Republicans, including the No. 2 and No. 3 GOP leaders, Reps. Steve Scalise and Elise Stefanik.

At issue is the agency’s 71-page proposal to regulate AR pistols equipped with “stabilizing braces” that make it easier for owners to steady the heavy guns. The ATF argues that users more typically use the brace as a rifle stock, creating a short-barreled rifle, a weapon regulated by a rule from the Al Capone era that requires a $200 tax and registration.