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DOJ Finalizes Voluntary NICS Checks for Gun-Business Employees
The Justice Department published a final rule on October 27 authorizing federally licensed firearms businesses to use the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System for voluntary checks of eligible current or prospective employees. The rule takes effect November 27, 2026.
defensive gun usePolice Seek Battery Arrest After Shreveport Workplace Shooting
An armed employee shot a man in the hand during a reported assault at a Shreveport business, according to a police account reported by Bearing Arms on October 25. Detectives sought the wounded man’s arrest for second-degree battery.
industry newsNRA Announces 33 Nominees for Its 2027 Board Election
The National Rifle Association has published a list of 33 nominees for its 2027 mail-ballot election of directors. The announcement appeared October 23 in American Rifleman, under the NRA Staff byline.
federal policySenators Press DOJ Over Handgun Sales to Adults Under 21
Senate Democrats are pressing the Justice Department over its position on handgun sales to adults ages 18 through 20. The dispute puts the constitutional rights of young adults back into the enforcement debate.
state policyNew York Expands Gun Storage and Ammunition Restrictions
New York has added another pair of firearm restrictions. Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation on October 21 expanding storage requirements and ammunition-purchase disqualifications.
ArchiveNRA Cites Polling on Gun Policy’s Place in the Midterms
NRA-ILA is pointing gun owners to polling on the place of gun policy in this year’s midterm elections. Its October 19 article links Gallup and Pew Research Center and argues that interest in gun control has waned. The full article contains polling evidence and also warns gun owners against becoming complacent.
ArchiveSmith & Wesson Completes $160 Million Savage Arms Acquisition
Smith & Wesson says it completed its acquisition of Savage Arms on October 21. The company’s official announcement values the transaction at $160 million, subject to customary adjustments. The deal brings Savage’s hunting and bolt-action rifle business into a company already prominent in handguns.
politicsBloomberg Reportedly Allocates $24 Million to Everytown
New reporting describes another round of Michael Bloomberg’s political funding ahead of the midterm elections, with Everytown receiving a reported $24 million allocation.
defensive gun useMissouri Homeowner Fires During Alleged Shovel Attack
A Missouri homeowner fired a shot during an alleged confrontation with a shovel-wielding neighbor inside his home, according to reporting based on court documents. The account describes a defensive gun use in Beaufort, an unincorporated community in Franklin County.
litigationNew Coalition Challenges New Mexico’s Continued Seven-Day Waiting Period Enforcement
A coalition of gun-rights and firearms-industry organizations has filed a new challenge to New Mexico’s continued enforcement of its seven-day firearm waiting period. The dispute centers on who receives protection from earlier court decisions—and who remains subject to the law.
defensive gun useArmed Bystander Stopped Bend Attacker Before Police Arrived
An armed community member confronted and killed the attacker at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, before police arrived, according to police accounts reported by CNN. The intervention is a central part of the account of how the October 15 attack ended.
politicsNRA Targets Talarico as Everytown Expands Its Midterm Ad Campaign
Gun-policy groups are putting their late-election priorities on the air. The NRA is targeting Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, while Everytown is adding money to state legislative races where the next round of gun restrictions could be decided.
policyFlorida Prosecutor: Missing NFA Paperwork Alone Doesn’t Establish a Crime
A Florida prosecutor has told law enforcement that a short barrel or suppressor, combined with missing federal registration paperwork, should not by itself establish grounds for a detention, search or arrest. His memo puts the practical consequences of ATF’s new enforcement policy squarely in front of police.
policyATF Halts Enforcement of Key NFA Requirements. Other Restrictions Remain.
ATF has changed how it enforces key National Firearms Act requirements for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and certain other weapons. Gun owners need the actual guidance, because the difference between a court order, an enforcement policy and a repeal matters.
Archive‘We Have Guns Too.’ Jaime West’s Sound Bite Isn’t a 2A Platform.
“We have guns too” is a claim of possession—not a promise to protect your rights.
ArchiveTrump Targets Lead-Ammo Limits. Hunters: Don’t Switch Your Ammo Yet.
Trump reportedly has federal hunting barriers and lead-ammunition limits in his crosshairs—but hunters have no green light here to ignore existing rules.
ArchiveSeven Self-Defense Legal Providers. Who Pays When You Need a Lawyer?
When you need a defense lawyer, a sales pitch won’t pay the bill—and seven firearm legal-protection organizations are set to face gun owners’ questions on October 17.
ArchiveSpringfield’s Echelon Goes “Pro.” Make the Label Earn Your Money.
