Guns could be shipped directly to homes under major rule change

A major rule change proposed by the Trump administration would allow licensed dealers to ship guns directly to people’s homes. 

If approved, the new Bureau of Alcohol, ​Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives policy would be one of the biggest changes to gun regulations in recent history, and could lead to a huge jump in online gun sales, according to Reuters. Critics say the proposal is unsafe and will put small gun shops out of business. 

What is the new ATF gun rule? 

The backstory:

Under current rules, people who buy guns online have to pick them up at physical stores and submit to in-person background checks if they don’t already have a permit. The new rule would allow licensed firearms dealers to ship guns directly to in-state residents after online identity verification and a background check. There would also be a seven-day waiting period and local law enforcement would have to be notified of the purchase.

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By the numbers:

The ATF predicts that half of all gun buyers, nearly 3.3 million people a year,  ​would order guns for home delivery, though industry leaders say that number could actually be far higher. The change could save consumers $103.7 million annually in travel and other processing costs, according to ATF. 

What they're saying:

ATF chief counsel Robert Leider told Reuters the rule is an effort to bring the gun industry in line with the modern economy. It’s one of 34 measures proposed by ATF following a February 2025 executive order from President Donald Trump to expand gun access.

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What's next:

The proposed rule is still in a public comment period that closes in early August. If approved, it may not take effect until late this year or early next year. 

Safety concerns

The other side:

Some gun shop owners and gun control advocates find themselves on the same side, as both have brought up safety concerns about the new rule. 

Marianna Mitchem, a senior firearms industry advisor at Everytown for Gun Safety who worked at ATF for more than 20 years, said gun stores play a big role in vetting potential gun owners. 

"ATF always says the gun store is the first line of defense in gun safety," Mitchem told Reuters. "But now they are flipping it."

Gun control groups say the rule would make it easier to traffick illegal guns and allow for straw purchases, or when someone buys a gun for someone else who’s not allowed to own one. 

"Even with the most robust ​virtual sales and background check process, there is no way for a gun store that is selling a gun over the internet to know if the person making the purchase is funneling the firearms to others," ​Giffords spokesperson Aneesa McMillan said in a statement.

ATF’s Leider argued that the online verification ​system is more secure than traditional retail.

"The people who are concerned about this being susceptible to straw purchases have an idealized view of what an in-store purchase is," Leider said. 

Trump Jr. and the ‘Amazon of guns’ would make millions

Dig deeper:

The new rule could make millions for Donald Trump Jr. and the online gun retailer GrabAGun, known as the "Amazon of guns." Trump Jr. is a GrabAGun board member and owns more than 300,000 shares in the company. 

Trump Jr. became the face of GrabAGun last year, helping to take it public through a special purpose acquisition company merger that netted $119 million. 

Both Trump Jr. and GrabAGun said they weren’t aware of the proposal before it was released, though GrabAGun’s CEO touted the new policy in a May news release. 

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