The $0 NFA Tax Stamp also Covers Short-Barrel Rifles & Shotguns
Ever since the Big, Beautiful Bill passed, there has been a slurry of coverage on suppressors. Folks want to know how the $0 Tax Stamp is going to affect their silencer purchases.
Part of this is because suppressor companies have been trying to keep sales flowing with rebates as purchasers wait for the tax to disappear. Some of it, however, is because shooters have learned the benefits of suppressors during the decade long fight to remove them from the NFA.
In all this coverage many folks have forgotten about the other items that will also be available with a $0 Tax Stamp as of Jan. 1, 2026, such as short-barrel rifles and short-barrel shotguns and AOWs (any other weapons).
Benefits of Short Barrels
Right, wrong or indifferent, short barrel rifles and shotguns aren’t talked about as much as suppressors. Who knows exactly why but it could be because Hollywood has portrayed them as easily hidden and used by bad guys without anyone trying to dissuade folks from that perception. There are, however, several reasons why shooters might want a rifle or shotgun with a short barrel.
Short-barrel rifles work well in close-quarter encounters, such as when defending a home. Even losing 3 and 10 inches of barrel length still provide more power and velocity than pistols. Then, having an stock offers accuracy support just not provide by a pistol or even a brace. Finally, adding a suppressor to a short-barrel rifle protects hearing without making the rifle abnormally long.
Short-barrel shotguns also work for house clearing without having to worry about long barrels and corners. They even work well as vehicle guns (truck guns), as they can be manipulated inside cabs. Just think of the benefits of a Stoeger Longfowler when barreling through the wasteland in a V8 Interceptor or riding around in the streets of the neighborhood.
While pistols with braces perform many of the same tasks, short-barrel rifles and shotguns allow use of a stock or even no stock. Unfortunately, according the NFA, obtaining these shorter rifles and shotguns require paperwork, fingerprints and a $200 Tax Stamp. Or at least they did until the Big, Beautiful Bill reduced that tax to $0 starting Jan. 1, 2026, just like suppressors.
Potential Surge in NFA Sales
While actual numbers are unavailable, most believe that sales of suppressors and short-barrel firearms have dropped over the past six months in anticipation of the elimination of the $200 tax. Shooters wanted more, but this is probably the best we could hope for considering the party split in Congress, as well as other factors voters often discuss about those who represent us in Washington D.C.
Even the ATF expects an increase in applications, having shut down its website in hopes of streamlining the process at the start of the new year. While most of these new applications will probably be for suppressors, some shooters will start looking at purchasing short-barrel rifles and shotguns, as well as AOWs, because they will now be $200 less.
Short Barrel & AOW Firearms
There are quite a few shorter-length firearms available to shooters. A couple of the more popular rifles are the Honey Badger and the SIG MCX. Another is the B&T TP9. The first two come in 5.56 and .300 BLK, while the last comes in 9mm. Each has varying features that make them good options for shooters.
Regarding shotguns, numerous companies produce shorties, from Mossberg, Remington and even KelTec. Unfortunately, reducing the barrel length of shotguns often affects capacity but that is the price you pay for easier portability.
In any case, starting Jan. 1, shooters can purchase most NFA items without having to pay the $200 Tax. Of course, the paperwork is still required.
