Franklin Armory has removed its Antithesis firearm from the market after a threat from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
The National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) requires ATF registration and a tax stamp for rifles with a barrel length of less than 16 inches that fire a single type of projectile. The Antithesis is a firearm with a 14.5-inch rifled barrel and a stock. The Antithesis is designed to fire multiple projectiles instead of a single round. Initially, it was intended to fire .45 Long Colt (LC) and .410 shotgun shells. It was later redesigned also to fire 5.56 rounds. Since it can fire multiple types of projectiles, it is not considered to be regulated under the NFA.
In February, a court ruled that the Antithesis was not an SBR under the NFA, and the ATF overstepped its power by declaring it an NFA firearm. The court confirmed that the Antithesis could be transferred with a simple ATF Form 4473, as the item is classified as a firearm under the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA), but not classified by the NFA at all. In August, the ATF released an open letter reclassifying the Antithesis as not a short-barreled rifle (SBR) under the NFA. It stated that the Antithesis can be transferred as “other” on a standard ATF gun transfer form. Although the letter only referred to the .410/.45LC version of the firearm.
The ATF stated in an open letter, “As a result of the Agreement, the Antithesis is not a rifle, short-barreled rifle, nor is it an NFA firearm; therefore, (i) no NFA forms are necessary to sell, transfer, transport, deliver, or otherwise deal in or possess the Antithesis, and (ii) no ATF Form 5320.20, Application to Transport Interstate or to Temporarily Export Certain National NFA Firearms, is necessary to transport the Antithesis across state lines because the firearm is not subject to 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(4) or (b)(4).”
Click the link to read the whole article: New Leak Reveals ATF War
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