Gabby Giffords’ gun control group, Giffords, was apoplectic Thursday morning over the Trump DOJ’s refusal to appeal a court decision that struck down the NFA suppressor regulation requirement.
Breitbart News reported that on August 5, 2026, U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix ruled against National Firearms Act (NFA) registration requirements in Jensen v. ATF. This opened the door for plaintiffs in the case–including those in a consolidated case–to transfer suppressors and short barrel rifles and shotguns without complying with NFA registration requirements.
Caveat: Judge Hendrix allowed the government a seven-day window in which to appeal his ruling before allowing it to take effect. This meant that, barring appeal, it would take effect August 13, 2026. The DOJ did not appeal and, therefore, on the morning of August 13, Silencer Shop, one of the plaintiffs in the case, transferred a suppressor without registration.
Giffords was not happy.
Breitbart News noted that the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, formerly Handgun Control, Inc., went into full meltdown mode Thursday morning as well. The Brady Campaign accused the DOJ of “[failing] to protect common-sense” gun controls for suppressors and short barrel rifles and shotguns.
They did not explain why rifles or shotguns with shorter barrels should be the subject of special gun controls nor why devices that are not firearms–i.e., suppressors, should be under any gun control at all.
Hellbound and Down 