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National Firearms Act (NFA)

The National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) requires the registration, with the federal government, of fully-automatic firearms (termed “machineguns”), rifles and shotguns that have an overall length under 26 inches, rifles with a barrel under 16 inches, shotguns with a barrel under 18 inches, and firearm sound suppressors (termed “silencers”). The Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA) placed “destructive devices” (primarily explosives and the like, but also including firearms over .50 caliber, other than most shotguns) under the provisions of the NFA. In 1994, the Treasury Department placed revolving-cylinder shotguns and one semi-automatic shotgun under the NFA.

The GCA prohibited the importation of fully-automatic firearms for private purposes and a 1986 amendment to the Act prohibited the domestic manufacture of fully-automatics for private purposes. However, short-barreled rifles and shotguns have becoming increasingly popular for home defense and defensive-skills-based marksmanship training and competitions, and sound suppressors have become increasingly popular for marksmanship training and competitions, and for hunting.

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NRA Files Amicus Brief in Challenge to Machinegun Possession Ban

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

NRA Files Amicus Brief in Challenge to Machinegun Possession Ban

Yesterday, the National Rifle Association, Firearms Policy Coalition, and FPC Action Foundation filed an amicus brief arguing that the federal ...

Texas: Pro-Gun Legislation Heading to the Governor's Desk!

Thursday, May 29, 2025

Texas: Pro-Gun Legislation Heading to the Governor's Desk!

This week, the Texas House and Senate passed several important pro-Second Amendment bills. These bills had previously passed ...

U.S. House Passes Reconciliation Bill, Removing Suppressors from the National Firearms Act

News  

Second Amendment  

Thursday, May 22, 2025

U.S. House Passes Reconciliation Bill, Removing Suppressors from the National Firearms Act

Earlier today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.1 the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included Section ...

NRA Statement on House Passage of Reconciliation Bill

News  

Second Amendment  

Thursday, May 22, 2025

NRA Statement on House Passage of Reconciliation Bill

"This morning, the U.S. House of Representatives passed President Trump's One, Big, Beautiful Bill, which includes the complete ...

DOJ Drops Controversial NFA Charge Against Pardoned Jan. 6 Protestor

News  

Monday, April 21, 2025

DOJ Drops Controversial NFA Charge Against Pardoned Jan. 6 Protestor

Last February, NRA-ILA’s reporting exposed the case of Taylor Taranto, a pardoned January 6 protestor separately arrested on firearm charges ...

NFA Prosecution Shows ATF Still Determined to Imprison Americans for Braced Pistols

News  

Monday, February 10, 2025

NFA Prosecution Shows ATF Still Determined to Imprison Americans for Braced Pistols

Documents filed in an ongoing prosecution for illegal possession of a short-barreled rifle are raising new concerns about ...

ATF (Sort of) Walks Back Braced Pistol Comments

News  

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

ATF (Sort of) Walks Back Braced Pistol Comments

Last week, we reported that an unnamed ATF official, speaking for the agency’s Firearms Industry Programs Branch (FIPB), ...

Reported ATF Email Sparks Concerns of Braced Pistol Crackdown

News  

Monday, January 13, 2025

Reported ATF Email Sparks Concerns of Braced Pistol Crackdown

On Friday, Gun Owners of America published an email reportedly received by one of its members in response ...

Biden Gun “Task Force” to Seek New Federal “Authorities”

News  

Monday, September 30, 2024

Biden Gun “Task Force” to Seek New Federal “Authorities”

On September 26, President Joe Biden signed an executive order “combatting emerging firearm threats.”

Court Rules Federal Machinegun Law Cannot Be Justified under Bruen

News  

Tuesday, September 3, 2024

Court Rules Federal Machinegun Law Cannot Be Justified under Bruen

A district court in Kansas has ruled that the federal law prohibiting the possession of “machineguns” failed the ...

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NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.