Firearms News Archive

The Sixth Circuit upheld the federal ban on gun possession for people adjudicated dangerously mentally ill, ruling against a Wisconsin man caught near Fort Knox with 23 firearms, body armor, and explosives.

Karen Miles swept five Ladies championship titles at the 2026 National Sporting Clays Championship in San Antonio, taking the Main Event, FITASC, K-Cup, All-Around and Winchester Ladies Cup Pro crowns.

A three-judge panel denied Virginia's attempt to consolidate GOA's gun ban challenge into a single proceeding, letting Crump v. Katz continue in Lancaster County. A preliminary injunction already blocks the Virginia State Police from enforcing the state's assault firearm and magazine bans. Attorney General Jay Jones is pushing the Virginia Supreme Court to narrow that injunction.

Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed claims the Second Amendment only protects muskets — an argument the Supreme Court already rejected in Caetano v. Massachusetts. Meanwhile, Everytown's top litigator makes similarly shaky historical claims about AR-15 features.

FPC and the NRA sued Pennsylvania again, this time targeting the state's ban on 18-to-20-year-olds applying for carry licenses — a workaround that still leaves young adults unable to carry in cars or Philadelphia.

NFA purchases more than doubled in September after ATF suspended enforcement of major suppressor and SBR registration rules, and manufacturers can't keep up with the surge.

FPC and the NRA sued Pennsylvania over its ban on carry licenses for 18-to-20-year-olds, arguing the state is defying a Third Circuit ruling it already lost on nearly identical grounds.

DOJ wants a federal judge to skip clarifying whether the NFA injunction protects every gun owner in the plaintiff states, arguing ATF's nationwide nonenforcement policy makes the question pointless — while separately arguing the injunction was never that broad to begin with.

Florida's attorney general and all 20 state attorneys agreed the state's three-day gun waiting period is unconstitutional — but a federal judge rejected the settlement and invited Brady and Giffords to argue for keeping it.

Florida's mandatory three-day gun waiting period is over. A federal court settlement in Dunn v. Glass permanently enjoins enforcement beyond the time needed to complete a background check — and signals legal vulnerability for similar laws in other states.

FPC-backed federal lawsuit Jensen v. ATF challenges the National Firearms Act's tax-and-register scheme as unconstitutional under the Bruen historical tradition standard. Plaintiffs include individual gun owners, a Texas firearms dealer, and the Texas State Rifle Association. A win wouldn't just trim the NFA — it would gut it.

Camdyn Powers claimed her seventh national title, winning the 2026 PRS Rimfire Ladies National Championship at K&M Shooting Complex while finishing 14th overall among 1,147 competitors.

New Jersey has petitioned the Supreme Court to hold its AR-15 and magazine ban case until the justices rule on Viramontes v. Cook County, then potentially send it back for another round after losing at the Third Circuit.

Federal rulings protecting switchblades and body armor under the Second Amendment are reinforcing the legal theory gun-rights groups need to win at the Supreme Court over AR-15-style rifles.

Michigan's Nov. 3 elections will decide control of the governor's mansion, both legislative chambers and a U.S. Senate seat — with a state task force's gun and magazine ban recommendations hanging in the balance.

After an armed father stopped a school shooter in Bend, Oregon, 204 Deschutes County residents started concealed carry licensing in five days — nearly double a quarter's normal demand.

New Mexico keeps enforcing its 7-day waiting period even after the Tenth Circuit ruled it unconstitutional—so the NRA, NSSF, SAF and local retailers filed a new lawsuit, NSSF v. Torrez, to force the state to comply statewide.

Ruger is suspending production on 19 firearm lines — including the GP100, SP101, Blackhawk and Vaquero — as part of a broader push to streamline its catalog and modernize manufacturing.

Smith & Wesson has acquired Savage Arms for $160 million, combining two 19th-century Massachusetts gunmakers into what the companies call the largest commercial firearms manufacturer in the U.S.

The DOJ filed suit against Minnesota and its two largest cities, arguing the state's gun purchase permit and up-to-60-day waiting period violate the Second Amendment — a case that could reshape permit-to-purchase laws nationwide.

Gov. Kathy Hochul signed two more gun control measures this week, expanding New York's mandatory storage law and its ammunition background check system — moves critics call political theater that burdens lawful owners while ignoring the state's revolving-door criminal justice problem.

The Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that the federal ban on gun possession by marijuana users violates the Second Amendment. The decision in United States v. Hemani guts 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3) as applied to cannabis consumers and rejects the government's historical analogy to 'habitual drunkard' laws. Every justice agreed the government's case failed the Bruen test.

A federal judge ruled New York's body armor ban unconstitutional, finding Kevlar vests qualify as 'arms' under the Second Amendment — but a 14-day stay means the ban stays in effect while the state appeals.

Montana Republicans plan 2027 legislation to deregulate suppressors and short-barreled firearms at the state level, aiming to insulate gun owners from future federal rule changes.

SAF and NRA filed a joint amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to hear a challenge to Maine's 72-hour waiting period, arguing lower courts are reviving 'interest balancing' by claiming gun acquisition isn't even protected under the Second Amendment.

H.R. 38 cleared committee March 25 with 189 cosponsors and a 37% shot at becoming law. If it passes, your Idaho permit works in California, New York, and D.C.

Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy released a video pledging to be the state's most pro-Second Amendment governor ever, using Buckeye Firearms Association's platform to reach Ohio's 4 million gun owners directly.

The NRA's first major 2026 ad hits Texas Senate candidate James Talarico over a resurfaced 2020 clip backing an assault weapons ban, while Everytown pours $3 million more into state legislative races across five battleground states.

SAF and the NRA are pushing the Supreme Court to hear a case challenging lifetime federal gun bans for nonviolent felons, arguing the Tenth Circuit misread Heller's "presumptively lawful" language as a free pass.

A Florida state attorney has told law enforcement statewide that unregistered suppressors and short-barrel guns no longer give police grounds for arrest, following the ATF's retreat on NFA enforcement.

FPC is asking the full D.C. Circuit to kill a decades-old rule that blocks Second Amendment lawsuits unless plaintiffs risk felony prosecution first — and to let its challenge to D.C.'s magazine ban finally be heard on the merits.

Five gun rights groups filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to hear Johnson v. Jacobson, a case testing whether states can refuse to honor out-of-state carry permits. No justice has yet asked Minnesota to respond — not a good sign with conference two weeks away.

Federal's 6.5 Creedmoor +Peak took Best Ammunition New Product at the 2026 NASGW-POMA Caliber Awards, pushing a high-pressure Peak Alloy case into a cartridge that fits rifles shooters already own.

The ATF says it won't enforce the NFA on suppressors and short-barreled guns for now, but its own guidance admits the policy could be rescinded at any time. Here's why that distinction matters.

ATF formalized its no-enforcement stance on NFA paperwork for suppressors, SBRs and SBSs with an October 9 Open Letter and FAQ, applying the policy to all gun owners nationwide — not just the plaintiffs who won in court.

ATF will stop enforcing NFA registration, making, and transfer rules nationwide for suppressors, SBRs, SBSs, and AOWs after DOJ declined to appeal a Texas court ruling. The policy leaves machine guns, destructive devices, and state law untouched.

Nearly 200 House Democrats are demanding DOJ keep enforcing the federal handgun ban on 18-to-20-year-olds after an OLC opinion found it unconstitutional. The fight signals where the next anti-gun administration will aim first.

A California permit holder sues Denver and Colorado, arguing their overlapping residency and open-carry rules leave otherwise-qualified visitors with no lawful way to carry a handgun.

President Trump's new executive order pushes federal agencies to presume hunting access on public lands, protect traditional lead ammunition, and nudge states toward expanded Sunday hunting — though most provisions depend on agencies meeting deadlines over the next year.

The DOJ told the Fifth Circuit it won't enforce the federal under-21 handgun purchase ban against anyone, but the fight over how permanent that protection is has only just begun.

A federal judge rejected Union Pacific's attempt to use railroad preemption law and union contracts to override Arkansas's guns-in-parking-lots statute, marking the railroad's second legal defeat in the fight.

American Samoa's High Court ruled the Second Amendment doesn't apply in the unincorporated territory, letting a near-total gun ban take effect. Unlike other U.S. territories, American Samoa has no federal court — leaving the fix squarely in President Trump's hands.

GOA, Gun Owners Foundation, and Florida Carry sued Jacksonville, claiming the city illegally gun-free-zoned venues like EverBank Stadium and the Florida Theatre in violation of state preemption law.

A federal judge refused to block Maryland's new law restricting Glock-style pistols, leaving the ban in effect while a Second Amendment challenge continues through the courts.

Gavin Newsom signed nearly a dozen gun control bills, timing the announcement for the Gun Rights Policy Conference. The package includes mandatory training for new residents, 3D printer restrictions, and expanded misdemeanor gun bans.

