Gun Owners of America
PA: GOA Knocks Down Federal NFA Scheme—Now AG Dave Sunday Must Protect Pennsylvanians
Following a massive legal victory by Gun Owners of America, law-abiding Pennsylvanians are finally seeing unconstitutional federal overreach dismantled.
In Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF, the federal court struck down the National Firearms Act’s unconstitutional registration and transfer scheme for short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, silencers, and “any other weapons.” ATF followed up with an Open Letter conceding they will no longer require registration or approval for these items.
This should be a monumental win for your God-given rights.
Instead, Pennsylvania gun owners and dealers have been left in dangerous legal limbo.
Because of ambiguous language in Pennsylvania’s Crimes Code—specifically Title 18, Section 908 (Prohibited Offensive Weapons)—law-abiding citizens who exercise their constitutionally-protected rights could face criminal investigation, bogus arrests, and first-degree misdemeanor charges carrying lifetime federal firearm bans.
Make no mistake: Section 908 was NEVER meant to target everyday citizens exercising their Second Amendment rights.
Under a plain reading of the text:
- Silencers are not firearms under Pennsylvania law, do not expel a projectile, and are NOT offensive weapons.
- Short-barreled rifles and “any other weapons” are not even mentioned anywhere in Section 908.
- Factory-made short-barreled shotguns have never been “sawed off” and fall entirely outside the statute.
- Furthermore, Pennsylvania law provides clear statutory protections for anyone who possesses a firearm for lawful purposes, such as self-defense, hunting, or sport.
Yet, without clear direction from the Commonwealth’s top law enforcement officer, rogue interpretations could lead to Pennsylvania State Police and district attorneys targeting innocent gun owners who legally purchase or possess these items.
Gun owners and firearm dealers should NOT have to guess whether exercising their rights will result in handcuffs and a criminal record.
That is why GOA has urged Attorney General Dave Sunday issue a formal legal opinion protecting Pennsylvania gun owners.
We delivered a comprehensive legal analysis to AG Sunday’s desk showing that Section 908 does not apply to these items, and strongly urged that his office advise the Pennsylvania State Police to conform their enforcement policies immediately.
Now, Attorney General Sunday needs to hear directly from YOU.
We need AG Sunday to stand up for the rule of law, issue a favorable opinion affirming GOA’s statutory interpretation, and ensure the Pennsylvania State Police do not trample on our rights.
That’s why I need you to send a message to Attorney General Dave Sunday right away by using the form above.
Urge him to issue written guidance confirming that Title 18, Section 908 does not criminalize silencers, short-barreled rifles, and related items, and ask that he instruct the PSP to respect the rights of law-abiding Pennsylvanians.
Please take action immediately!
This Week in Gun Rights
Here’s what you may have missed this week in the fight for the Second Amendment…
This week, ATF confirmed that guidance is incoming on GOA’s historic victory against the registration requirements of the National Firearms Act…
Also, ATF confirmed to Congress that they have more than 1.4 billion records in their illegal registry of guns and gun owners…
And, anti-gun groups have begun to attack YouTube over firearms creators and their sponsorships from different firearms manufacturers.
GOA has been busy this week.
You deserve an update.
Recently,
This week, the Director of the ATF, Robert Cekada, confirmed to a group of firearms industry professionals that guidance on GOA’s victory was forthcoming.
He made the announcement at a press conference in Dallas, Texas.
In addition, DOJ announced in a letter to the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee that they have decided not to appeal our victory.
GOA has been actively lobbying both the Trump Administration and Congress to press ATF to issue this guidance immediately.
We’re watching this situation closely, and will follow up as soon as we know more.
Next, Congressman Michael Cloud of Texas recently reported that he had finally received a response from ATF to his inquiry about the growth of their illegal registry.
ATF confirmed to the Congressman that they now have over 1.4 BILLION records in their digital, searchable registry of guns and gun owners, in blatant violation of federal law.
GOA is currently working to abolish the registry, by lobbying the Trump Administration and passing the No REGISTRY Rights Act through Congress.
And finally, anti-gun groups have started to attack “GunTube,” a colloquialism for YouTubers who make firearms related content.
