What This Huge NFA Ruling Means for Gun Owners

When Judge Wesley Hendrix of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas held on August 5, 2026, that the National Firearms Act’s (NFA) registration and approval requirements for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns exceed Congress’s constitutional authority—this occurred after Congress eliminated the NFA taxes on those items—we entered an exciting but uncertain time.

This court order was stayed until August 12 to give the Department of Justice (DOJ) time to appeal, but that stay expired without an appeal. This left gun owners asking what this means for those who want to purchase these items.

To help answer these questions, NRA-ILA published an explanation of what we now know.

Now, to help further, Josh Savani, executive director, general operations at the NRA, joined the NRA’s The Armed Citizen Podcast.

“There are more questions than answers right now, and I can’t give legal advice to everyone,” says Savani. “We really won’t know for sure until the administration comes forward with more guidance … but we are doing our best with what we know now. This is all thanks to President Trump signing the One Big Beautiful Bill, which is something that the NRA advocated for.”

Savani explains that the Court’s injunction applies to the parties and “where applicable, the parties’ agencies, political subdivisions, members, and customers—both current and future.” This means that the protections of the injunction generally flow “downstream” in the chain of commerce. In general, this means that it will be important for manufacturers, distributors, and dealers to be a plaintiff or a member of a covered group, but customers of these businesses will likely be covered whether or not they are a member of a covered group.

He also notes that the NRA has partnered with its state affiliate, the Texas State Rifle Association (TSRA), to provide a joint membership for those interested. That membership is available here.

State laws also still apply and it is important to note that taking actions under an injunction is not without risk. An injunction can be dissolved or stayed with very little notice. Because of this, Savani advises that people check back regularly to nraila.org for updates on these cases.