Well, folks, it looks like we're finally getting some relief from one of the worst regulations to hit our industry. The ATF is preparing to amend their 2022 Frames and Receivers Rule, and for the first time in years, this could mean good news for businesses like mine—and the customers who want to build their own firearms.
If you remember, that 2022 rule basically labeled unfinished frames and receivers as "ghost guns" in the eyes of the feds, restricting the sale of most unserialized precursor parts. The ATF defined "readily" as anything that could be completed with basic tools, jigs, or instructions—which was a ridiculously broad standard that swept up plenty of law-abiding hobbyists.
Here's the good news: certain products that got caught up in that overreach look like they're coming back. I'm hearing that metal products like the JSD Supply MUP-1 could be back on the table. If the new draft holds, kits that were previously banned might be legal to sell again. That's huge for customers who've been asking about 80% builds for years.
Look, this isn't everything we'd want—polymer frames like the old Polymer80 products will still be heavily regulated. But it's a step in the right direction. The Biden-era overreach is finally being rolled back, one regulation at a time.
The case VanDerStok v. Bondi is still winding through courts, but the ATF's own admission that they're changing the rule tells us which way the wind is blowing. The Supreme Court already upheld the rule on a technicality, but the writing's on the wall: government overreach on this front isn't sustainable.
For my fellow shop owners, this means we might see some previously banned inventory return to shelves. For builders out there, your right to manufacture firearms for personal use hasn't changed—but the parts you need might get easier to find again. Stay tuned, and as always, know your local laws.
Progress is slow, but it's happening.