July 10, 2026 5:12 PM ET A proposed rule by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives could enable consumers to purchase firearms online without having to go to their neighborhood Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL), potentially causing a rivalry to develop between them and online gun retailers. ATF originally proposed the new rule on “non-over-the-counter” sales by FFLs May 8, with the agency seeking to alter its regulations to account for technological advances since 1993, when the Brady Act was signed into law by then-President Bill Clinton, allowing online orders and for the Form 4473 and National Instant Check System (NICS) to be run remotely instead of in-person. The proposed rule has led to clashes between one online gun retailer and some self-described “small” FFLs who fe