“Pro” on the name is not proof on the range.
ArchiveZEV’s FDP Folds. This Excerpt Doesn’t Show What You’re Buying.
A folding carbine can stop your scroll—but this fragment can’t tell you whether it deserves your money.
ArchiveFranklin’s Rabbit Rounds Pack Multiple Projectiles. Where’s the Proof?
More projectiles are a selling point—not proof of better ammunition.
ArchiveAn NRA Title Isn’t Range Time. Kraus Put In Five Days at Gunsite.
An NRA title can’t do your range work: NRA Director Jerry Kraus spent five days at Gunsite Academy during its 50th year, making his first visit and leaving a Raven, American Rifleman reports.
ArchiveWatchtower Opens Texas Gun Factory. Your Warranty Still Needs an Answer.
The Watchtower name is on a Texas gun factory—but that alone does not tell existing customers who owes them warranty service or an outstanding order.
policyMinnesota Mayor Calls for Gun Bans Amid Shooting Dispute
A Twin Cities-area dispute over shootings has become a debate over gun policy. Bearing Arms reported October 7 that St. Louis Park’s mayor called for banning guns while criticizing the language used by law-enforcement officials discussing recent violence.
industrySIG’s M8 Carbine Heads Toward December Army Fielding
The Army’s next rifle rollout is approaching. Reporting published October 6 describes initial fielding of SIG Sauer’s M8 carbine beginning in December with some units at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
litigationSupreme Court Declines Home-Search Case Backed by Gun-Rights Groups
The Supreme Court declined to hear a home-search challenge supported by gun-rights organizations. The October 5 order denied the petition in Quashaun Reel’s North Carolina challenge, docket 25-1099, leaving the case without Supreme Court review.
policyCDC Lists Defensive Gun Use Estimates of 500,000 to 2.5 Million
Defensive gun use is back in the news. The CDC’s current firearms overview gives readers a broad estimate range and an explicit warning about how to interpret it.
policyATF’s New Tracing Factsheet Counts Leads, Not a Crime-Solving Rate
ATF’s tracing factsheet describes firearm tracing as an investigative starting point. The number worth understanding is what the agency counts as a result.
litigationSan Diego Sues 3D-Printing Supplier Over Gun-Related Marketing
San Diego County is taking a gun-related lawsuit beyond firearm manufacturers. Its new case targets Polymaker LLC, a supplier of plastic filament used in 3D printers.
legislationPortland Takes Up New Restrictions on Licensed Carry in City Buildings
Portland is considering a change that reaches people who already hold concealed handgun licenses. The proposal appears on the City Council’s October 7 agenda and addresses city buildings used for official meetings.
good_guysOhio Woman Uses Shotgun to Defend Family; Two Men Arrested
A Toledo woman armed herself with a shotgun during a confrontation involving members of her family. Police arrived and arrested two men, according to reporting published October 7 by Bearing Arms, citing local station WTVG.
litigationMaryland’s Glock Sale Ban Survives an Early Court Challenge
Maryland’s handgun sales restriction cleared an early court hurdle. A federal judge denied a request to stop the law while the challenge proceeds, according to Bearing Arms’ October 6 report.
good guysHillsborough Prosecutors Decline Charges After Reported Headlock Shooting
Hillsborough County prosecutors say they cannot successfully refute self-defense in a fatal shooting involving a homeowner. They will not file charges, according to October 4 reporting in Bearing Arms.
accountabilityDeputy Acquitted in Roger Fortson’s Killing—Gun Owners Still Face the Doorway Question
Roger Fortson answered his apartment door holding a handgun pointed toward the floor. The deputy who shot him has been acquitted.
litigationUnion Pacific Loses a Bid to Override Arkansas’s Parking-Lot Gun Protection
Union Pacific’s federal-law arguments did not clear away Arkansas’s protection for guns stored in employees’ vehicles. The railroad’s case is still running.
gun rightsGun-Range Cameras Put Gun Owners’ Privacy in the Crosshairs
A trip to a shooting range should not quietly become a searchable record of political association. Gun owners are asking who gets access to the cameras watching those entrances.
federal policyDOJ Tells the Fifth Circuit It Won’t Enforce the Under-21 Handgun Restriction
The Justice Department has put its position in a court filing. It says it will not enforce the challenged federal handgun-sales restrictions against anyone, anywhere.
good guysBaker County Woman Shoots Alleged Attacker—Deputies Point to Self-Defense
An older woman had a means of defense when an alleged attacker confronted her before dawn. Baker County investigators say their preliminary findings indicate self-defense.