NSSF sued Connecticut over a new law banning "cruciform-trigger" handguns, arguing the definition is broad enough to outlaw Glocks, M&Ps, and most other striker-fired pistols sold nationwide.

SAF filed a reply brief backing its injunction motion against Maryland's law banning Glock-style pistols over their unique trigger bar design. The suit argues the state is punishing lawful gun owners for a conversion that's already a federal felony.

GLOCK is suing Connecticut over a machinegun-conversion ban so vague that state police reportedly couldn't tell the company whether its own anti-conversion pistols are legal to sell after October 1.

The Fifth Circuit ruled 2-1 that the federal ban on buying handguns directly across state lines violates the Second Amendment, creating a circuit split that could land at the Supreme Court.

A new Marquette Law poll finds support for AR-15 bans is propped up almost entirely by voters 60 and older, while every younger age group either opposes bans or sits within the margin of error.

A Justice Department legal opinion concludes the federal ban on handgun sales to 18-to-20-year-olds violates the Second Amendment — but the statute remains on the books and ATF hasn't issued new guidance yet.

Trump signed an executive order reversing Biden-era lead ammunition restrictions and directing Interior to open more federal land to hunters and anglers, drawing praise from the NSSF and NRA.

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The Supreme Court ordered New York City to defend its stun gun ban after the Second Circuit used a 'common use' evidence standard to sidestep the Court's 2016 Caetano ruling. Gun rights advocates call it round two of a fight that should already be over.

ATF has quietly loosened its stance on suppressor repairs, letting qualified manufacturers rebuild damaged cans and convert registered suppressors to new calibers without a fresh NFA registration. The shift comes via guidance, not formal rulemaking, leaving it open to reversal.

A federal judge ruled Delaware's ban on possessing and making unserialized firearms violates the Second Amendment, while upholding the state's ban on sharing 3D-printing CAD files. The decision offers lawmakers a roadmap for narrower restrictions.

Missouri AG Catherine Hanaway sued ATF and DOJ, arguing NFA registration for suppressors, SBRs, SBSs, and AOWs can't stand now that Congress zeroed out the making and transfer tax. The case targets the 1937 legal foundation that has propped up the NFA for decades.

Colombia's president has ended a decade-long suspension that made carry permits meaningless, restoring the ability to bear arms in self-defense — but with no constitutional right underpinning it and steep licensing costs still intact.

The Supreme Court will hear challenges to Connecticut and Cook County rifle bans, deciding whether the Second Amendment protects ownership of AR-15-style rifles nationwide.

Tennessee, Kansas, and 25 other states filed a Supreme Court brief arguing Illinois and Connecticut cannot ban AR-15s owned lawfully by tens of millions of Americans. The case could determine the fate of similar bans in California, New York, and other states.

GOA, joined by Century Arms, Canik, B&T USA and Fostech, filed a Supreme Court amicus brief in Viramontes v. Cook County arguing AR-15s are constitutionally protected arms in common use.

Truck driver Jeffrey Johnson is asking the Supreme Court to decide whether Minnesota can refuse to recognize his valid Florida and Georgia carry permits, in a case that could reshape concealed carry reciprocity nationwide.

Wisconsin's 2026 bear season opens Sept. 9 with zone-specific rules on dogs and bait running through Oct. 13. Only 15,245 of 34,000-plus applicants drew tags this year.

The Supreme Court struck down Hawaii's law presuming private property closed to armed visitors absent explicit owner permission, ruling 6-3 that the default violates the Second Amendment. Justice Jackson's dissent leaned on the post-Civil War Black Codes as historical justification — an argument the majority rejected outright.

The U.S. Virgin Islands Legislature attached a rewrite of its magazine and suppressor laws to a pedestrian bridge funding bill, skipping public disclosure and a hearing while a DOJ Second Amendment lawsuit against the territory remains active.

A federal judge struck down the Biden administration's ghost gun rule as unconstitutional and impossibly vague, while a separate GOA lawsuit and a ransomware breach at ATF keep the pressure on the agency's registry of gun owners.

Washington State Patrol is now certifying firearms instructors for a mandatory training course residents will need starting May 2027 to buy a gun or get a CPL — with results logged directly into a state background-check database. Critics call it a backdoor registry and expect a constitutional fight.

