The Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) isn’t holding back after the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling in United States v. George Peterson that upheld the federal government’s suppressor restrictions under the National Firearms Act (NFA).
“Once again, the Fifth Circuit has wrongly upheld the National Firearms Act in a dangerously flawed opinion that tramples the Constitution and disregards our nation’s history,” FPC said in a statement.
Suppressors, the group argues, are plainly covered under the Second Amendment’s protection of “arms.” Yet instead of recognizing that reality, the court sided with the government’s decades-old scheme of taxation, registration, and regulation.
“Nothing in our nation’s history of arms regulation supports the government’s unconstitutional taxation and registration mandates,” the statement continued. “Indeed, the federal government’s NFA scheme is not just dangerous to liberty; it is blatantly unconstitutional. FPC will continue to stand with Mr. Peterson and his counsel as they weigh every option in the fight ahead to put an end to the NFA and its unconstitutional regulations on suppressors and other protected arms.”
What’s Next
FPC says it remains committed to supporting Peterson’s appeal while also pushing forward with related NFA challenges, including Brown v. ATF. The organization encouraged supporters to join its grassroots network at JoinFPC.org.
About FPC
The Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit dedicated to restoring the full measure of liberty guaranteed by the Constitution. Through litigation, scholarship, legislative work, and grassroots organizing, FPC has become one of the most aggressive players in the fight to dismantle unconstitutional federal, state, and local gun laws. Learn more at firearmspolicy.org.
Our Take
The Fifth Circuit just blew an opportunity to recognize reality: suppressors are arms, and arms are protected by the Second Amendment. Period.
Let’s be clear—suppressors aren’t some exotic Hollywood assassin gear. They’re safety devices. In most of Europe, shooters use them without having to jump through hoops. Here in the U.S., you still need to cough up $200, wait months (or years), and have your name added to a federal registry, all for a muffler that protects hearing and reduces noise complaints.
The NFA’s suppressor provisions have nothing to do with crime prevention and everything to do with control. The government slapped taxes and red tape on these devices nearly a century ago, and courts have been rubber-stamping that power grab ever since.
If the Second Amendment means what it says, then suppressors—just like rifles, pistols, and magazines—are protected arms. This ruling demonstrates precisely why groups like FPC continue to fight. Until SCOTUS finally confronts the NFA head-on, Americans will remain subject to an outdated and unconstitutional scheme designed to limit rights, not protect them.
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