good guysLytle Homeowner Shoots Intruder After Being Cornered, Police Say
A Lytle homeowner faced an intruder inside his house while police were responding nearby. According to the police account, he was cornered and used a firearm to protect his family.
state policyCalifornia Adds Live-Fire Training to Its Firearm Certificate Requirements
California has added another step between a lawful purchaser and the gun counter. The implementation date matters as much as the new requirement.
politicsArkansas Voters Face a Gun-Rights Amendment That Reaches Beyond Firearms
Arkansas’s gun-rights ballot question reaches past the firearm itself. Ammunition, accessories and components are in the proposed protection too.
legislationConnecticut’s Pistol Ban Hit a Court Order Before Its Start Date
Connecticut’s new pistol restriction met a federal judge before its scheduled launch. The judge granted preliminary relief. The challenged sales provision cannot be reported as operating without that qualification.
litigationDOJ Just Expanded the San Jose Suit to Psych Tests and Gun Insurance
Main Justice already sued San Jose over a $1,591 CCW ticket. Tuesday it added a shrink and an insurance bill. The city still calls that shall-issue.
litigationA Federal Judge Just Knocked Out New York’s Airport Gun Ban
Albany turned airports into a felony for a licensed carrier. A federal judge just took that one off the map. The rest of the CCIA is still the rest of the CCIA.
litigationSCOTUS Just Conferenced 57 Gun Petitions. Almost None Are Viramontes.
The AR-15 cases are already on the docket. Monday the Court sat with 57 more gun petitions. That is a pile, not a ruling.
litigationFlorida Carry and GOA Just Sued Jacksonville Over Its Venue Disarmament
Florida’s preemption statute already told cities to sit down. Jacksonville’s stadium and theaters still wanted the holster at the door. The groups sued.
regulationATF Says 1.4 Billion Dealer Records Are Not a Registry
Federal law says no national gun registry. ATF is sitting on 1.4 billion out-of-business 4473s and calling that a filing cabinet.
litigationMaryland’s High Court Just Left a D.C. Carrier Convicted
He could carry in the District. He crossed into the Maryland suburbs with the same pistol. Annapolis just told him the conviction stands.
litigationTwenty-Five States Just Told SCOTUS Maine’s 72-Hour Wait Is the Test
Last week SAF and NRA walked Maine’s waiting period to One First Street. Monday 25 states walked in behind them. The First Circuit still says buying a gun is not the right.
litigationNRA and SAF Just Asked SCOTUS to Stop the Ad-Blame Lawsuits
The Fourth Circuit said a gun ad the shooter may never have seen is still a federal case. NRA and SAF just asked the Supreme Court to kill that theory.
OpinionThe Supreme Court Finally Called the Question on AR-15 Bans
For a decade, blue states banned AR-15s and dared the Court to stop them. On June 30, the justices took the dare — and every gun owner in America should understand what happens next.
OpinionThe $200 Lie Has Lasted 92 Years — Silencers Were Never About Crime
Walk into any gun store today and the waiting list for a suppressor runs six to twelve months. The federal government calls that a feature. We call it what it is: the longest-running con in American firearms law.
OpinionYour Armor Plate Is Lying to You — NIJ Ratings, Spall, and the Weight Nobody Warned You About
A label stamped on a plate is not a warranty. Before you strap ceramic or steel to your torso, you need to understand what those NIJ numbers actually certify — and what the industry invented when the real ratings weren't enough of a selling point.
OpinionReciprocity Is the Interstate Right Your License Already Proves
The patchwork of concealed-carry reciprocity is not a 'states' rights' win — it is a civil rights failure dressed up as federalism.
OpinionSpanberger Signed 10 Gun Laws in 30 Days. Most Virginians Never Saw It Coming.
In one month Abigail Spanberger quietly rewrote Virginia's gun code. If you still own a standard-capacity magazine, a pistol brace, or carry daily — you need to finish this sentence.
OpinionThe NFA Registry Closed in 1986 — Every Number Since Then Is a Lie
A senator nobody remembers slipped four words into a budget bill in 1986 and turned the Second Amendment into a tiered system — one class of Americans who inherited the right, and one class who had to buy it at auction. The registry closed that night. It has never reopened.
OpinionRimfire and Dry-Fire Are the Real Ammo Crisis Fix
Skills don't expire. Ammo does — and it's never as available or affordable as you need it to be. Here's how serious shooters stay sharp when the supply chain shrugs.
