A firearm that defies the NFA is back and better than ever.
In the wake of a pivotal court win against the ATF, Franklin Armory® has resumed production and sales of its Reformation® firearm line.
Effective immediately, Reformation models featuring 7.5-inch and 11.5-inch barrels are shipping to consumers via federally licensed firearm dealers (FFLs)—and the best part? No tax stamp required.
Thanks to a clearly worded ruling in the lawsuit FRAC v. Garland, the Reformation is now officially and permanently classified as a GCA-only “firearm,” not an NFA-regulated short-barreled rifle (SBR).
What Makes the Reformation Different?
At the core of the Reformation’s legal distinction is Franklin Armory’s patented straight cut land and groove barrel—a design that doesn’t fit the ATF’s traditional definitions of either rifled or smoothbore barrels. That means it doesn’t qualify as a rifle or a shotgun, and thus, falls outside the purview of the National Firearms Act (NFA). It’s simply a “firearm” as defined by the Gun Control Act (GCA).
“Reformation was designed to be the ultimate home defense weapon,” said Jay Jacobson, President of Franklin Armory. “It provides excellent ballistic effectiveness in a short package, yet it does not trigger any NFA entanglements. The ruling made it clear that Reformation is simply just a GCA firearm.”
Jacobson emphasized the broader Second Amendment implications of this legal win, calling it “an honor to secure this victory for the Second Amendment community in the face of agency overreach and tenacious litigation.”
A Resounding Legal Reversal for ATF
The landmark decision from U.S. District Court Judge Daniel M. Traynor pulled no punches. In granting summary judgment to the plaintiffs—Franklin Armory and the Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition (FRAC)—Judge Traynor concluded that the ATF had “exceeded its authority” by attempting to shoehorn the Reformation into a shotgun classification under either the GCA or NFA.
Key excerpts from the ruling:
- “Congress defined ‘shotgun’ specifically and said it had a ‘smooth bore.’”
- “The definition of ‘smoothbore’… is unambiguous.”
- “Straight grooves in a barrel would not fit the definition of ‘smoothbore’ or ‘rifle.’”
- “Franklin Armory presented a square peg, and ATF shoved it into a round hole.”
- “ATF exceeded its authority in defining ‘smoothbore’ as anything lacking ‘functional rifling.’”
Judge Traynor ordered the ATF’s prior classification of the Reformation vacated and reaffirmed that “no further action from ATF is needed.”
Legal to Own, Buy, and Transfer
As of now, possession of a Reformation firearm is federally legal with no NFA tax stamp required. Just like the Mossberg Shockwave, Remington Tac-14, or Franklin’s own XO-26, FFLs can legally transfer the Reformation under GCA-only guidelines.
Both 7.5-inch (RS7) and 11.5-inch (RS11) Reformation models are available immediately through Franklin Armory’s dealer network in most U.S. states. State-specific availability is listed at FranklinArmory.com/Reformation.
Reformation Models and Pricing
Each Reformation firearm features Franklin Armory’s patented NRS™ (Not a Rifle or Shotgun) barrel, and buyers can choose between a traditional semiauto trigger or the Binary Firing System®, which fires one round on pull and another on release.
Reformation RS7™
- 7.5-inch barrel, 7-inch Franklin FST handguard
- Forged aluminum receivers
- Chambered in 5.56 NATO or .300 Blackout
- Binary-equipped MSRP: $1,179.99
- Standard trigger MSRP: $1,099.99
- Includes: B5 Bravo stock, B5 P-Grip 23, vertical grip, salt bath nitride BCG, pistol-length gas system, and Triumvir® muzzle device.
Reformation RS11™
- 11.5-inch barrel, 11.5-inch Franklin FSR handguard
- Proprietary billet aluminum receivers
- Chambered in 5.56 NATO or .300 Blackout
- Binary-equipped MSRP: $1,669.99
- Standard trigger MSRP: $1,479.99
- Includes: Magpul SL-K stock, Ergo Ambi Sure grip, salt bath nitride BCG, carbine-length gas system, and Triumvir® muzzle device.
For more details on how the Binary Firing System works, Franklin Armory has released a video titled “How Binary® Works”.
About Franklin Armory®
Operating out of the “Battle Born” state of Nevada, Franklin Armory is a leading innovator in American-made firearms and accessories. Their mission: to safeguard the God-given right to self-defense. Known for boundary-pushing designs and legal challenges that set precedent, Franklin Armory is proud to be Facilitators of Freedom™.
Our Takeaway
With the ATF’s overreach checked and the Reformation back on the shelves, this case sets a powerful precedent.
Whether you’re in the market for a home defense firearm free of NFA entanglements or just want to own a piece of legal history, the Reformation® might be worth a serious look.
My only knowledge of the Franklin Reformation Firearm series is the text of this article which states that the barrel has straight-cut lands and grooves. My understanding is that straight cut lands and grooves do absolutely nothing to stabilize a bullet. Am I wrong in that regard?
