The incident happened at around 4:45 a.m. in the 12000 block of East Blake, near Pawnee and Webb Road. Wichita Police Department spokesperson Rick Pena said officers arrived to find the suspect with a gunshot wound to his leg. He was hospitalized in serious condition.
Officer Pena said the investigation determined the suspect was burglarizing the home and that the homeowner shot the suspect during a confrontation in the home.
However, at about 2 a.m., a 19-year-old with a graze wound to the shoulder walked into Century Farms Medical Center. He told officers he was stopped at a red light in the Chrysler on Nolensville Pike when a sedan pulled up next to him and began firing at his vehicle.
Police said the teen had a loaded rifle and began returning fire at the suspect vehicle.
“The suspect vehicle drove off while the victim abandoned his Chrysler and fled into the woods. He arrived at Century Farms eight hours after the shooting for treatment for his graze wound. The investigation is ongoing,” MNPD said.
Before the recent predatory killing of a woman in Colorado by a mountain lion, there were a number of warning events. Kristen Marie Kovatch was killed by a mountain lion on January 1 in Laminar County. According to The denvergazette.com, there were five confrontations with lions in the area from October 28 through December 23. Only one of the incidents involved the killing of a lion which was attacking a dog in the owner's yard.
The Denver Gazette article gleans three lessons from the series of events. The third is a set of recommendations about what to do if confronted by a lion in the wild.
And third – if a mountain lion is encountered in the wild, hazing it away is the proper approach opposed to attempting to run. Running can trigger a chase response, while hazing it away by throwing objects in its direction can get it to leave an area or back off. Loud noises can work, too. It’s important not to crouch down and to keep your eyes on the mountain lion while retreating, as well. Mountain lion attacks are extremely rare, but it’s important to know what to do if you happen to spot one in the area.
What is obviously missing is advise to carry a weapon for defense when walking or hiking in lion country. Mountain lions are not known for absorbing large amounts of lead or of continuing to attack when wounded. Colorado is an open carry state. No license is needed to carry in nearly all outdoor areas, with the exception of Denver. Counties may have the ability to regulate open carry, it does not appear to be utilized outside of Denver. In a vehicle, if you do not have a concealed carry permit, firearms are prohibited from having a round in the chamber.
Handguns are now so inexpensive, effective, and light, it is easy to obtain one and carry it. Lightweight semi-automatics are commonly available for under $200. Lightweight revolvers run a bit more. The KelTec P17 weighs 14 ounces loaded with 16 LR cartridges. It has recently been on sale for $159. The Smith & Wesson 351 PD revolver only weighs 15.4 ounces loaded with 7 rounds of .22 magnum cartridges. It can be had for about $700. The Ruger LCRX revolver weighs about 15 ounces and is available in .38 special, .357 magnum, .22 LR and .22 magnum for about $500. Any handgun carried for self defense could work well against a mountain lion.
There does not appear to be any incidents where mountain lions killed or severely injured people who were armed with any firearm. Conversely, there have been several incidents where people who were armed with firearms killed and/or drove off aggressive mountain lions. The most recent successful defense was near Buckeye, Arizona. In 2023, an archery hunter shot and killed a mountain lion in self defense in rural Wisconsin, using a bow and arrow! An attacking mountain lion was driven off with a Glock pistol in a video appearing in 2022. There are other documented examples, including 12 year old Alyssa Caldwell, who killed a big Mountain Lion which was stalking her in October of 2014. A 12 year old girl would not ordinarily be a match for a mountain lion. Alyssa's rifle and skill made all the difference.
It appears there were four different incidents where mountain lions approached people, killed dogs, or had to be driven off in the three months in the area before Kristen Marie Kovatch was killed. It is likely, if any of the people in the four incidents were armed, they could have killed or severely wounding a lion, preventing it from killing Kovatch.
Mountain lion attacks have ramped up since the mountain lion populations have expanded in the last 50 years. Being armed is insurance against these rare events as much as against more common attacks by dogs or human predators.
©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
According to the Albany Police Department (APD), officers were called to the 1500 block of Dawson Road around 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday. They found Tommy Poole (36) with multiple gunshot wounds.
Their investigation revealed that Poole entered the apartment while the tenant was sleeping. Poole allegedly busted through a bedroom window, and when the tenant went to investigate, he found Poole crawling through the apartment on the ground.