Pennsylvania Rep. Rob Kauffman has introduced a bill to separate state gun regulations from the federal NFA, arguing state law shouldn't be hostage to a federal registration scheme that courts are already unwinding.

The DOJ has finalized a rule reviving the federal firearm rights restoration process, dormant since Congress defunded it in 1992. Applications open in stages starting 75 days after Federal Register publication, with the first 5,000 public slots available then. The rule includes a notable marijuana carve-out following the Supreme Court's Hemani decision.

Two changes eleven months apart did more to the National Firearms Act than anything since 1934. The $200 tax on suppressors, SBRs and SBSs went to zero on January 1. On August 5 a federal judge struck the registration scheme itself. But that injunction covers a specific list of people, and living in a plaintiff state does not put you on it.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is moving to require in-person firearm sales by statute, blocking a proposed ATF rule that would allow online purchases. The ATF proposal still mandates background checks—gun control groups opposing it haven't explained how it enables prohibited buyers to obtain firearms.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order restricting which firearm and ammunition vendors can do business with the city, modeled on anti-gun procurement frameworks from Brady United. Critics note the requirements largely duplicate existing federal law, while the city's early-release policies return violent offenders to the street.

A 15-year-old arrested after a Seattle food festival shootout carried a Polymer80 ghost gun — the exact type Washington state law prohibits. The gun was illegal. His possession of any handgun was illegal. The shooting happened anyway, raising direct questions about what the state's extensive gun control laws are actually accomplishing.

B&T USA expanded its Herriman, Utah facility from a three-person operation to a 55-employee suppressor manufacturing hub in under a year. The plant can now produce up to 7,000 suppressors per month with the entire production process handled in-house.

ATF Director Robert Cekada announced Form 4 processing times have dropped from 150 days to roughly 18 since FY2021, even as filing volume nearly quadrupled. Pro-2A groups are praising the progress while noting the fight over NFA registration itself isn't finished.

Colorado's Senate Bill 25-003 takes effect August 1, requiring an eligibility card from the county sheriff and proof of in-person firearms training for purchases of common semiautomatic firearms. Gun store staff are already seeing pre-deadline rushes, and the state's new application portal is drawing criticism for being difficult to navigate. Buyers should start the process well before heading to the counter.

A Maine sheriff's deputy is suing Sig Sauer after his holstered P320 fired without him touching the trigger, injuring his leg in 2022. Trial opened Monday in federal court. Sig's defense blames the holster, the jacket zipper, and insufficient departmental training — not the gun.

The Firearm Policy Coalition has filed a federal Second Amendment challenge against Denver's assault weapon ban and both Denver's and Colorado's magazine restrictions. The case, Elliott v. Denver, argues both laws fail the historical tradition test established in Bruen. A favorable ruling could have broad implications for similar bans across the Mountain West.

The ATF agreed not to redistribute seized forced reset triggers in Illinois after a deal with the state's attorney general. The move is state-specific and doesn't change the federal classification of FRTs as machine guns — but ongoing federal court challenges could still upend that classification entirely.

Firearms Policy Coalition filed a motion for preliminary injunction in Bathras v. Moore, challenging Maryland's effective ban on Glocks and similar handguns. The law bars semiautomatic pistols with cruciform trigger bars from the state's approved roster. FPC argues no founding-era historical tradition supports banning one of America's most common defensive handguns on those grounds.

A Virginia circuit court has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the state's assault firearms and magazine ban — the second court to do so. The law remains on the books but unenforceable for now, as challengers argue it can't survive post-Bruen constitutional scrutiny.

Four Nebraska gun owners are challenging Lincoln's ban on firearms in city parks, arguing it's preempted by the state's 2023 constitutional carry law. A district judge heard arguments Thursday. A related case is already before the Nebraska Supreme Court.

The NRA is urging the Trump administration to investigate Capital One after the bank refused to provide services to a Maryland gun shop due to its industry. It's the latest front in an ongoing battle between financial institutions and lawful firearms businesses. Federal regulators now face pressure to weigh in.

Gun Owners of America is suing the U.S. Virgin Islands over its carry licensing system in what is now the second active federal Second Amendment lawsuit against the territory. A Florida resident seeking a license is the named plaintiff. The case turns on whether any U.S. territory can legally operate a system that treats bearing arms as a revocable privilege.

Colorado Senate Bill 3 would ban the sale of most detachable-magazine semiautomatic rifles, shotguns, and gas-operated pistols in the state. The bill allows a fixed-magazine exemption, but manufacturers don't currently make compliant versions of the targeted guns. Existing lawfully owned firearms are not subject to confiscation.

