What: Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed an amicus brief with the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in support of the defendant in United States v. Machamer, in which Mr. Machamer is unconstitutionally charged for possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle.
Who: The parties on the amicus brief include FPC, the National Rifle Association of America, the Second Amendment Foundation, and the American Suppressor Association. They are represented by Joseph G.S. Greenlee of the National Rifle Association.
When: July 13, 2026.
Where: The brief was filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, based in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Why: Short-barreled rifles are in common use and thus “arms” under the Second Amendment. As a result, the National Firearms Act’s tax and registration scheme does not have the historical support required to pass the Supreme Court’s test under Bruen.
Quote: “The Trump DOJ wants courts to treat the Second Amendment like a second-class right instead of a full constitutional guarantee. It should be protecting the People and defending the Constitution-not trying to put Americans in prison for exercising their right to keep and bear arms. Short-barreled rifles are bearable arms protected by the Constitution, period. We filed this brief to remind the court that fundamental rights are not privileges to be sold back to Americans through special taxes and bureaucratic permission slips. FPC and our Grassroots Army will continue to Fight Forward until every unconstitutional restriction on protected arms is eliminated.” — FPC President Brandon Combs
Contact: [email protected]
About Firearms Policy Coalition
Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) is a nonprofit membership organization that exists to create a world of maximal individual liberty and eliminate unconstitutional gun control laws. FPC works—and wins—for the People through high-impact strategic litigation, groundbreaking research, legislative and regulatory advocacy, grassroots activism, education, and public engagement. FPC’s legal division, FPC Law, is the nation’s leading initiative dedicated to restoring the right to keep and bear arms across the United States. To learn more about how FPC is working—and winning—for the People, sign up for FPC news alerts at firearmspolicy.org and follow FPC on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
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