Gun Owners Foundation Claims Eight Court Wins in 2024
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Gun Owners Foundation Claims Eight Court Wins in 2024
Why it matters: Eight wins in one year means the post-Bruen legal landscape is delivering real changes—not just theory, but actual carry rights and fewer hoops to jump through when you're buying guns or dealing with overzealous local politicians.
The big picture: Gun Owners Foundation (GOF) is riding the Bruen wave hard, challenging everything from ATF policies to city carry bans. Their success rate suggests courts are finally taking "shall not be infringed" seriously.
Coast-to-Coast Carry Gets Real
GOF scored wins in both New York and California targeting their discriminatory non-resident concealed carry permit denials. Now their members can carry legally from coast to coast—though they're being coy about specific case details and court jurisdictions.
This matters if you travel for work or just want to visit family in anti-gun states without becoming a felon for crossing state lines with your EDC.
Tennessee Goes Constitutional Carry
In Tennessee, GOF successfully challenged the state's "going armed" statute, effectively creating constitutional carry. The Tennessee Attorney General appealed faster than you can say "government overreach," so expect a 2025 resolution.
Between the lines: Even red states sometimes need a legal kick in the pants to fully embrace constitutional carry.
Federal Agencies Get Schooled
Two victories targeted federal enforcement policies that were making life harder for gun owners and dealers:
- Michigan and Alabama: GOF forced ATF to restore "Brady Alternative" status for carry permit holders, letting them bypass NICS background checks when buying guns
- Zero Tolerance policy: DOJ abandoned its campaign targeting gun dealers for administrative violations—the kind of paperwork gotchas that shut down FFLs over typos
What this means for you: If you have a carry permit in Michigan or Alabama, gun purchases just got faster. And your local gun store is less likely to get shut down over bureaucratic nonsense.
Local Politicians Learn About Preemption
Memphis, Tennessee: GOF struck down the city's carry ban and red flag ordinance. The court reportedly called the city's efforts "dead as a doornail"—which probably made someone's day at GOF headquarters.
Virginia: After a five-year legal slog alongside Virginia Citizens Defense League, GOF overturned the state's universal background check law. Private firearm sales are back to being private.
Florida: The state acknowledged that open carry is constitutionally protected following GOF's challenge and agreed to stop enforcing its open carry ban.
Missouri: Jackson County had to repeal restrictions on handgun purchases by 18-to-20-year-olds after violating state preemption laws.
The legal reality: State preemption laws exist for a reason—to stop every podunk city council from creating their own patchwork of gun laws. These wins remind local politicians they can't just ignore state law because they don't like guns.
What's Coming Next
GOF reports nearly 30 active lawsuits across more than a dozen states, including continued challenges to NFA registration requirements for suppressors and short-barreled rifles.
The bottom line: The Bruen decision gave Second Amendment advocates a roadmap, and GOF is following it aggressively. Their 8-win streak suggests courts are increasingly willing to apply "text, history, and tradition" instead of rubber-stamping government restrictions.
These aren't just legal victories—they're practical changes that affect your daily carry, your gun purchases, and whether some bureaucrat can hassle your local gun store out of business over paperwork.
The Tennessee constitutional carry appeal and the broader NFA challenges will be worth watching. With 30 active cases in the pipeline, 2025 could deliver even more wins for gun owners who've been waiting decades for courts to take the Second Amendment seriously.
Read the original article in The Handbook | By Steve Duskett
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Have any of you guys been affected by the dealer enforcement policy changes, or did you notice differences in how your local FFL handled things after these court decisions?
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