Well, the Pistol Brace Era has Ended (at least for now)
With the 120-day amnesty period allowed by the ATF to register, modify, turn in, or destroy the estimated 3 million to 40 million large format pistols equipped with stabilizing braces now expired, starting June 1st those who have one could face up to 10 years in federal prison plus $10K in fines if caught and prosecuted.
According to Stephen Gutowski over at the Reload, “As of June 1, 2023, ATF received 255,162 applications for tax-free registration” of SBRs, or a slim figure that falls somewhere between 0.6 percent and eight percent of the braces out there.
Odds are, the bulk of the other estimated 2.75-to-39.75 million unregistered SBRs (braces) still exist in some form unless they were modified by the user, handed in, or destroyed to be compliant.
Three cases are underway challenging the ATF’s final brace rule in assorted federal courts, with preliminary injunctions valid for some members of Second Amendment groups (SAF, FPC, and GOA but importantly not NRA which has a case but not an injunction) as well as some others, so stay tuned for the outcome of these cases.
By Michael Crites
Michael Crites has served as executive editor of AmericanFirearms.org since 2016 and previously held positions as associate editor and range correspondent dating back to 2000. He discovered his passion for precision shooting at age 12 during his first visit to his grandfather's shooting range, eventually earning an Expert classification in three different shooting disciplines before age 18.
During his studies at University of Wyoming, he earned four varsity letters on the collegiate rifle and pistol teams, serving as team captain for three consecutive years. He became the first UW student to complete the NRA Range Safety Officer certification while maintaining full-time student status. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Communications.
His diverse career has included roles as Range Safety Coordinator for the National Rifle Championships in Camp Perry 2001; editor-in-chief, Precision Shooter Quarterly; series editor, Modern Firearms Handbook collection; managing editor, National Shooting Sports Foundation Newsletter; editor, Competitive Shooter Magazine; operations director for Western Arms & Ammunition Co.; senior editor for the Shooter's Reference Annual (Cheyenne); content director for The Firearms Report, published by the American Shooting Coalition in Billings, MT; firearms correspondent for Hunting & Shooting, produced by Outdoor Sports Media Group in Jackson, WY; and publisher for Wyoming Shooting Sports Journal in Casper. He has contributed as a regular columnist for American Rifleman (NRA Publications), technical editor for Precision, a publication of the National Bench Rest Shooters Association (Phoenix, AZ); and as firearms specialist for the Gun Owner's Annual.
As a digital content creator, he has written more than 400 articles on AmericanFirearms.org, developed shooting technique coverage for the Brownells Shooting Blog (Montezuma, IA) and Federal Premium "Range Notes" platform (Anoka, MN), and served as lead content strategist for International Defensive Pistol Association (Berryville, AR). Beyond Tactical Firearms, his current endeavors include content development for the Wyoming State Rifle Association (Cheyenne, WY) and technical manual production for High Plains Publishing of Laramie, WY.
He has contributed to the 12th, 13th, and 14th editions of Modern Sporting Rifles Guide and edited The Complete Guide to Tactical Shooting and Competitive Shooter's Reference Manual (Gun Digest Books).
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