OpinionNguyen Killed State One-Gun-a-Month — Now Fight Your City Council
Winning statewide is step one. Step two is suing the municipality that still treats Nguyen like it never happened.
OpinionSpanberger Restarted UBC Enforcement Because She Lost in Court First
You cannot claim to respect court orders while directing troopers to enforce a scheme a judge already struck down — but that is the Spanberger playbook.
OpinionNew Hampshire Preemption Is Worth the AG Fight — Read HB 609 Before Formella Kills It
When cities cannot ban guns locally, they regulate by zoning, fees, and delay. HB 609 is designed to end that game — which is why the AG warned Republicans hours before the floor vote.
legislationHouse Panel Schedules Markup on Federal Firearms Preemption Pilot — June 2026
The House Judiciary Committee posted a markup session for a federal firearms preemption pilot program — a procedural move that puts Second Amendment federalism back on the summer calendar even before bill text is finalized.
OpinionCongress Used a $200 Tax Stamp to Ban NFA Guns Without Voting
The National Firearms Act is a lesson in incremental prohibition: tax, register, criminalize paperwork errors, and call it reasonable regulation.
OpinionOtis McDonald Was 76 When Chicago Said He Couldn't Own a Handgun
Heller struck down D.C.'s handgun ban in 2008. McDonald incorporated that right against the states in 2010 — and Bruen finished the may-issue era in 2022. Follow the chain.
OpinionThey Marched Armed in 1965. Democrats Want You to Forget That.
Frederick Douglass named three boxes. Martin Luther King applied for a carry permit after a bombing. The politicians who invoke Civil Rights history to ban hardware hope you never read who carried to protect it.
OpinionThe Rifle That Won the Revolution Still Embarrasses Every Anti-Gunner
The Second Amendment argument is not abstract. It is the inheritance of a tool Americans designed, manufactured, and carried into every fight that followed.
OpinionYour Pump Action Isn't Slow — Your Stage Plan Is.
The shooter beside you just burned four seconds reloading on the move. His Benelli M2 didn't lose that stage. He did.
OpinionThe Second Amendment Is American Culture — Not a Culture-War Footnote
From the Kentucky rifle to the modern carry movement, firearms shaped how Americans think about courage, competence, and self-government.
OpinionSpanberger's Veteran Pipeline Strips Rights Without a Trial. Read the Bill.
Virginia's new mental-health reporting law can put your name in the NICS denial pile before you know you're a target \u2014 and Spanberger built it for veterans first.
OpinionMoore's Glock Ban Is a Template — and Your Governor Is Watching
Senate Bill 334 does not stay in Annapolis. It is a drafting packet for every blue-state legislature that wants to ban striker-fired pistols without saying 'Glock' out loud.
OpinionMaryland Banned the Glock. Moore Signed It — and the Lawsuit Landed the Same Day.
Starting January 1, 2027, Maryland treats Glock-pattern pistols like contraband. Wes Moore signed the bill May 26. The NRA, SAF, and FPC filed before the ink dried.
OpinionSpanberger Signs the Semi-Auto Ban — Virginians, Wake Up
Abigail Spanberger didn't campaign on confiscation. She campaigned on 'common sense.' On the day she signed Virginia's semi-automatic ban into law, those two phrases became the same thing — and every gun owner in the Commonwealth is now living inside the consequences.
OpinionWhat 'Competition-Ready' Really Buys You at the Range
The classifier doesn't care about your excuse. That's exactly why it makes you better.
OpinionSpanberger Just Banned Most Virginia Guns. Fight Back Now.
Abigail Spanberger signed it. The media sanitized it. And millions of Virginia gun owners woke up this week holding firearms the state just declared illegal. This isn't hyperbole — this is the law.
OpinionYour Ranging Error Is Wounding Deer, Not Missing Them
Every ethical hunter talks about shot placement. Almost none of them talk about the ranging error that puts their bullet six inches off target before they ever pull the trigger.
OpinionSpanberger Signs the Semi-Auto Ban—Disarm Virginia Now
Abigail Spanberger didn't campaign on banning semi-automatic rifles. She didn't have to. She waited, won, and then signed the most sweeping gun grab in Virginia history—turning millions of law-abiding Virginians into criminals overnight. This is the blueprint. This is the warning.
OpinionRimfire and Dry-Fire Are the Ammo Crisis Cure Nobody Talks About
Skills don't go on backorder. Your training budget doesn't have to either.
