Media Contact: Georgia Seltzer, (202) 822-8200 x104, gseltzer@vpc.org
Campaign Research Notes – July 30, 2026
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The mission statement of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) declares, “ATF protects American communities from violent crime driven by the illegal use of firearms, explosives, and acts of arson. Through crime gun intelligence, forensic analysis, and relentless investigation, we identify and arrest violent offenders and gang members, dismantle trafficking networks, and sever the supply chains arming cartels, prohibited persons, and terrorist organizations. We defend the rights of law-abiding citizens by safeguarding lawful commerce and upholding the Constitution of the United States.”
Earlier this month, an email from the agency offered updates on what it calls its “New Era of Reform.” This includes its “partnership with the firearms industry, gun owners, and the public” under headings such as: Repeal! Modernize! Reduce Burden! Clarify! Align! The exclamation points are added.
It’s worth noting that in this “partnership,” the public ranks, well, last – running a distant third behind the firearms industry and gun owners. As part of this “new era,” ATF proclaims, “Under new leadership, the agency has fundamentally changed course, moving toward a model built on trust and collaboration.”
Among the actions taken, ATF has “Published a landmark package of proposed and final rules to streamline regulations and forms, reducing burden on dealers and gun owners alike.” And while ATF typically emits the “thin, tinny ‘arf’ – the sound of a lap dog” when it comes to actually regulating the conduct of the firearms industry, this latest round of knee-bending is notable for its focus on supporting the industry’s marketing and sales priorities.
Many of these rollbacks – excuse us, “reforms” – focus on easing civilian access to firearms and accessories that come under the more restrictive regulations of the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA). These include: pre-1986 fully automatic machine guns and the manufacture of new machine guns by Type 07 Federal Firearms License (FFL) holders who possess a Special Occupational Tax (SOT); short-barreled rifles and shotguns; and, firearm silencers. This is a key goal of the gun industry, which is constantly searching for new categories of firearms and accessories to resell its primary market of white males.
And according to ATF statistics, this new “partnership” appears to be paying off handsomely for the industry – especially those dealing in NFA-regulated products.
According to agency statistics, the number of NFA firearms and products processed in 2025 increased 23 percent in just one year (5,817,780, up from 4,731,918 in 2024).
The theme of partnership built on trust and collaboration, with ATF as your facilitating wing man, has been building. Earlier this summer, ATF announced a proposal “to allow married couples to file a joint application as makers and/or transferees of NFA-regulated firearms.” According to ATF this would be “a simpler, lower-cost option for law-abiding married couples.” And while ATF’s vision of marital bliss may involve shared ownership of machine guns and silencers, it does set the table for a question no gun owner ever wants to face: in case of divorce, who gets custody of the guns?
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The Violence Policy Center is a national educational organization working to stop gun death and injury. Follow the VPC on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky.