Arkansas AG celebrates appeals court decision in lawsuit over pistol brace rule

Little Rock, Arkansas – In Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition, Inc. v. Garland, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit opted on August 9 to overturn a decision made by a lower court that had denied a preliminary injunction.

The government agency that regulates firearms, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), released a new rule about gun stabilizing braces back in January 2023.
It says that almost all gun owners who use braces would have to register their firearms with the authorities in order to avoid being charged with a crime.

Both support and opposition to the law were voiced by many in the state who believed that it would punish gun owners who would otherwise be lawfully permitted to possess their weapons.

Attorney General Tim Griffin released the following statement in relation to the most recent ruling from the court today:

The Eighth Circuit found that our case is likely to win, which is a triumph for American rights and the rule of law. We are one step closer to ending this unlawful rule thanks to this verdict.

This is just one more attempt to amend the legislation that Congress has already passed. The new rule increases federal control and exposes Americans to penalties, confiscation, and felony conviction by classifying a handgun with a stabilizing brace as a short-barreled rifle. I’ll keep fighting against the Biden-Harris administration’s arbitrary and capricious regulations and for Arkansans’ rights under the 2nd Amendment.

Along with West Virginia, North Dakota, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming, Arkansas is a part of a coalition of private entities and state attorneys general involved in the lawsuit.