If the straight-cut lands and grooves do not stabilize bullets, then bullets leaving the barrel would start to tumble in flight which would cause wildly erratic bullet trajectories. In my experience a tumbling bullet can deviate at least 12-inches from point-of-aim in as short of a distance as 30 yards or so. And a tumbling bullet at modest velocities (e.g. less than 1,400 feet-per-second or thereabouts) likely causes significantly less wounding if it impacts an attacker sideways.
If the straight-cut lands and grooves do not stabilize a bullet which therefore tumbles, is extremely inaccurate even at fairly close range, and likely causes less significant wounding of an attacker–why would anyone want such a firearm for self-defense?
minie ball.
It is unlikely to be accurate by any reasonable standard. Hallway distances might be its limit for hitting what you point it at. That said, I would like to see what kind of accuracy testing, if any, are done. Genuinely curious.
This weapon’s purpose was mostly to poke a finger in the eye of an overreaching govt agency, and it has succeeded. Bravo, Franklin.
UNCOMMON_SENSE
I agree with your thoughts about straight grooves not stabilizing the bullet. But for home defense I don’t think it would be much of a factor and hopefully some ammunition company can design projectiles that would be stabilized by being more like darts.
Sabot flechette rounds
If that’s true (very poor accuracy), I can think of many, many other non-NFA firearms I’d rather have for the stated purpose of home defense. I’m all for people having more options to make their own choices though.
Precisely – I applaud the legal win, but tests I’ve seen indicate that the bullets are pretty much tumbling just out of the barrel. I personally have no desire for a grossly inaccurate weapon, particularly for self defense where it may be necessary to thread a needle with a shot. But just as I have no particular desire for a bump stock or binary trigger, I defend the efforts of those pushing back restrictions on them.
The rounds do tend to tumble and keyhole. However, since they are not tumbling due to a defect in the firearm they tend to tumble “Straight” rather than going off in a wild direction. Check out Military Arms Channel review of the Reformation from about 6 years ago, it still grouped very well at 100 yards.
uncommon,
Yes, and no. Reality is that modern firearms have MUCH tighter tolerances, and barrels are tighter than they were in musket days. More importantly, modern bullets have a more aerodynamic shape than ‘old-school’ cast bullets (and certainly better than musket balls).
Is a ‘straight groove’ barrel as accurate as a rifled barrel?? Oh, HELL no!! But I can walk in to any Home Depot with a benjy, and walk out with the materials to make a homemade firearm that will function very well with 12 ga. shells – it would take me, at most, an hour or two to assemble it. You want to trust to the ‘inherent inaccuracy’ of an unrifled barrel, and assume you’ve got an overwhelming advantage with your rifled barrel gun???
Nah, didn’t think so.
Nor do modern bullets ‘tumble immediately out of the barrel’, if fired through an unrifled barrel. Sure, modern barrels and cartridges can achieve accuracies (particularly over long distances) undreamed of 150 years ago, but . . . the Revolutionary War and the Civil War were fought largely with unrifled weapons.
Don’t get out over your skis.
Gun Control Act…A title that put a Smiley Face on Gun Control and emboldens Gun Control zealots. Here we are when Civil War era statues, monuments, parks, buildings were renamed, moved or demolished and Gun Control an agenda that walked hand in hand with Slavery, lynching and other atrocities skated by and remains on the lawbooks without an ounce of objection from Gun Talking blowbags et al. But let some politically inept shtforbrains with 35,000 incomplete sentence posts on a forum join hands with democRats to throw POTUS DJT under the bus following Vegas and the blowbags are all in…pathetic.
geoff, it’s all up in yo’ grill.
Congratulations on the win. Any win against the atf is a good thing but the whole nfa, gca, etc. Is unconstitutional and needs to go.
At this point whatever normalizes that setup and gets enough in circulation to be impossible to ignore.
Cool your jets; the fat lady hasn’t sung.
Sam,
No, she hasn’t, but . . . you are assuming she will. SCOTUS has the absolute discretion (in almost all cases; conflicts among circuits and disputes among states do have to be addressed, but look up the history and timeline on THAT).
Chief Justice “Windsock” Roberts will do anything and everything to prevent SCOTUS from doing what it SHOULD do (which is administer an @$$-whoopin’ to rogue lower courts). And, in general, SCOTUS is not eager to step into the middle of fraught, current, political fights (and I have mixed feelings about that), so . . . I don’t rate the chances of SCOTUS taking this up at much higher than 50/50.
My point, exactly. All thes wonderful “wins” at lower courts are merely procedural portals leading to the SC, which may or may not choose to sing.
It appears the Supremes have spoken. Unfinished frames/receivers are firearm and must have a number.
I CALL BULLSHIT!
“It appears the Supremes have spoken. Unfinished frames/receivers are firearm and must have a number.
I CALL BULLSHIT!”
Look at it as answering the yet unasked question: “Is the NFA constitutional”. Now, we can stop wasting time and money on that front.
Sam we know the answer. Now the question is how much time and money will it take to make it go away
“Now the question is how much time and money will it take to make it go away”
Stop expending any time and money at all. The SC just effectively declared the NFA, GCA, Hugh Amendment are constitutional. . . .all of them are founded on the definition of firearm.
The SC just announced they are putting a silver spike in future 2A cases, and glad to be rid of the matter.