Trump Suspends Parts of Gun Registration Law
The administration is letting buyers purchase certain guns and accessories without government registration while proposing dozens of gun rule rollbacks.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Hunting
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The Trump administration has suspended parts of the 1934 National Firearms Act, allowing certain guns and gun accessories to be purchased without registering them with the government. The covered items include short-barrel rifles, shotguns and silencers.
Why it matters
The changes could reshape how guns are bought and sold across the country, affecting both gun owners and the businesses that sell firearms. Industry observers note that more policy changes are likely to follow.
The administration proposed more than three dozen regulations in April, and tens of thousands of public comments were received, with most supportive comments on the proposals and most opposition coming from small gun dealers and gun violence prevention groups. It remains unresolved which proposals will be finalized and when.
The players
Trump administration
The executive branch led by President Donald Trump, which suspended parts of the 1934 National Firearms Act and proposed the regulatory rollbacks.
Smith & Wesson
A major American firearms manufacturer that acquired Savage Arms, making it the largest commercial firearms manufacturer in the country.
Savage Arms
A long-established American firearms maker that was acquired by Smith & Wesson.
The details
One proposed regulation would make it easier to sell guns online and ship them to buyers within the same state. Most gun sellers earn their profit from ammunition and accessories rather than from the guns themselves, a factor that could shape how the changes affect retailers.
Timeline
April 2026: The administration proposed more than three dozen regulations rolling back gun restrictions.
November 2, 2026: A Marketplace interview examined the gun policy changes and their industry impact.
Big Picture
The suspension of parts of the 1934 National Firearms Act marks a departure from the registration system that law created for short-barrel rifles, shotguns and silencers. The move arrives alongside a broader wave of proposed rollbacks and industry consolidation, including Smith & Wesson's acquisition of Savage Arms.
Buyers may be able to purchase certain short-barrel rifles, shotguns and silencers without registering them with the government. Hunters and gun owners could see changes in where and how they buy firearms and accessories if the online sales rule takes effect.
The takeaway
Gun buyers and sellers should watch which of the proposed rules are finalized, since they could change where and how firearms are purchased. Small dealers may need to adapt to a market where larger companies can sell online and ship within the same state.
Further reading
For more on how these changes touch the sport, see Hunting.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Marketplace.
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