A U.S. District Court judge ruled that NFA registration requirements for short-barreled rifles and suppressors are unconstitutional in Jensen v. ATF, a case supported by the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, FPC Action Foundation, and Texas Rifle Association.

U.S. District Court Judge James Wesley Hendrix ruled in Jensen v. ATF that the National Firearms Act lacks constitutional basis after Congress eliminated transfer taxes for regulated firearms. The Firearms Policy Coalition-backed lawsuit, representing plaintiffs including Hot Shots Custom LLC and the Texas State Rifle Association, achieved a major victory challenging NFA regulations on suppressors and short-barreled firearms.

Team Ruger's Randi Rogers and Gordon Carrell competed at the 2026 NRA Faces of Freedom ARC Regional Championship in Rapid City, South Dakota, using Ruger Harrier rifles. Rogers finished second in the open division with a score of 525.30, while Carrell secured a match win, demonstrating the reliability and accuracy of Ruger firearms in competitive shooting sports.

Sturm, Ruger & Company congratulates Team Ruger's Steve Foster on his outstanding performance at the 2026 Tennessee State Steel Challenge, where he earned multiple division titles competing with his Ruger 10/22 Carbon Fiber rifle and Mark IV pistol at Camp Davy Crockett in Whitesburg, Tennessee.

Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed a motion for preliminary injunction in Renna v. Bonta challenging California's cruciform trigger bar ban affecting Glock and similar pistols. The lawsuit, supported by FPC, San Diego County Gun Owners PAC, Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, Second Amendment Foundation, and National Rifle Association of America, seeks to prevent enforcement of the state's handgun restrictions.

Beretta USA will participate in the REEDS Fall Classic & Range Days on August 7-8 in Walker, MN, hosted by REEDS Family Outdoor Outfitters. Attendees can experience Beretta's latest shotguns and tactical firearms, including the new A400 Solo, with product experts providing hands-on demonstrations and guidance.

Sonicore Suppressors by Lyman will join White Birch Armory's 6th Anniversary Celebration on August 8-9 in Dover, NH, featuring live demonstrations, hands-on suppressor experiences, and raffles. Kyle Potenziani, Product Manager from Lyman Products, will discuss Sonicore's performance and innovation.

Friends of NRA has opened grant applications for organizations supporting youth education, shooting sports, hunter education, and firearms training. Grants fund safety programs, marksmanship enhancement, and facility improvements, with application deadlines varying by state and at least two months provided for completion.

The NSSF-adjusted NICS figure for July 2026 reached 1,061,883, an 8.5 percent increase from July 2025's 978,731. NFA checks surged 108.8 percent to 130,013, with Texas, Florida, and Virginia leading in NFA activity. Texas topped adjusted NICS checks among all states.

Bleecker Street Publications, which acquired Gun University, is launching an extensive refresh of its Best series starting with Self-Defense & Concealed Carry Insurance guides. Led by Emily E. Long, Chair of the Board and Chief Legal Counsel, the updated guides will feature attorney-driven evaluations and expand to cover handguns, shotguns, optics, and outdoor gear.

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) submitted formal comment letters to the ATF on multiple proposed rules, with Executive Director Adam Kraut and Director of Legal Research Kostas Moros urging modernization of regulations to better respect Second Amendment rights, gun-owner privacy, and interstate firearm travel.

Streamlight, Inc. announced the limited-edition ProTac 2.0 Ducks Unlimited headlamp, a rechargeable co-branded headlamp featuring 2,000 lumens on high, Desert Tan finish, and custom Ducks Unlimited branding. A portion of sales benefits Ducks Unlimited's wetlands conservation efforts.

Kinsey's Distribution has been appointed as a Beretta USA Law Enforcement Distributor, expanding its firearms portfolio to include Beretta's tactical handguns and shotguns. The partnership provides eligible dealers nationwide access to popular Beretta platforms including the 1301 Tactical, A300 Ultima Patrol, 92 Series, PX4 Storm, and APX models.

Zanders, a national firearms distributor based in Sparta, Illinois, announced the availability of the Winchester Ranger .22 LR Rifle. The lightweight rifle features reliable action and ergonomic design, ideal for recreational shooters, small game hunters, and first-time firearm owners seeking Winchester's trusted craftsmanship.

KDG announced a significant retail expansion with Sportsman's Warehouse, making select Kinect Series products available in 30 locations nationwide and online. The partnership marks a major milestone for the company's patented quick-detach mounting technology, bringing innovative firearm accessories to shooters and outdoor enthusiasts across the country.

Range USA, the nation's largest indoor gun range and firearm retailer, completed a comprehensive redesign across all locations featuring interactive gun displays, expanded optics cases, and streamlined range check-ins. The enhancements showcase deactivated handguns from Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Springfield Armory, Canik, and Taurus, along with new long gun display towers and doubled optics inventory.

