Military veterans sue Biden administration over ATF regulation of stabilizing braces

A group of military veterans are suing the Biden administration over a rule from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that would reclassify many pistols with stabilizing braces as "short-barreled rifles."

The ATF rule would subject such weapons to regulations under the National Firearms Act, which in turn would require owners of such firearms to secure federal licenses, according to Fox News.

The suit contends that the rule is both a violation of the Second Amendment and also constitutes executive overreach as the rule lacks congressional authorization.

The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL), which filed the suit on behalf of a group of veterans, asserts that the stabilizing braces were invented to aid disabled veterans in firing pistols safely. 

WILL represents three plaintiffs, one of whom resides in Texas while the remaining two live in Wisconsin. All three are veterans and owners of pistols with stabilizing braces that the ATF rule would regulate.

Second Amendment advocacy group Gun Owners of America is also reportedly exploring a legal challenge to the rule. GOA Senior Vice President Erich Pratt appeared on "Just the News, No Noise" last week and highlighted criminal penalties for noncompliance, including up to "10 years in jail and a $250,000 fine."