(José Niño, Headline USA) Federal gun enforcement is bracing for its biggest shakeup in decades as the Trump administration and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) target over 50 ATF regulations and propose deep cuts to the agency’s workforce, according to a report by the Washington Post.
DOGE has sent staff to ATF to accelerate these changes, which initially targeted 47 rules as a nod to Donald Trump’s status as the 47th president but have since expanded.
The reforms are part of a broader plan to slash ATF’s budget by nearly a third and reduce its inspection force by about two-thirds—cutting 541 of the agency’s more than 800 inspectors.
“As Attorney General Bondi has made clear, ATF is working hard to reduce regulatory red tape that burdens lawful gun owners and to ensure agents are doing real police work hunting down criminals and gang members — not knocking on the doors of lawful gun owners in the middle of the night,” said Chad Gilmartin, a Justice Department spokesman.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has floated merging the ATF with the Drug Enforcement Administration, while some Republicans such as Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., have called for abolishing the agency altogether, as noted in a prior Headline USA article.
The changes, if enacted, would be a major win for pro-gun groups who argue that ATF’s regulations infringe on Second Amendment rights. Guncontrol advocates, however, warn the cuts could make it easier for dangerous individuals to obtain firearms with little oversight.
Among the most significant changes is a planned overhaul of Form 4473, the federal paperwork required for gun purchases. The form would shrink from seven to as few as three pages, with many eligibility questions condensed into a single “yes” or “no” answer.
“People just need to be a little patient, give ATF chief counsel some time… But people will be pleased as we move forward, and I think we will see significant progress in correcting bad rulings,” said Larry Keane, general counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
Critics argue that with only a few hundred inspectors left, ATF’s ability to oversee gun dealers and manufacturers will be severely limited, potentially undermining efforts to trace firearms used in crimes. “These are devastating cuts to law enforcement funding and would undermine ATF’s ability to keep communities safe from gun violence,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
