Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC)
01 // ABOUT
History & Founding
FPC — overview
Organizational Origins
FPC was founded in 2013, a period when gun rights advocacy was in flux. The Sandy Hook shooting in December 2012 had reignited calls for federal gun control legislation, and the NRA's grip on the political conversation was loosening in ways that left room for new players. The Washington Examiner described FPC as part of a wave of "new pro-gun rights organizations" that emerged in 2012–2013 to fill that gap.
| Year | Event | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Sandy Hook shooting | Reignited federal gun control legislation calls |
| 2013 | FPC founded | Part of wave of "new pro-gun rights organizations" |
| 2013-present | Brandon Combs as president | Public face since early years |
| Location | Sacramento, California | Deliberate choice for active litigation environment |
Strategic Positioning
Brandon Combs, FPC's president, has been the public face of the organization since its early years. The org is headquartered in Sacramento, California -- deliberately, some would argue, given that California has served as a proving ground for some of the most aggressive gun control legislation in the country and, consequently, some of FPC's most active litigation.
From the start, FPC positioned itself as a more surgical alternative to the NRA's broad-tent approach. The idea was to identify cases with strong constitutional angles, build legal teams around them, and push them through the federal courts rather than wait for Congress to act.
Key milestones in FPC's organizational development and strategic evolution