FPC Win: Order Vacating Biden Pistol Brace Rule Stands, Government Dismisses Appeal
In a major victory for Second Amendment rights, the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) secured a landmark win when the federal government agreed to dismiss its appeal in Mock v. Bondi, effectively ending the legal fight over the Biden ATF's controversial "pistol brace" ban rule.
The joint dismissal, agreed upon in July 2025, confirmed that the district court's order completely vacating the Biden administration's pistol brace reclassification rule would stand. The rule had attempted to reclassify millions of legally-owned pistols equipped with stabilizing braces as "short-barreled rifles," potentially turning law-abiding gun owners into felons overnight.
What Was the Biden Pistol Brace Rule?
In January 2023, the Biden ATF published a final rule that reclassified firearms equipped with pistol stabilizing braces as short-barreled rifles (SBRs) under the National Firearms Act. This would have required owners to either register their braced pistols as NFA items, pay a $200 tax stamp, permanently modify or destroy the brace, or surrender the firearm. Estimated to affect millions of gun owners, the rule sparked immediate legal challenges.
FPC's Legal Challenge
The Firearms Policy Coalition, alongside co-plaintiffs, filed suit challenging the rule as an unconstitutional overreach. The case, Mock v. Bondi, successfully obtained injunctive relief for gun owners while litigation proceeded. The district court ultimately vacated the entire rule, ruling in favor of the challengers.
What the Dismissal Means for Gun Owners
The government's decision to dismiss its appeal rather than continue fighting means:
- The pistol brace ban is officially and permanently dead
- Millions of braced pistols remain legally owned as pistols, not SBRs
- No registration, tax stamp, or modification is required
- FFL dealers can continue to sell and service pistol-braced firearms without restriction
Why This Matters for FFLs
For Federal Firearms Licensees, this ruling is significant. FFLs can confidently transfer braced pistols to customers, conduct gunsmithing on such firearms, and maintain inventory without the compliance burdens the Biden rule would have imposed. The ruling reinforces the principle that the ATF cannot unilaterally reclassify lawfully-owned firearms through regulatory fiat.
The FPC victory in Mock v. Bondi stands as one of the most consequential Second Amendment legal wins in recent years, protecting the rights of millions of American gun owners and affirming that braced pistols are constitutionally protected arms under the Second Amendment.