Franklin Armory has launched the Antithesis short-barreled firearm line, which includes 12.5-inch, 12-inch, and 7.5-inch barreled models chambered in 5.56 NATO. These firearms are unregulated by the National Firearms Act due to their design for firing multiple projectiles, as confirmed by recent court rulings and a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Franklin Armory states “Franklin Armory, one of America’s leading manufacturers of innovative firearms and accessories, announced today the launch of Antithesis™, a new class of rifled, short-barrel firearm completely unregulated by the National Firearms Act (NFA). Franklin Armory is now shipping 12.5-inch, 12-inch, and 7.5-inch barreled configurations of the new Antithesis™ SBF™ (Short-barreled Franklin) firearm line, each chambered in 5.56 NATO.
Franklin Armory’s Antithesis™ features a rifled barrel, yet is free and clear from any NFA restrictions due to its unique characteristic of being designed and intended to fire both single and multiple projectile fixed cartridges. A Federal District Court earlier this year ruled that Antithesis™ cannot be considered a rifle under either the NFA or the Gun Control Act (GCA) based on definitions used in both statutes. Antithesis™ is simply a GCA-only regulated “firearm.” As Judge Daniel M. Traynor opined:
Franklin Armory designed the Antithesis to fire multiple kinds of ammunition. The weapon does not fire only a single projectile. Firing multiple projectiles is not incidental or a by-product. The Antithesis is a square peg and calling it round will not change how it fits into the round hole of these statutes. Therefore, ATF exceeded its authority by not giving the plain meaning to the words of the statute.
This complete absolution of Franklin Armory’s Antithesis™ from NFA regulations is further codified through a consent decree between the manufacturer and the U.S. Department of Justice. As affirmed in the agreement and adjudicated by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, Antithesis™ firearms are:
- Not “firearm[s]” under 26 U.S.C. § 5845(a),
- Not “short-barreled rifle[s]” under 18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(8),
- Not subject to the requirements of 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(4) and 18 U.S.C. § 922(b)(4)
Franklin Armory’s Antithesis™ SBF™ can now be purchased and transferred simply as a “firearm” on Form 4473. Furthermore, Antithesis™ SBF™ firearms are not subject to onerous NFA restrictions regarding interstate transport or interfamilial possession.
“Prior ATF officials called our ideas ‘absurd,’ but the court’s plain reading of the statutes has vindicated our logical conclusions,” said Franklin Armory President Jay Jacobson. “We have lived with the NFA for 91 years. Thanks to the current administration’s willingness to resolve the matter, we now have more ways to enjoy our Second Amendment.”
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