CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey blasted The Biden Administration’s release of a final rule governing “Stabilizing Braces.”

The final rule said that when manufacturers, dealers and individuals use stabilizing braces to convert pistols into rifles with a barrel of less than 16 inches—commonly referred to as short-barreled rifles—they must comply with the laws that regulate those rifles, including the National Firearms Act (NFA).

“Biden’s gun-grabber-in-chief, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Director Steven Dettelbach, has finalized an egregious final rule turning millions of common firearms accessories into ‘short barreled rifles.’ This is a completely nonsensical regulation. We are taking a very close look at the rule and evaluating our legal options.”

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey

The Justice Department (DOJ) said in a release on Friday that it submitted its rule to the Federal Register. The increased requirements include background checks for all transfers and additional taxation. The release states the National Firearms Act has placed certain restrictions on short-barreled rifles since the 1930s because they are easier to conceal than long-barreled rifles and have more destructive power than traditional handguns.

Attorney General Morrisey does not agree with the ruling for its potential to make it harder for certain citizens to defend themselves.

“We should not be making it harder for senior citizens and people with disabilities to defend themselves. I will continue stand up for the Second Amendment rights of all West Virginians.”

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey