Attorney General Bonta Opposes ATF Proposal to Loosen Safeguards for Weapons Made for Federal Government Contracts

September 8, 2026 Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined a coalition of 17 attorneys general in urging the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to withdraw a proposal that could allow more machine guns, silencers, and destructive devices made for the U.S. government to be diverted for sale to civilians and law enforcement agencies if they are not used pursuant to the federal contract. Under current law, manufacturers producing these especially dangerous weapons under federal contracts must generally destroy or export excess weapons that fall out of a federal contract, unless ATF makes an individualized determination that the manufacturer’s out-of-contract weapons may be registered late with ATF. The proposed rule would instead clear an automatic path for commercial sale without existing case-by-case review. The states warn that the change would endanger public safety, undermine firearm tracing, and remove an important incentive for manufacturers to not produce more uniquely dangerous weapons than the government needs. “Weapons made for U.S. government contracts should not be funneled i