The anti-gunners have realized that they’ve lost the cultural fight on the Second Amendment and have now resorted to censorship attempts.
ATF: GUIDANCE INCOMING!Recently, at a press conference in Dallas, Texas, ATF Director Robert Cekada confirmed that ATF would be providing guidance to firearms dealers on GOA’s recent victory.
Our “One Big Beautiful Lawsuit” victory resulted in the registration requirements for certain items regulated by the National Firearms Act being declared unconstitutional.
And, the Department of Justice confirmed in a letter to Congress, signed by the Solicitor General, that they have decided not to appeal our case.
This means that our historic victory against the registration requirements of the NFA is permanent.
As a result, ATF cannot force GOA members to register suppressors or short barreled firearms ever again.
ATF now must provide guidance on how gun shops and firearms dealers are to conduct transfers of these items.
During the press conference, AmmoLand News reporter John Crump asked the ATF Director about suppressors that had recently been sold on the standard background check form, without registration.
According to the reporting, Director Cekada said that ATF inspectors were told not to count those transfers of suppressors as violations, in compliance with GOA’s lawsuit victory.
Director Cekada also said that the forthcoming guidance will address issues such as the required AG notifications for short barreled firearms, interstate transfer of items covered by the lawsuit and the 15 states that mandate federal registration of these covered items.
GOA is proud to have delivered gun owners one of the most impactful court victories in gun rights history, and we’re fighting to ensure that the rest of the NFA is abolished as well.
MORE THAN 1.4 BILLION RECORDS!You read that right. More than 1.4 BILLION records.
It’s 1,414,088,513 to be exact.
That’s how many records ATF currently has in their illegal, digital, searchable database of guns and gun owners.
We now know this thanks to Congressman Michael Cloud, who has worked with GOA to spearhead the fight against ATF’s illegal registry.
Over the years since GOA’s initial investigation, ATF’s registry has continued to grow at an alarming rate.
And not only does this registry violate the Second Amendment, it also poses a massive national security risk.
With ATF recently being hacked by a ransomware group, can gun owners really trust the agency with permenant storage of their sensitive personal information?
We don’t think so.
That’s why we’re asking GOA members to contact their members of Congress and urge them to pass the No Registry Rights Act.
You can send our prewritten email with just one click at the link below.
You can also call the White House at (202) 456-1111 and urge President Trump to delete the registry!
Let’s work to pass this legislation and make sure that ATF’s registry is abolished once and for all.
ANTI-GUNNERS TARGET GUN YOUTUBERS!YouTube just changed its branded content policy to ban firearms and ammunition from sponsored content.
This change will have a major impact on some of the biggest firearms creators on the platform. But the timing raises serious questions.
Just days after YouTube announced the policy change, Everytown published an article attacking “guntube” and highlighting the relationship between firearms companies and YouTube creators.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen anti-gun activists pressure YouTube to restrict firearms content. And it certainly won’t be their last attempt.
We made a video documenting this situation, click the button below to watch!
P.S., we’ve partnered with our friends at GoatGuns to bring you a limited edition 1911 celebrating GOA’s 50th anniversary!
Proceeds from the sales of this product go to supporting GOA in our mission to fight for the Second Amendment!
If you aren’t already, please consider becoming a GOA member so that we can fight on your behalf! And consider also making it a repeating yearly contribution so that you will always stay covered by our lawsuit injunctions.
GOA Sues City of Jacksonville, Florida Over Illegal Gun-Free Zones
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 29, 2026
Jacksonville, FL — Gun Owners of America (GOA), Gun Owners Foundation (GOF), Florida Carry, and individual plaintiffs have filed a lawsuit challenging firearm restrictions enforced at City-owned venues across Jacksonville.
The suit (Case No. 16-2026-CA-006676-AXXX-MA) names the City of Jacksonville, Sheriff T.K. Waters, and Mayor Donna Deegan—and challenges local firearm restrictions that violate Florida’s firearms-preemption law by going beyond what is authorized under state law.
The complaint details incidents at the Moran Theater, Florida Theatre, Jacksonville Fairgrounds, and EverBank Stadium where lawful concealed carriers were forced to disarm or denied entry.
GOA Florida State Director Luis Valdes, a plaintiff in the case, issued the following statement:
“Jacksonville does not get to invent its own gun laws. Florida law is clear that it preempts localities from imposing stricter gun control. I was lawfully carrying at a city-owned venue that wasn’t a gun-free zone when a JSO officer told me to disarm or be trespassed. We are taking Jacksonville to court to end these unlawful restrictions and protect the rights of every law-abiding gun owner in Florida.”
GOA spokesmen are available for interviews. Gun Owners of America is a nonprofit grassroots lobbying organization dedicated to protecting the right to keep and bear arms without compromise. GOA represents over two million members and activists. For more information, visit GOA’s Press Center.
-GOA-
President Trump Just Killed DOJ’s Appeal
President Trump personally ordered the Justice Department not to appeal our NFA victory. The deadline to file would have been October 5th.
But, ATF still hasn’t issued guidance for FFLs and gun owners on how to proceed after the win.
GOA has spoken with the ATF Director Cekada, and he confirmed that the agency is actively working on it.
Our injunction covers the parties to the lawsuit and their customers. This isn’t a nationwide repeal, and your state’s laws still apply.
CBS NEWS: TRUMP ORDERS DOJ NOT TO APPEALThe President of the United States personally called off the appeal of our “One Big Beautiful Lawsuit” victory.
That’s what CBS news reported on September 17th.
Trump made the decision himself, and he told Republican members of Congress in a series of recent calls that he would make sure the Justice Department did not contest the ruling.
A DOJ official told CBS the department plans to notify Congress of the decision.
This is huge news for GOA members, and those concerned about the next moves from the DOJ and ATF.
On August 5th, Judge Hendrix struck down the NFA’s registration requirements for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and any other weapons, and enjoined ATF from enforcing them.
That’s thanks to our “One Big Beautiful Lawsuit,” which we fought in court for over a year to win.
DOJ had until October 5th to appeal. The President told them to let the clock run out.
GOA is named in the CBS reporting for a reason. We brought this fight, and our members were the first in the country to walk out of a shop with a suppressor and no federal registration.
HERE’S WHAT THEY SAID:CBS ran the story under a headline calling these firearms “gangster weapons.”
The anti-gun group, Giffords, told CBS that declining to appeal would be a failure to defend public safety, and warned the country could return to the days of Al Capone.
A source familiar with the discussions said some Justice Department lawyers are more worried about their win-loss record than the President’s gun policies, and called the anti-gun narrative a scare tactic.
Gun owners know that getting rid of these restrictions on the Second Amendment means more guns in the hands of law abiding citizens, not the opposite.
ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES!Imagine this, If President Trump had not won the election, we’d have President Kamala Harris.
What a terrible reality that would have been.
But, the fact of the matter is, none of this would have been possible had President Trump not won the 2024 election.
He won that election because gun owners showed up and voted for him.
Had Kamala won, we never would have been able to sue in the first place because she would have NEVER signed the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) into law. There never would have been a OBBB, and we would be fighting whatever insane gun control she’d be pushing right now.
Instead, we’re gutting the National Firearms Act. That’s thanks to President Trump.
Remember that the next time somebody tells you voting doesn’t matter.
NOW, HERE’S THE HARD PART:Winning in court isn’t the same as knowing what the rules are. ATF has still not published guidance, and many gun owners and dealers across the country are unsure of what to do next.
We asked you to contact your representatives and demand that ATF issue clear guidance. You did, and members of Congress have been pressing the agency on exactly this.
I can report that I have personally spoken with the ATF Director. The agency is actively working on guidance.
We will read whatever ATF publishes line by line. If any part of it walks our rights backward, we will challenge it.
A win on paper means nothing if the bureaucracy writes the implementation to take it back.
And before you act on any of this…
The injunction protects the parties to the lawsuit and their customers.
It is not a nationwide repeal.
State law still applies, and some states ban these items outright.
If you are an FFL, talk to an attorney licensed in your state before you change how you run your shop.
In the meantime, if you are an FFL, consider becoming a corporate member so your store can access important legal protections when eligible.
And if you are an individual, protect yourself as a member of GOA, which would include you in our wins.