A Pennsylvania lawmaker is pushing to strip firearm suppressors and short-barreled rifles and shotguns from the state's list of banned offensive weapons, arguing that a recent federal court ruling has left gun owners exposed to criminal charges over paperwork the federal government can no longer enforce. State Representative Rob Kauffman, a Franklin County Republican, is circulating a co-sponsorship memorandum to amend Title 18, Section 908 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, the law that currently classifies suppressors and short-barreled firearms as prohibited offensive weapons.
The push comes after a federal judge in Texas ruled that the government could no longer enforce National Firearms Act registration and approval requirements for suppressors and certain untaxed firearms. On August 5, U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix issued a permanent injunction in Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF, a decision detailed by Justia Law that found zeroing out NFA transfer taxes under 2025 federal tax legislation had stripped the registration scheme of its constitutional footing under Congress's taxing power. As reported by the Tampa Free Press, gun rights advocates say that ruling has created a legal conflict for Pennsylvania residents, since state law still conditions legality on strict compliance with a federal process now under injunction.
Under 18 Pa.C.S. § 908, possessing, repairing, or selling suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, or machine guns is graded as a first-degree misdemeanor unless the owner can prove compliance with the federal National Firearms Act, according to DiCindio Law. A conviction carries up to five years in prison and fines as high as $10,000. That same statute came up recently in an Allegheny County case Hoodline covered, in which a Brackenridge couple faced grenade charges after police found 3D-printed suppressor parts alongside other allegations, underscoring how seriously the offensive-weapons statute is enforced statewide.
A Nationwide Patchwork Emerges After the Texas Ruling
The Texas injunction did not resolve suppressor law nationally so much as scramble it. Per the Silencer Shop Help Center, 27 states now allow suppressor purchases through standard over-the-counter Form 4473 background checks, while 15 states, including Pennsylvania, remain classified as NFA States where statutes still tie legality to the now-enjoined federal registration paperwork. Gun rights advocates argue that leaves Pennsylvania residents in limbo compared with neighboring states that have moved to allow direct purchases.
The National Firearms Act itself dates to 1934, when Congress used its taxing power to impose a $200 tax stamp along with mandatory registration, background checks, and fingerprint requirements on suppressors, short-barreled long guns, and machine guns, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. That framework shifted in May 2026, when the ATF published a final rule in the Federal Register amending Justice Department regulations to conform with tax remittance reductions enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 — the very change that undergirded the Texas court's ruling.
Suppressor Ownership Has Climbed for Years
Supporters of Kauffman's bill point to hearing protection and noise reduction at shooting ranges as reasons to deregulate suppressors at the state level. Registered firearm suppressors nationwide rose 33 percent between May 2021 and May 2024, according to ATF data analyzed by the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, a trend advocates cite as evidence of mainstream civilian adoption rather than criminal misuse. Pennsylvania has historically ranked among the top states for registered NFA items, with past federal records showing more than 236,000 registered firearms in the state, per the Prince Law Offices Blog.
Gun Owners of America has weighed in on the proposal, stating that Pennsylvanians should never be treated like criminals for exercising their constitutionally protected rights. Kauffman's memorandum is co-sponsored by fellow Republican Representatives Joe Kerwin, Joe Hamm, Dallas Kephart, and Aaron Bernstine, according to discussion on the r/PAguns forum, and the sponsors have pointed to the Texas ruling as the primary catalyst for their push.
Precedent and a Steep Political Climb
If enacted, the bill would remove suppressors and short-barreled firearms entirely from Section 908, decoupling Pennsylvania's firearm restrictions from the federal regulatory framework. Supporters note a precedent: in 2022, Pennsylvania lawmakers amended the same statute when then-Governor Tom Wolf signed House Bill 1929 into law as Act 119, removing automatic knives, or switchblades, from the offensive-weapons list. That reform, according to the ACLU of Pennsylvania, passed with broad bipartisan support to shield recreational users and outdoor workers from criminal liability.
Whether Kauffman's suppressor bill can replicate that bipartisan success is far less certain. Pennsylvania's General Assembly remains under divided control in 2026, with Democrats holding a narrow 102-101 majority in the state House, Republicans controlling the Senate 27-23, and Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro in the executive mansion, according to Ballotpedia. That single-seat House margin has historically caused gun-related deregulation bills to stall in Harrisburg, and Shapiro has previously prioritized gun-violence prevention measures, including a $100 million proposal Hoodline reported on in 2024, suggesting the suppressor bill faces a steep climb even if it clears the legislature.
