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August 20, 2026

Coverage window · 2026-08-17 → 2026-08-20 (72h; prior weekday digest missing from archive)
48 articles from the blogwatcher pool·California dealer

Lead

The Justice Department published a final rule today that reopens federal firearm-rights restoration under 18 U.S.C. § 925(c), with applications to start September 21. That is a counter change, not a green light: federal relief does not override California prohibitions, and DROS still controls the transfer. Separately, NSSF posted industry guidance on the limited Texas NFA injunction. California still bans silencers, ATF has not issued dealer instructions, and DOJ has until October 5 to appeal. CA DOJ posted nothing new in-window. USCCA press, blog, and The Reload feeds 403’d; no new USCCA/Delta Defense press in this window (latest official release remains July 30).

Top stories

  1. 01

    U.S. Department of Justice / Federal Register · AG Order No. 7109-2026

    DOJ publishes 925(c) restoration rule; applications open September 21

    Attorney General Todd Blanche finalized a process for prohibited persons to apply for relief from federal firearms disabilities. Relief is not automatic. Violent felons, registered sex offenders, illegal aliens, and other high-risk categories stay presumptively ineligible. Federal relief does not wipe California bans.

    For a CA shopDo not transfer on a federal restoration letter alone. Keep using DROS. Point customers to justice.gov/ffrr and their own attorney. Expect more “can I buy now?” questions after September 21.

    Federal Register (91 FR 54054, pub. 2026-08-20) · DOJ press (2026-08-17) · Application site

  2. 02

    NSSF · guidance dated 2026-08-17; *Silencer Shop v. ATF*

    NSSF tells FFLs how (and how not) to read the Texas NFA injunction

    A Texas court enjoined NFA registration/approval for silencers, SBRs, and SBSs, but only for named plaintiffs, listed groups, and (for commercial plaintiffs) their customers. NSSF says GCA 4473s, SOT, interstate-transport rules, and state law still apply. DOJ declined an emergency stay and has until October 5, 2026 to appeal.

    For a CA shopNo action on unregistered silencers. California still prohibits them. Do not skip Form 4 because of Texas headlines. Wait for ATF written guidance covering your license.

    NSSF guidance · SAF plaintiff letter to DOJ/ATF

  3. 03

    U.S. District Court, N.D. Texas · Judge Reed O’Connor, *Defense Distributed v. Blanche*

    Texas judge blocks ATF frame-or-receiver rule for SAF members and Defense Distributed kits

    On August 18 the court held the 2022 “ghost gun” frame-or-receiver rule unconstitutional under the Second and Fifth Amendments as applied to Defense Distributed and SAF members for the kits in the case. SCOTUS had upheld the same rule last year on statutory-authority grounds only. The injunction is party-limited, not a nationwide dealer rewrite.

    For a CA shopCalifornia serialization/USNA and kit rules still apply. Do not sell unmarked frames or kits off this order.

    Reuters (2026-08-18)

  4. 04

    California Legislature · TTAG recap 2026-08-19 of NRA-ILA 2026-08-14 committee action

    Five CA gun bills remain eligible for floor votes; AB 1810 (dealer-list expansion) is dead

    Appropriations already cleared AB 1743 (broader AFS/data access), AB 1753 (GVRO ammo procedures), AB 2047 (3D-printer “blueprint detection”), SB 948 (four-hour live-fire FSC course), and SB 1220 (new 10-year prohibiting misdemeanor). AB 1810, which would have widened DOJ power to drop dealers from the centralized list, was held in committee. SB 948’s last printed version is the August 13 Assembly amend; the live-fire FSC mandate would start January 1, 2029.

    For a CA shopWatch floor votes this session. SB 948 would eventually pull ranges and DOJ-certified instructors into FSC fulfillment. AB 1810 is off the board for now.

    TTAG · NRA-ILA (2026-08-14) · SB 948 text

  5. 05

    ATF · page last updated 2026-08-17; NSSF

    ATF NFA processing: volume up, waits down

    ATF’s July 2026 table shows individual eForm 4 averages of 9 days (median 8 days). NSSF, citing FOIA, says volume-weighted processing on the four highest-volume NFA forms fell from 73 days in FY2021 to about 18 days, while calendar-2026 NFA receipts passed 1.6 million. Form 4 tax on silencers/SBRs/SBSs is already $0 this year; registration remains.

