Minden, Nev. – August 29, 2025 – Franklin Armory®, one of America’s leading manufacturers of innovative firearms and accessories, and the Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition (FRAC) issued the following statement today regarding the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Open Letter advising FFLs on the classification of Franklin Armory’s Reformation firearm:
Shortly after President Trump issued his executive order directing the Department of Justice to review and correct anti-Second Amendment abuses of power by previous administrations, DOJ and ATF abandoned their appeal of a Federal District Court Judge’s ruling in our favor that had rectified the misclassification of Franklin Armory’s Reformation® firearm. While we were confident of another victory on appeal, fortunately, the current leadership at both DOJ and ATF proved to have more respect for legal principles than their predecessors and avoided further miring the parties into an even longer drawn-out legal battle.
This Open Letter formally reaffirms what we have known to be true all along: Reformation can only be classified as a standard “firearm” under the Gun Control Act (GCA) and is completely exempt from the National Firearms Act (NFA). Furthermore, it is neither a short-barreled shotgun nor short-barreled rifle under the GCA.
Additionally, by the parties entering into this agreement, DOJ’s and ATF’s position on Reformation’s classification is now clear. This means that consumers nationwide—at least in free states— will continue to have unfettered access to the ultimate home defense weapon for protection of self, family, and property, free and clear of all NFA restrictions in the form of Franklin Armory’s Reformation series of firearms.
We are grateful to Attorney General Bondi and ATF Acting Director Driscoll for recognizing the validity of our case and appreciate their combined efforts to negotiate an agreement. Settling this case not only rights a wrong perpetrated against a constitutionally-protected business seeking nothing more than to engage in lawful commerce, but also helps to reestablish integrity and trust between industry and executive branch institutions.
The ATF’s Open Letter regarding Reformation was issued earlier today as a negotiated action in the recent settlement between Franklin Armory and co-plaintiff FRAC (Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in FRAC, et al. v. Bondi, et al. (formerly FRAC, et al. v. Garland, et al.) at the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and the District of North Dakota.
About Franklin Armory®
Safeguarding the God-given right to protect self and property is Franklin Armory’s enduring mission. From the “Battle Born” State of Nevada, the firm engineers and manufactures quality firearms and accessories for sporting, defense, and law enforcement applications. Highly adept at creating innovative products that are 100% designed, machined, and built in America, the People of Franklin Armory are genuine Facilitators of Freedom™.
About FRAC
Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition, Inc. (“FRAC”) is a nonprofit association working to improve business conditions for the firearms industry by ensuring the industry receives fair and consistent treatment from firearms regulatory agencies. FRAC serves as the premier national trade association representing U.S. firearm manufacturers, retailers, importers, and innovators on regulatory and legislative issues impacting industry in the United States.
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