DENVER, CO — A new video released by the National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR) is drawing attention online after it used an ordinary household item — a potato — to illustrate what the group calls the “absurd overreach” of the National Firearms Act (NFA).
In the video, NAGR’s Zachary Clark holds up a potato that has been officially registered as an NFA item. He explains that, due to its alleged classification as a suppressor, the potato required a full NFA registration process: Clark underwent fingerprinting, a background check, and the item was entered into the ATF’s national registry.
“This is a federally registered NFA item,” Clark says. “I was fingerprinted for this item, and this item was entered into a national database that is permanent and expansive” .
Clark makes clear that without such compliance, simply using the potato in a specific manner — such as placing it over the muzzle of a firearm — could have resulted in felony charges, potentially landing someone in prison for up to ten years .
“It might sound a little silly, and it is,” Clark continues, before pointing viewers to a petition calling for the repeal of the National Firearms Act .
While the demonstration was lighthearted, the underlying message speaks to a serious concern for many Second Amendment advocates. The NFA, originally enacted in 1934, regulates items such as suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and machine guns. Critics argue that the law is outdated, overly broad, and burdens lawful gun owners with expensive fees and prolonged wait times for approvals.
By using humor to demonstrate a bureaucratic process that many see as disproportionate, NAGR continues to push for dismantling the NFA, citing it as an infringement on constitutionally protected rights.