    For a CA shopAlmost no retail silencer business in California. Useful only for SOT work, out-of-state customers, or counter questions.

    ATF current processing times · NSSF

Also raining

  • NSSF

    BILL resumes payment processing for WV ammo maker Kent Cartridge after a state AG probe

    nssf.org

  • SAF

    Jensen plaintiffs sent DOJ/ATF five questions on how the NFA injunction will be applied

    saf.org

  • The Firearm Blog

    Defense Distributed takes its New Jersey 3D-printing files case to the Supreme Court

    thefirearmblog.com

  • USCCA

    no new press, app, insurance, or partnership announcements in-window (press room last item: USCCA Law, July 30). CA instructor cert: Indio, Aug. 29–30

    USCCA CA instructor list

  • CA DOJ

    no new Bureau of Firearms bulletin in-window. Latest is 2026-DLE-13 (08/07/2026) on CCW/AB 1078. Ammunition background checks remain in effect pending a Ninth Circuit mandate in *Rhode v. Bonta*

    oag.ca.gov/firearms

Background (not new): NFA tax cut to $0 on silencers/SBRs/SBSs took effect January 1, 2026; that is why the Texas court treated remaining registration as untethered from a tax.

Threadlines

Three tracks, none of them a CA inventory reset. First, Washington is rebuilding 925(c) as an individualized federal petition, not a blanket un-prohibit. Second, NFA and “ghost gun” court wins are party-scoped; NSSF and SAF are both asking ATF/DOJ to write the dealer instructions that do not yet exist. Third, Sacramento still has live floor bills that would hit FSC training, AFS data, GVROs, and 3D printers, while the dealer-list expansion (AB 1810) died in committee. Consumer product posts (Benelli M2-G1, Springfield Prodigy 3.5, hunting rebates) filled the pool and do not change what a CA dealer can put in the case.

Watch

  • September 21, 2026

    925(c) applications open (Federal Register effective date).

  • October 5, 2026

    DOJ deadline to appeal or stay *Silencer Shop v. ATF*.

  • This legislative session

    CA floor action on AB 1743, AB 1753, AB 2047, SB 948, SB 1220.

  • August 29–30, 2026

    USCCA Instructor Certification Course, Indio (Woods Security And Training).

Coverage notes: USCCA Blog, USCCA Press Room, and The Reload returned 403 on scan. GlobeNewswire/PR Newswire and the USCCA press room showed no in-window release. X search of @USCCA in-window returned no usable posts.

Raw pool

Every item used for this window, in original order.

  1. DOJ 925(c) final rule

    Federal Register · 2026-08-20

  2. Attorney General Blanche Launches New Process to Restore Federal Firearm Rights

    DOJ OPA · 2026-08-17

  3. NSSF Guidance on NFA Transfers

    NSSF · 2026-08-17

  4. ATF NFA Wait Times Plunge as Applications Surge to Record Levels

    NSSF · 2026-08-20

  5. Current Processing Times

    ATF · updated 2026-08-17

  6. Another Debanking Retreat Shows Firearm Industry Discrimination Can’t Survive Scrutiny

    NSSF · 2026-08-19

  7. Biden-era ghost guns restrictions are unconstitutional, US judge rules

    Reuters · 2026-08-18

  8. CA: 5 Bad Gun Measures Head For Floor Votes

    TTAG · 2026-08-19

  9. California: Anti-Second Amendment Bills Advance from Appropriations Committees

    NRA-ILA · 2026-08-14

  10. SB-948 Firearms: safety certificates

    California Legislature · amended 2026-08-13

  11. DOJ Creates New Process For Restoration Of Federal Gun Rights

    TTAG · 2026-08-20

  12. Federal DOJ Again Helping The 2A Cause

    CRPA · 2026-08-18

  13. Gun Group Seeks Clarity From ATF, DOJ On Purchase Of NFA Items

    TTAG · 2026-08-18

  14. Defense Distributed Takes New Jersey 3D-Printing Case to Supreme Court

    The Firearm Blog · 2026-08-19

  15. USCCA Press Room

    USCCA · checked 2026-08-20 (no in-window release)

  16. Become an Instructor Classes in California

    USCCA · checked 2026-08-20

  17. Bureau of Firearms

    CA DOJ · checked 2026-08-20

  18. Information Bulletins

    CA DOJ · checked 2026-08-20

This is news, not legal advice. For a transfer or compliance question, use your attorney and the local ATF field office.

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