Not meant to be a thread on the politics but on the actual legal implications if ATF change the rule, as Biden has asked them to, and declares an AR pistol to be an NFA item?
What happens to people who relied on the prior rule and purchased one?
Is everyone who owns an AR pistol a criminal instantly? And what can they do at that point? Would there be grace time to pay the NFA tax?
Would disassembling such an AR15 pistol be sufficient to be legal, or would possession of the disassembled parts still be considered constructive possession?
Also, what is the timeline? How fast can they change a rule, and can they then apply it retroactively? Suppose they seize an AR pistol today, and change the rule tomorrow, do they claim it was ALWAYS illegal? Or does it become illegal when the rule changes?
What happens to people who relied on the prior rule and purchased one?
Is everyone who owns an AR pistol a criminal instantly? And what can they do at that point? Would there be grace time to pay the NFA tax?
Would disassembling such an AR15 pistol be sufficient to be legal, or would possession of the disassembled parts still be considered constructive possession?
Also, what is the timeline? How fast can they change a rule, and can they then apply it retroactively? Suppose they seize an AR pistol today, and change the rule tomorrow, do they claim it was ALWAYS illegal? Or does it become illegal when the rule changes?