What should have been a historic win for Second Amendment supporters quickly turned into a familiar government failure.

On the very first day that suppressors and short-barreled shotguns became tax-free, the ATF’s eForms system crashed for hours under overwhelming demand. For the first time in nearly a century, Americans were able to exercise this right without paying a $200 federal tax—yet the system meant to process those applications couldn’t handle the volume.

The tax stamp was never about safety or crime. It was always a deterrent, designed to discourage everyday Americans from exercising a constitutional right. With that barrier finally removed, demand surged exactly as expected—something the ATF had months to prepare for after the law was signed on July 4th. Instead, users were met with login failures, error messages, and stalled submissions.

Industry sources report that the influx of applications overwhelmed the system, raising serious questions about why proper scaling and redundancy were never implemented. Some applicants are already reporting approvals in as little as 24 hours, while many others still can’t access the system at all.

This chaotic rollout reinforces what gun owners have long argued: the delays surrounding NFA items were never necessary. Past approvals in hours or days prove the system can work—when the government wants it to.

Despite the frustration, this moment still represents real progress. One of the central pillars of federal gun control has been cracked, and the surge in demand proves Americans are ready to exercise their rights when artificial barriers are removed.

The rollout may be messy, but the direction is clear—and it only happened because people refused to stop pushing.