Franklin Armory Pushes the Envelope Again with the Antithesis

Franklin Armory is back with another head-turner. The company just announced Antithesis, a short-barreled, shoulder-fired firearm that—at least for now—sits entirely outside the NFA.

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If that sounds odd, it’s because it is. The Antithesis is the result of years of litigation, millions in legal bills, and a rare federal court ruling that forced ATF to back down.

According to a settlement (read here) finalized this summer, the Antithesis isn’t a rifle, isn’t a shotgun, and isn’t subject to NFA restrictions. Translation: no tax stamp, no Form 4, no fingerprints, and no need to alert ATF every time you cross state lines.

Franklin Armory is offering six versions of the Antithesis, all chambered in 5.56 NATO, with barrel lengths ranging from 7.5 to 12.5 inches. Prices start at over $1,000.

1. Nationwide Application – The settlement applies across the entire U.S., not just one judicial circuit.
2. Codified as Non-NFA – Antithesis and Reformation are officially not regulated under the NFA. They can’t be classified as rifles, shotguns, SBRs, or SBSs.
3. Exemption from Certain GCA Restrictions – They’re immune from sections of the Gun Control Act that typically restrict transport and transfer of short-barreled firearms.
4. Immediate Return of Liberties – You can buy and transfer Antithesis today on a simple 4473, with legal protections tied directly to the settlement.
5. Broader Industry Impact – The ruling affects imports, exports, and licensing opportunities, opening the door for other manufacturers—especially FRAC members—to use the design.

Every one of them transfers on a standard Form 4473. The company has been quick to market this as “freedom, no strings attached.”

But here’s the thing—Franklin Armory has a reputation for skating on the edge. The Reformation, their previous “not a rifle, not a shotgun” design, was the subject of years of confusion before this settlement cleared it as GCA-only.

With Antithesis, they’re taking a similar approach: leaning on technicalities like the statutory words “only” and “single” to argue their case. Clever? Sure. Gimmicky? Also yes.

By designing the gun to fire not just a single projectile but also multi-projectile loads—like duplex rounds or shot shells—they sidestep the NFA’s definition of a rifle, which requires it to fire only a single projectile through a rifled bore.

In other words, because Antithesis can launch more than one piece of lead at once, Franklin successfully argued it doesn’t fit Congress’s wording of a regulated short-barreled rifle.

That leaves the bigger question: who’s this really for?

Franklin Armory clearly wants to sell the concept of an NFA-free shorty, but the average gun buyer might hesitate. Will shooters embrace something this unusual—or view it as a pricey novelty destined for the safe?

Time will tell.

For now, Antithesis is legal nationwide under the settlement, with ATF officially advising FFLs to classify it as “other firearm” on the 4473.

As mentioned, whether this innovation becomes a lasting shift or just another quirky loophole in gun law remains to be seen.

The bigger political impact, however, is Franklin Armory’s role in pushing the conversation toward a full repeal of the NFA. For that effort, they certainly deserve credit.

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