Liberty Ammunition, a leading self-defense ammunition manufacturer, will exhibit at the Sports Inc Show in Nashville, TN at Booth #962. CEO Gary Ramey highlighted the company's new Liberty SPIKE 2.0 ammunition in .380 and 9mm calibers, emphasizing superior stopping power and performance compared to competitors.

Dead Air Silencers will showcase hunting suppressors at the Texas Trophy Hunters Association's Hunter Extravaganza in San Antonio and Fort Worth in August 2026. Featured products include the Nomad Ti OTB, Nomad Ti XC, and Mojave45, designed for various hunting applications and firearm platforms.

Check-Mate, a leading American firearm magazine manufacturer, announced its sponsorship of World Champion pistol shooter Jessie Harrison. Harrison, the first woman to earn Grand Master status in USPSA, will compete using Check-Mate magazines while representing the company's commitment to quality and reliability.

"The MeatEater Channel" returns to MyOutdoorTV throughout August, featuring Steven Rinella's extensive library of hunting and outdoor content including MeatEater, MeatEater Hunts, MeatEater Limited Series, and new productions like Our Way of Life and MeatEater Roasts, all available for streaming.

On the previous trip, I started with a dead battery in the SIG ROMEO Zero Elite riding the slide on the SIG P322. I’d intended to shoot this before. Having to get a battery and actually receive the B-6 targets and repair centers, I’d shot the S&W M617 instead.

Now, the battery had been replaced, following the factory instructions. The first order of business was to rough out a zero. I did that at 25 yards, standing, two-hand unsupported. The gun printed a nice group at 4:30. A quick adjustment brought it up and over and I confirmed at 25 yards.

I don’t shoot a handgun well enough for there to be a huge difference at 50 yards or so I thought.

I went back and printed the first string of fire with the SW22 Victory/C-More RTS2/Volquartsen, still using the Winchester Super-X ammo the gun seemed to like. 

I had one high, off the rings, at 11 o’clock. There was likewise a high 9, 6 and 5. The second string produced a 10 at 9 o’clock, a 9 at 5 o’clock another high 7 and a 6 just left of the bull.

The 65/100 was depressing. I elected to cheer myself up with the Ruger Mark IV Target, a 5.5” gun with factory iron sights from 2016. The only change was the stocks, from Hogue, Inc., their “G-Mascus Green” color G10 units. These are “diamond” checkered.

Unlike the lamented Ruger Mark IV Competition Stainless, this gun weighs in at only 35 ½ ounces. The longer gun – with the stainless-steel frame instead of the aluminum frame of my Target – was over 42 ounces empty.

The heavy barrel keeps the front end from wagging about and I can see the excellent irons. I shot the long line with Remington Golden Bullet ammo. I had one off at 6:30, one off the paper (I felt that one go at let-off; that was all me), a “5” at 5:00, a 6, and a 7.

Don’t bother counting it up. I took the time to adjust the rear sight up.

The second string had a five, a seven, a nine, a 10 and an X. That’s five hits, with four on the repair center, yielding 41/50. That took care of my low hits.

Instead of moving up to acquit myself with irons at the short line, I marked and repaired the target and got the SIG P322 back out. My idea was to shoot it on the long line, then do the timed and rapid-fire strings at 25 yards on B-8s.

From fifty yards, I posted a 75/100 with three off of the repair center. That was more like it. At 25 yards, shooting on repair centers, I shot a 97 on timed fire and a 94 rapid. I crowded the time on the rapid-fire strings; I still need work. I ended with 266/300-4X.

That’s not national class, it’s not even a great local score. It does reinforce something I’d let slide: if you want to shoot well at 25 yards, you need to work on your scores at 50 yards. 

What’s this got to do with tactics? It’s in no way training for personal protection, is it? 

I intend to continue down this road and see what happens when I go from bullseye to various defense courses of fire.

Finally, I got back out for another long line attempt in muggy July weather. I’d shot the long line five times to this point. The first pair of attempts featured the wrong target. Now, with the B-6 and repair centers, I had shot it with three guns – the SW22, the SIG P322 and the Ruger Mark IV Target.

The Mark IV was coming back out to acquit itself and me. I added the GLOCK G45 Gen6, still stock with plastic sights.

My first string with the GLOCK saw me putting hits uniformly low. I adjusted my hold and lost a point anyway, yielding a miserable 61/100. I had a hit out of the scoring rings that didn’t help. 

At 25 yards, my timed fire was likewise mediocre, 73/100, with a pair off the repair center to the left. Thus prepared, I posted an 82 on rapid fire. 

The 22 gave good service, giving me an 80 on the long line. This bullseye-rookie was happy to see that. There’s room to improve, but the targets were solid. The first string had every hit on the repair center – I’m working to make that a 100% on-demand situation. 

The close line saw me post an 88 on timed fire and, with a seemingly normal-for-me slipup, 80 on rapid fire. That 248/300 is not what I’d like to see, but I’d take it this day. 

Next, we’ll check fifty-yard prowess on a different target as well as shoot some defense work with the re-sighted GLOCK 45.

– Rich Grassi