Attorney General Merrick Garland and ATF Director Steve Dettelbach announced a new rule on “pistol braces”. These devices are attached to the rear of pistols for the purpose of stabilizing the weapon. The user slips their forearm into the brace while their wrist holds the grip as usual. It allows a person to fire the pistol with one hand but with greater accuracy and control. The ATF will now recognize the “brace” as a “stock” that goes on the back of a rifle for the purposes of “shouldering”.
This rule now turns a pistol featuring a “brace” into a short-barreled rifle (SBR). It is typically not legal to possess an SBR without proper documentation from the federal government. Therefore, gun owners have 120 days to either remove their pistol braces, contact the federal government, or convert their pistols into rifles. A rifle must have a barrel 16 inches in length or longer. Anything less than that places the user in legal jeopardy. This rule comes after the ATF told the general public that pistol braces are legal and would cause the weapon to become an SBR.
SOURCES:
Justice Department announces new rule to regulate pistol-stabilizing braces | CNN Politics
Gun owners have 120 days to act on new gun stabilizing brace restriction coming next week | News | wdrb.com
SBR vs. AR Pistol: Know the Difference – Silencer Central
A Brief History Of The AR-15 : NPR
