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JUNE 5, 2025

Collector’s Elite Auctions has opened bidding on its June Collection, a curated showcase of rare, high-condition, and historically significant firearms. The collection includes an extraordinary lineup of classic military pistols, limited-production precision rifles, and exquisite collector-grade handguns—each selected to appeal to the serious enthusiast.
The Gulf Council announces the presentation of the 2024 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award to Senior Officers Jeremy Foell and Jason Richards of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). This outstanding team operates the Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) Trident, based out of Key West, Florida.
Nearly 400 competitors descended on Grand Island, Nebraska, May 30 – June 1, 2025, to battle the “undead” during the 2025 annual Zombies in the Heartland 3-Gun shooting match hosted by Hornady® and the Heartland Public Shooting Park.

Colt's Manufacturing Company LLC congratulates pro team shooters Justine and Jalise Williams for their exceptional performances at the 2025 IPSC PCC / Mini Rifle World Shoot in the Czech Republic.
SOG Knives is reporting for duty at the 2025 BLADE Show in Atlanta, GA. From June 6–8, attendees can find SOG at booth #124 at the Cobb Galleria Centre, where the latest in tactical knives, new flashlights, field tools, and cutting-edge gear are available at 25% off show pricing.
From June 6–8, Cold Steel is returning to the Cobb Galleria for BLADE Show 2025. Find them at Booth #124, bringing an edge to the event with an exciting lineup of new blades, 25% off show pricing, and more.

C&H Precision announced its participation in the upcoming Ohio Tactical Officers Association Conference and Trade Show. The event will take place from June 9 through June 13, 2025, at the Kalahari Resorts and Conventions in Sandusky, Ohio.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) School Fishing Program congratulates the Grand Prize winners of the Fishing & Conservation Challenge: the student anglers at the Independence Classical Academy. This past school year, the students completed various projects focused on conserving Florida’s aquatic habitats.
Gunstores.com announces its latest giveaway featuring the Walther WMP SD. This free-to-enter promotion gives one lucky participant the chance to own one of the most feature-rich rimfire pistols on the market today.

The May 2025 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 1,071,685 is a decrease of 1.6 percent compared to the May 2024 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 1,089,117. For comparison, the unadjusted May 2025 FBI NICS figure of 1,998,440 reflects a 0.1 percent decrease from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 2,000,505 in May 2024.
The Headrest Safe Company is proud to support NSSF’s “Gun Storage Check Week®” and encourages all gun owners to practice safe gun handling and storage. Take a moment to check how you are keeping your guns safe from unwanted access.
NSSF® welcomes the introduction of S. 1922, the Fighting Irrational Regulatory Enforcement to Avert Retailers’ Misfortune (FIREARM) Act, by U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa). The “FIREARM” Act would prevent the ATF from shuttering FFLs over minor clerical mistakes and allows them to correct self-reported errors.

Nightstick announced that their TWM-30-T High Candela Handgun Light has earned "Member Tested and Recommended" status from the National Tactical Officers Association. The 900-lumen/ 66k-candela full size pistol light received an overall score of 4.32 on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent).
Target Sports USA is kicking off the summer with a sweet twist for shooting sports and donut lovers alike. In celebration of National Donut Day, they are inviting all to take part in the Donut Round Challenge for a chance to win some tactical gear by shooting at a donut.
NSSF® welcomes Citigroup’s decision to reverse its policy of discriminating against members of the firearm and ammunition industry and once again open banking services to this manufacturing, wholesale and retailer segment.
The Firearms Policy Coalition announced the filing of an important legal brief urging the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a lower court’s decision dismissing the government’s case against someone charged with violating the federal ban on machine guns, ultimately holding that the ban cannot pass muster under the Second Amendment. FPC joined FPC Action Foundation and the National Rifle Association of America as parties to the brief.
Bear Creek Arsenal just dropped a game-changer — complete .277 Fury upper assemblies built to harness the beastly ballistic power of the U.S. military’s next-gen cartridge. Complete uppers include everything — barrel, BCG, charging handle, and M-LOK split rail handguard — all ready to run out of the box.
Primary Arms Optics announced the release of the new PLxC 1-8x24mm First Focal Plane Rifle Scope, now featuring the revolutionary Red Dot Bright illumination system and the ACSS Raptor G2 reticle. This scope marks a significant milestone for Primary Arms as the first to incorporate diffractive reticle technology, offering red dot-like brightness in a first focal plane LPVO.
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms has taken direct action regarding proposed training mandates in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, by sending a letter to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS), opposing the requirements.
Liberty Ammo is expanding its rifle offerings and is introducing the Liberty OverWatch 6mm ARC.
Liberty Safe introduces a rugged, USA-built gun cabinet that redefines category expectations for strength, reliability, and long-term value. Liberty's new offering stands apart—engineered and manufactured entirely in the United States using heavy-duty 14-gauge steel and advanced security design.
Wiley X announces the release of a special-edition WX JAKL frame developed in collaboration with the American Sniper brand. Building on the success of the original WX JAKL launched in March, this release underscores Wiley X’s commitment to protecting those who serve on and off the battlefield.
Mesa Tactical’s expanded lineup of its Truckee® M-LOK® Forends are the ultimate fusion of precision-machined durability and modular firepower. These forends are designed for shotgun operators who demand mission-ready performance, rock-solid construction, and seamless integration.
MDT announced the expansion of its LSS GEN3 Chassis System with three new inlet offerings: the Tikka T3x in a left-handed short-action, the Tikka 1X right hand, and the Howa 1500 Mini Action (right hand).
PROOF Research® announces the launch of the Tundra Ti X. Engineered around the new right-hand Ti X titanium action from Defiance Machine, this rifle brings together a high-strength, ultra-lightweight receiver, PROOF’s patented carbon fiber-wrapped, match-grade barrel, and a Monte-Carlo style carbon fiber Tundra stock.
Silencer Central is now offering the latest product from BANISH Suppressors, the BANISH 9, one of the quietest 9mm silencers on the market. The BANISH 9 also boasts a major advancement in functionality with its BANISH Micro Booster™ to ensure it runs smoothly on a variety of semiautomatic pistols.
Buck Knives offers more than 200 knives and tools within the fixed, folding, assisted opening, automatic and custom categories. With the first days of summer and outdoor camping season on the horizon, the Post Falls, Idaho cutlery manufacturer offers these choices to aid with accomplishing chores from cutting ropes to chopping firewood.
VIKTOS announced its official sponsorship of the Wolverine 5K Match 2025 — Michigan’s premier tactical adventure race that combines precision shooting with pain-flavored cardio.
 