Gun Owners of America has sued the U.S. Virgin Islands over its blanket ban on nonresidents applying for carry permits. The territory repealed its reciprocity law after Bruen, leaving traveling gun owners with zero legal options. GOA has won this fight before in California and New York.

Pennsylvania's Board of Game Commissioners approved the state's full hunting and trapping season calendar Saturday. Deer season will continue to open the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and seasons previously ending on Saturdays will now run through the following Sunday.

Florida's open carry ban was struck down by an appeals court and took effect September 25. Gun owners now have the right to carry openly in permitted locations — but private property rules and the existing banned-locations list create serious legal exposure for those who don't know the limits.

Canada's Carney government has extended its gun ban amnesty for the fourth time, suspending criminal liability for owners of 2,500+ banned firearm types until at least 90 days after the Supreme Court rules on whether the 2020 ban was lawful. The Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights, backed by three provincial governments, argues Ottawa overstepped its authority with a cabinet-only decree. The voluntary buyback is still proceeding, but compliance numbers are well below initial projections.

The Seventh Circuit upheld Illinois' AR-15 ban on July 9 — nine days after the Supreme Court agreed to hear a nearly identical challenge. The ruling, which reversed a district court's post-trial finding in favor of gun owners, drew a sharp dissent from Chief Judge Brennan and is likely moot once SCOTUS decides Viramontes.

Federal and state authorities raided a Phoenix gun store Tuesday, arresting the owner and two cartel-connected brothers after a year-long investigation traced at least 650 firearms to violent Mexican drug cartels. George Iknadosian allegedly sold weapons to straw buyers knowing where they were headed — including through sales to undercover ATF agents. 1,300 guns were seized total.

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down New Jersey's ban on semiautomatic rifles and magazines holding more than 10 rounds Friday, ruling the 1990 law unconstitutional under the Second Amendment's historical tradition test established in Bruen. The NRA, which has litigated the case since 2018, called it a historic victory. A circuit split now looms, potentially putting the issue before the Supreme Court.

The Firearms Policy Coalition sued Denver over its assault weapon ban in federal court, the same week the Supreme Court agreed to take up a similar challenge. The case argues Denver cannot produce the historical tradition *Bruen* requires to justify banning common semi-automatic firearms. Both fronts — district court and SCOTUS — are now moving simultaneously.

Sutter Union High School's shotgun program claimed its first High Overall National Championship at the US Open Youth Clay Shooting Championship in Las Vegas on July 11, sweeping skeet, sporting clays, and the combined HOA title. JV and junior squads also podiumed across multiple disciplines, making it a top-to-bottom team performance.

Sisters Esther and Ellie Feathers of Powell, Wyoming competed at the 4-H Shooting Sports National Championship in Grand Island, Nebraska, placing as high as 4th and 6th in individual events despite competing in disciplines their home state doesn't train. Ellie placed 12th overall individually. It was Esther's final national 4-H competition after nine years in the sport.

Three Ashe County, NC teenagers competed at the 4-H Shooting Sports National Championships in Grand Island, Nebraska, joining 731 shooters from 42 states across muzzleloader, pistol, and air pistol disciplines. The club has produced national champions before — and coach Charles Young says the fundamentals are always the same, no matter the firearm.

The DOJ filed a 41-word motion to drop its appeal of the federal post office carry ban on July 16, leaving a permanent injunction intact for SAF and FPC members. The government offered no explanation, but the Supreme Court's recent Wolford decision likely made further defense untenable. The injunction covers ordinary post offices but does not apply to all Americans or all postal facilities.

Fall River High School's trap team claimed the 2026 USA High School Clay Target League national title with a score of 485/500, edging four schools by a single target. Nearly 3,000 student-athletes from 469 schools competed at the Mason, Michigan championship. It was the slimmest possible margin in one of scholastic shooting's biggest tournaments.

The House passed H.R. 1181 on July 14, voting 221–201 to ban banks and payment networks from assigning gun stores a special financial tracking code. The bill now moves to the Senate, where companion legislation S. 1715 awaits committee action. Without a private right of action or civil fines, enforcement teeth depend heavily on DOJ.

West Virginia-based Kent Cartridge Company was denied services by Bill.com and Ramp over its ammunition products. State AG JB McCuskey is investigating both companies under the state's FIND Act. Bill.com has already reversed course; Ramp has not responded.