John, 

When a man killed 10 people at a Boulder, Colorado grocery store this past March, police and witnesses thought they were seeing an AR-15 rifle in action, a common weapon of mass shooters. Instead it was a pistol, made deadlier and more accurate by an arm brace.[1] 

These braces are a popular way to make something that looks and acts like an assault rifle, but isn’t regulated like one under existing policies. A proposed change to federal rules could help prevent tragedies like the Boulder shooting by changing that—if you show support before the September 8 deadline.

Originally intended to help disabled gun users, arm braces stabilize a gun against the shooter’s arm. But they can also turn a smaller gun into something more powerful and easier to shoot with deadly accuracy. Gun industry insiders quickly started selling braces paired with AR-15 pistols as a way to market short-barreled rifles without the paperwork.[2] Today, millions of arm brace-stabilized guns have been sold, far exceeding the number expected for disabled shooters.[3] 

Short-barreled rifles—lethal and relatively easy to hide—are heavily regulated under the National Firearms Act (NFA). But a pistol with an arm brace that functions the same, including the one used in Boulder, are not subject to the NFA. So they’re easier to get.[4] It’s only a matter of time before more families are ripped apart by firearms deliberately made deadlier.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is proposing to regulate pistols modified with arm braces under the NFA—tell them you’re in support through our easy online comment form! We only have days to act before comments close.

The proposed regulation would still allow disabled individuals to buy and use gun braces but regulate them in other circumstances.[5] ATF actually tried to move this regulation forward last year, but gun lobby pressure stalled it then and it has the potential to stop it again. It’s incredibly important that you make your voice heard: tell ATF to regulate pistols paired with arm braces, before the deadline of September 8.

Thank you for helping make our nation and communities safer.

Adam Garber
Board Member, States United to Prevent Gun Violence & Executive Director, CeaseFirePA Education Fund

[1] “The Firearm The Accused Boulder Shooter Bought Looks Like A Rifle, But It’s Regulated Like A Pistol.” CPR News, March 24, 2021.
[2] “A Bracing Situation.” Firearms News, March 25, 2017
[3] “Facing GOP Pressure, the ATF Cancelled Review of Devices Now Implicated in Two Mass Shootings.” The Trace, March 30, 2021.
[4] “Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa: What we know about the Boulder, Colorado, mass shooting suspect.” CNN, March 24, 2021 
[5] “Factoring Criteria for Firearms With Attached “Stabilizing Braces”” Federal Register, A Proposed Rule by the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Bureau on 06/10/2021.