Federal Judge Rules ATF Frame-and-Receiver Rule Unconstitutional in Defense Distributed Case

Summary

A federal judge in a Texas federal district court, Judge Reed O’Connor, ruled the ATF’s April 2022 “Definition of ‘Frame or Receiver’ and Identification of Firearms” rule unconstitutional. The ruling, in a case brought by Defense Distributed and the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), found the rule violated the Fifth Amendment's Due Process Clause (void for vagueness) and the Second Amendment (right to self-manufacture), issuing a permanent injunction against its enforcement for the plaintiffs.