--- title: "Gun Owners of America members buy unregistered suppressors after DOJ misses appeal deadline" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/gun-owners-of-america-members-buy-unregistered-suppressors-after-doj-misses-appe" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/gun-owners-of-america-members-buy-unregistered-suppressors-after-doj-misses-appe" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/gun-owners-of-america-members-buy-unregistered-suppressors-after-doj-misses-appe.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/gun-owners-of-america-members-buy-unregistered-suppressors-after-doj-misses-appe" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-13T20:25:31.683Z" source_reported: "2026-08-13T18:01:20.691Z" updated: "2026-08-13T20:25:31.683Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 55 hype_score: 70 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-13T20:15:18.014823+00:00" --- # Gun Owners of America members buy unregistered suppressors after DOJ misses appeal deadline *Federal judge’s injunction allows transfers without National Firearms Act registration for first time since 1934* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. All reports rely on GOA press release and social media; no independent verification. - Craft 55 of 100, higher is better. No right of reply sought from DOJ/ATF; figures and dates are specific. - Hype 70 of 100, lower is better. Headlines and social media posts overstate legal certainty. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Gun Owners of America members Brandon Herrera and Wes Virdell purchased suppressors at 12:01 AM CT on 13 August 2026 without filing Form 4 or complying with National Firearms Act registration requirements. - The Department of Justice did not appeal a federal judge’s injunction by the seven-day deadline, allowing the transfers to proceed without registration. - Judge James Hendrix’s order in *Silencer Shop v. ATF* invalidates National Firearms Act sections regulating suppressors and similar firearms for plaintiffs and their members. - Congress cut the tax on suppressors to $0 in January 2026, but registration was still required until the injunction took effect. At 12:01 AM Central Time on 13 August 2026, two members of Gun Owners of America (GOA) purchased suppressors from a Silencer Shop location in Leander, Texas, without filing Form 4 or complying with National Firearms Act (NFA) registration requirements. The transaction followed a federal judge’s injunction that suspended enforcement of NFA provisions regulating suppressors, short-barrel rifles, and similar firearms. The Department of Justice (DOJ) did not appeal the injunction by the seven-day deadline, allowing the transfers to proceed without registration for the first time since the NFA was enacted in 1934. The buyers, GOA members Brandon Herrera and Wes Virdell, were filmed completing the transaction. GOA announced the event in a press release, stating it had notified the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the DOJ of its intention to conduct the transfers. The press release described the event as the first lawful acquisition of suppressors without NFA registration in 92 years. GOA Senior Vice President Erich Pratt and Republican Representative Andrew Clyde were present at the Silencer Shop location during the transaction. Judge James Hendrix’s order in *Silencer Shop v. ATF* invalidates NFA sections regulating the transfer and manufacture of suppressors, short-barrel rifles, short-barrel shotguns, and similar firearms. The injunction applies to the plaintiffs, their members, and their customers. Congress cut the tax on suppressors to $0 in January 2026, but registration remained mandatory until the injunction took effect. The DOJ did not respond to requests for comment on whether it planned to appeal the decision. ## What the coverage left out No left- or centre-rated outlet ran this story. None of the right-rated digests or reports mentioned the potential legal or regulatory consequences of the DOJ’s decision not to appeal, beyond noting that the injunction’s scope remains limited to the plaintiffs and their members. The unrated report from Athlon Outdoors noted that the NFA is "in flux" but did not elaborate on what that might mean for future enforcement or legislation. ## Who covered it Shares of the 9 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 0% (0) - Right: 100% (9) 1 of 10 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-13T20:15:18.014823+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 2 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-13T20:45:13.409Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre No separate framing summary. ### Right - The nine right-rated reports led on the historic nature of the transfers, framing them as a major Second Amendment victory. RedState and The Reload both described the event as the first unregistered suppressor transfers since 1934, with RedState calling it the "death knell" of the NFA. The Reload noted that the DOJ’s failure to appeal the injunction created a "new, if a bit murky, world" for NFA regulations. - RedState quoted GOA’s press release directly, including the phrase "2A Victory Party at Midnight!! No Feds Allowed" in its headline. The outlet also included a tweet from Representative Andrew Clyde, who claimed the Trump administration had confirmed the DOJ would not appeal the injunction. The Reload quoted Judge Hendrix’s order, stating that the NFA’s constitutional foundation had dissolved after Congress cut the tax to $0. - The digests from Concealed Nation, AmmoLand, and Breitbart all highlighted the involvement of GOA and Silencer Shop, as well as the names of Herrera and Virdell. NewsBusters focused on the lack of coverage from mainstream media outlets, calling the event a "massive win for Americans’ gun rights" that was "barely noticed" by broadcast and cable news networks. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 2 - mixed: 4 - high: 3 - unknown: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [NewsBusters](https://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/nicholas-fondacaro/2026/08/13/nfa-go-away-broadcast-cable-news-oblivious-major-gun-rights) — NFA Go Away: Broadcast, Cable News Oblivious to Major Gun Rights Win - [athlonoutdoors.com](https://athlonoutdoors.com/article/no-appeal-are-doj-and-atf-letting-the-nfa-provisions-die) — No Appeal? Are DoJ and ATF Letting the NFA Provisions Die? - [Concealed Nation](https://concealednation.org/2026/08/a-new-era-for-the-nfa-goa-and-silencer-shop-execute-first-unregistered-suppressor-transfers-since-1934) — A New Era For The NFA: GOA And Silencer Shop Execute First Unregistered Suppressor Transfers Since 1934 - [RedState](https://redstate.com/terichristoph/2026/08/13/death-knell-to-nfa-n2205557) — 'No Feds Allowed': DOJ Let the Clock Run Out – Then Gun Owners Made 2A History at 12:01 AM - [gunowners.org](https://gunowners.org/goa-members-make-history-with-first-suppressor-transfers-without-nfa-registration-since-1934) — GOA Members Make History With First Suppressor Transfers Without NFA Registration Since 1934 - [The Reload](https://thereload.com/gun-group-republican-candidate-transfer-unregistered-silencer-as-doj-misses-appeal-deadline) — Gun Group, Republican Candidate Transfer Unregistered Silencer as DOJ Misses Appeal Deadline - [Zero Hedge](https://zerohedge.com/political/goa-members-take-first-unregistered-suppressor-transfers-1934) — GOA Members Make History With First Suppressor Transfers Without NFA Registration Since 1934 - [Breitbart](https://breitbart.com/2nd-amendment/2026/08/12/gun-owners-of-america-notifies-justice-dept-it-will-transfer-suppressors-without-nfa-registration-tonight) — Gun Owners of America Notifies Justice Dept. It Will Transfer Suppressors Without NFA Registration Tonight - [AmmoLand](https://ammoland.com/2026/08/silencer-shop-no-form-4-suppressor-transfers) — Silencer Shop Plans Historic No-Form-4 Suppressor Transfers - [ussanews.com](https://ussanews.com/2026/08/12/goa-members-make-history-with-first-suppressor-transfers-without-nfa-registration-since-1934) — GOA Members Make History With First Suppressor Transfers Without NFA Registration Since 1934 ## Questions **What happened at 12:01 AM on 13 August 2026?** Two members of Gun Owners of America, Brandon Herrera and Wes Virdell, purchased suppressors from a Silencer Shop in Leander, Texas, without filing Form 4 or complying with National Firearms Act registration requirements. This was the first such transfer since the NFA was enacted in 1934, made possible by a federal judge’s injunction that the DOJ did not appeal by the deadline. **Why was the Department of Justice’s decision not to appeal significant?** The DOJ’s failure to appeal a federal judge’s injunction by the seven-day deadline allowed the injunction to take effect, suspending enforcement of National Firearms Act provisions regulating suppressors and similar firearms. This enabled the first unregistered suppressor transfers since 1934, though the injunction’s scope is limited to the plaintiffs and their members. **Which outlets covered this story?** Nine right-rated outlets, including RedState, The Reload, and Breitbart, covered the story. No left- or centre-rated outlets reported on it. The right-rated reports emphasised the historic nature of the transfers and framed them as a Second Amendment victory, while mainstream media outlets were criticised for not covering the event. **What does Judge James Hendrix’s order in *Silencer Shop v. ATF* do?** Judge Hendrix’s order invalidates National Firearms Act sections regulating the transfer and manufacture of suppressors, short-barrel rifles, short-barrel shotguns, and similar firearms. The injunction applies to the plaintiffs, their members, and their customers, allowing them to buy, sell, or make these items without registration, provided the DOJ does not appeal the decision. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/gun-owners-of-america-members-buy-unregistered-suppressors-after-doj-misses-appe. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Gun Owners of America members buy unregistered suppressors after DOJ misses appeal deadline", https://mediabias.news/politics/gun-owners-of-america-members-buy-unregistered-suppressors-after-doj-misses-appe