Texas federal judge strikes down NFA regulations for certain firearms

A federal judge in Texas has ruled that certain provisions of the National Firearms Act (NFA) are unconstitutional because they no longer serve their original purpose as a tax measure. U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix determined that since Congress eliminated federal taxes on the transfer and manufacture of sound suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns in July 2025, the government no longer has the constitutional authority to enforce the associated registration and paperwork requirements under the taxing power.

In his 66-page opinion, Judge Hendrix noted, "Because today's NFA does not generate any revenue from untaxed firearms, its regulatory provisions cannot be upheld under the taxing power." The ruling, stemming from consolidated lawsuits involving gun rights groups and 15 states, focuses on the limits of congressional authority rather than Second Amendment arguments.

Legal experts suggest this decision could create a precedent for challenging the 1986 ban on new civilian machine gun sales. If legislation were passed to remove the $200 transfer tax on machine guns and "destructive devices," the logic of this ruling could potentially render the registration requirements and the Hughes Amendment unconstitutional as well.