With Monday’s announcement that the Supreme Court had passed on hearing cases involving Maryland and Rhode Island restrictions on firearms (Maryland’s “assault weapons” ban and Rhode Island’s magazine capacity restrictions), response from the Second Amendment organizations was, putting it mildly, heated.

While the 2A groups decried the decision, it’s also worth noting that the three justices who wanted to hear the cases (Alito, Gorsuch and Thomas) weren’t happy either.

They realize both the cases in question–and several others working through the courts–will eventually demand a decision by the high court. Monday’s denial of cert isn’t rendering clarity on legal issues. That, essentially, is the Supreme Court’s only job.

The decision absolutely qualifies as controversial. In fact, Justice Brent Kavanaugh, who deigned to vote in favor of hearing the cases, admitted that with the many challenges to AR-style firearms in lower courts “this Court should and presumably will address the AR-15 issue soon.”

The NSSF said they must “respectfully disagree with Justice Kavanagh’s statement respecting the denial of cert in the Snope case that the Court should wait a “Term or two” before taking action to stop the lower courts from misapplying the Court’s holding Heller and Bruen to deny the Second Amendment rights of millions of law-abiding Americans living in the states that have enacted laws banning MSRs and magazines.”

Before Monday’s unexpected announcement, the 2A community was more than slightly confident that Snope v. Brown, the case contesting the Maryland AR-ban, represented more than a sufficient infringement on the Second Amendment to merit not only a hearing, but a decision overturning the law passed shortly after Sandy Hook.

Ditto Ocean State Tactical v. Rhode Island on the matter of magazine capacity restrictions.

While the high court’s avoidance of both leaves one wondering what the remaining justices are thinking, there’s no doubt about what 2A groups think.

The Second Amendment Foundation called the decision “an egregious error that sidesteps addressing an important issue which requires the court’s intervention.”

The Firearms Policy Coalition was even more direct, writing “We are disappointed that some members of the Supreme Court did not have the judicial courage to do their most important job and enforce the Constitution.”

Inside the court, Justice Clarence Thomas was nearly as direct in his dissent: "I would not wait to decide whether the government can ban the most popular rifle in America," he wrote. "That question is of critical importance to tens of millions of law-abiding AR-15 owners throughout the country.” Thomas’ reasoning is exactly opposed to the“reasoning” Justice Brent Kavanaugh used in not voting to hear the cases.

Kavanaugh wants lower courts to consider “other issues,” saying they could help the Supreme Court’s “ultimate decision-making on the AR-15 issue.” That sounds more like a politician sticking a finger up in the wind than a supreme court justice. And it’s not a good look, especially when Kavanaugh’s “term or two” dithering contradicts judges from those lower courts.

They have indicated- repeatedly - they need guidance, not avoidance, on correctly interpreting the high court’s decidedly fuzzy 2A rulings.

Chief Judge Albert Diaz of the Fourth Circuit described the high court’s rulings on interpretation of the Second Amendment “a labyrinth for lower courts…with only a one dimensional history-and-tradition test as a compass.” Lower courts, Diaz writes, need more help rather than “shifting through the sands of time.”

The Roberts Court, at least in part, seems quite content to force the lower courts to continue searching for those grains of truth, especially if it helps them avoid deciding another Second Amendment case.

Meanwhile, as the Supreme Court dithers, Rhode Island residents with magazines holding more than ten rounds and Maryland residents owning one of the myriad of “assault rifles” banned following the Sandy Hook shooting, face real felony charges. Charges that aren’t applicable to every citizen of the United States.

Laws, when undecided, really represent justice denied. Further, the reluctance to hear any 2A case gives credence to an argument that “the Roberts Court” is more concerned with “optics” than interpreting the law.

This time, there’s no arguing they’re simply kicking the can down the road.

We’ll keep you posted.

— Jim Shepherd

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