OpinionStop Hoarding Centerfire: Rimfire and Dry-Fire Build Real Shooters
Every supply crunch reveals who trains smart and who just burns ammo. Here's the method that separates them.
OpinionThe Real Ammo Fix: Rimfire and Dry-Fire Build Shooters
Ammo scarcity is a recurring political weather event. Your skills don't have to be.
OpinionThe 10 Best USPSA-Ready Handguns—Ranked With No Apologies
Buying a competition pistol without understanding the division ecosystem is how you end up with a beautiful gun that's ineligible, outclassed, or fighting you on the draw. Let's fix that.
OpinionYour Carry Optic Zero Is Probably Wrong for a Real Fight
The carry optics revolution gave us better hardware. It didn't automatically give us better thinking.
OpinionThe Shotgun Is the Match: Win or Lose Multigun Here
Every multigun competitor has a story about a stage they owned on rifle and pistol — then bled 30 seconds on the shotgun. Here's how to stop being that guy.
OpinionMIL or MOA: Stop Debating, Start Shooting Straight
One system, learned cold, beats two systems understood halfway — every single time.
OpinionYour Buckshot Load Is a Guess Until You Pattern It
Choke selection, payload geometry, and over-penetration math matter more than the number on the box.
OpinionYour Chronograph Is Not Optional: The Reloader's Reality Check
Every round you load without velocity data is a round you're guessing on. Guessing is for lottery tickets, not chamber pressures.
OpinionThe 10 Best Competition Handguns for USPSA: Ranked Honestly
Every one of these platforms has put shooters on the podium. Not every one of them is right for you. Here's the unfiltered breakdown.
OpinionMOA vs MRAD: Stop the Debate, Pick One, and Master It
Both systems work. Neither is magic. The shooter who picks one and burns it into muscle memory will always out-shoot the shooter who keeps switching.
OpinionMIL or MOA: Pick One System and Master It Cold
Every serious precision shooter eventually faces the MIL vs. MOA question. The correct answer isn't on a Reddit thread — it's in your own training log.
OpinionMIL or MOA: Pick One System and Own It Cold
Stop letting the internet argue you out of consistency. One angular system, mastered completely, is worth more than half-knowing both.
OpinionMIL or MOA: Pick One, Own It, Stop the Forum War
Two angular measurement systems. One correct answer — for you. The rest is noise.
OpinionMIL vs MOA: Stop the Forum Debate, Pick One and Master It
Your reticle system isn't a personality. It's a tool. And you're burning match time arguing about it instead of doping wind.
OpinionMIL or MOA: Pick One, Own It, Stop the Debate
Forum wars over MIL vs MOA have consumed more hours than most shooters spend at the range. That ends here.
OpinionMIL or MOA: Stop Arguing, Pick One, Own It
Two perfectly functional systems. One winner for your setup. The answer isn't which is better — it's which one you'll actually master.
OpinionReciprocity Is the Interstate Right Your License Already Proves
The patchwork of concealed-carry reciprocity is not a 'states' rights' win — it is a civil rights failure dressed up as federalism.
OpinionReciprocity Is the Interstate Right Your License Already Proves
The patchwork of concealed-carry reciprocity is not a 'states' rights' win — it is a civil rights failure dressed up as federalism.
OpinionReciprocity Is the Interstate Right Your License Already Proves
The patchwork of concealed-carry reciprocity is not a 'states' rights' win — it is a civil rights failure dressed up as federalism.
OpinionReciprocity Is the Interstate Right Your License Already Proves
The patchwork of concealed-carry reciprocity is not a 'states' rights' win — it is a civil rights failure dressed up as federalism.
OpinionReciprocity Is the Interstate Right Your License Already Proves
The patchwork of concealed-carry reciprocity is not a 'states' rights' win — it is a civil rights failure dressed up as federalism.
OpinionReciprocity Is the Interstate Right Your License Already Proves
The patchwork of concealed-carry reciprocity is not a 'states' rights' win — it is a civil rights failure dressed up as federalism.
OpinionReciprocity Is the Interstate Right Your License Already Proves
The patchwork of concealed-carry reciprocity is not a 'states' rights' win — it is a civil rights failure dressed up as federalism.
OpinionReciprocity Is the Interstate Right Your License Already Proves
The patchwork of concealed-carry reciprocity is not a 'states' rights' win — it is a civil rights failure dressed up as federalism.
OpinionVirginia Is the Warning Every Gun Owner Needs to Hear
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger just signed 10 gun control measures into law. The media barely noticed. That's the point.