Federal regulations on firearm silencers, some guns cannot stand, judge rules

A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that some federal gun restrictions can no longer stand after Republicans last year zeroed out the taxes that justified their constitutionality.

Congress relied on its taxing authority to pass the 1934 National Firearms Act (NFA), which established a $200 fee to transfer or make certain firearms. But last year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act eliminated the tax for short-barreled shotguns, short-barreled rifles and silencers.