The tenant attempted to hold Poole at gunpoint while calling police, but according to police, Poole attempted to reach for the tenant’s gun. The tenant then shot Poole multiple times.
At the SHOT Show, on January 21, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada, David Warrington, the White House Counsel, gave remarks prior to the Governors Forum. Larry Keane, the Senior Vice President & General Counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) introduced David Warrington before the start of the Governors Forum.
David Warrington, White House Counsel for President Trump, gave his remarks before the Governors' Forum began. They were concise and precise. Warrington has been with President Trump for some time. He was appointed as White House Counsel on January 20, 2025, at beginning of President Trump's second term. From David Warrington:
President Trump wants to convey that its very important to him, protecting the Second Amendment.
Warrington noted this was the first time a White House Counsel, a Deputy Attorney General, and the Head of the Civil Rights Division, have been at the SHOT Show to represent the President of the United States. It was the first time there has ever been a Civil Rights Division to protect the Second Amendment. No other President has been as supportive or as active in restoring the rights protected by the Second Amendment.
David Warrington has a history of working to support and protect the Second Amendment. His Public Financial Disclosure Report shows him as the Chairman, Treasurer, General Counsel, and President of the National Association for Gun Rights, Inc., (NAGR) from March of 2000 to December of 2024. Income from NAGR was listed as $6,000 for director fees. This is a small fraction of David Warrington's income. His salary for the Dhillon Law Group, Inc. was listed as $1,161,465 for 2024. He is a highly paid, highly successful attorney. It appears he has taken a substantial pay cut to work with President Trump at the White House.
David Warrington explained President Trump told him Second Amendment Supporters have been President Trump's most loyal followers and supporters through the last ten years, through difficult times and good times. The President appreciates loyalty and President Trump will continue to work for you. President Trump believes loyalty works both ways.
Larry Keane validated and supported David Warrington's statements, on the many firsts for the SHOT Show at the 2026 SHOT Show. The presence of many officials at the SHOT Show shows an interest and dedication far beyond previous presidents. David Warrington jokingly wondered if there were more members of the administration at the SHOT Show or at Davos. He wondered what was going on in D.C. when the administration was split between the SHOT Show and Davos. It was a joke with a serious message.
Seated just feet from David Warrington during his presentation, his demeanor and style were polished and stirring, as you would expect from a world class attorney. This correspondent is glad he is on the side of the Constitution and working to restore rights protected by the Second Amendment. His work with NAGR indicates an intimate knowledge of the playing field surrounding the struggle to restore rights protected by the Second Amendment.
David Warrington, as the White House Counsel, has the ear of the President. President Trump is fighting numerous battles and an entrenched bureaucracy and deep state which wants him gone. President Trump is winning, but the fight is far from over. The fate of the Republic hangs in the balance.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, officers responded to the 11600 block of Laurel Crest Drive at around 4 a.m. to reports of a shooting call. Police say the homeowner shot at one of the burglary suspects, identified by authorities at a 16-year-old boy who was hit in the upper body.
The two suspected burglars left in a Black Chevy Traverse.
According to police, a car matching the suspected burglars’ description dropped off a 16-year-old at a hospital with gunshot wounds. The teen was hospitalized Tuesday afternoon, and his condition was stable.
Braden Langly of Langley Outdoors Academy has posted a compelling analysis of what appears to be a combination of an unintentional discharge of Alex Pretti's Sig P320, combined with the predictable response, which lead to his shooting and death in Minneapolis on January 24, 2026. Langly does his analysis on YouTube. There does not appear to be a transcript.
To sum up the action as shown in numerous videos. Alex Pretti is involved in obstructing ICE officers from making an arrest, along with numerous other individuals. Pretti is in the street, and is actively aiding others in obstructing ICE. There are a couple of women working with Alex. ICE agents tell them to leave/get out of the way. Pretti does not do so. An ICE agent sprays him with pepper spray, and about 3-5 ICE agents attempt to place him in custody. Pretti stuggles, resisting arrest. 3-5 ICE agents are involved, taking Pretti to the ground, and attempting to gain control over Pretti. One of the agents, wearing a grey jacket and grey headgear, reaches into the scrum of struggling men, takes a pistol off of Pretti, which appears to have been in the small of Pretti's back. It is not clear if there is a holster. At this point, someone yells: Gun!Gun!Gun!, which is what agents are trained to do when a weapon is found during a struggle.
At the Gun!Gun!Gun! warning, at least one of the agents draws his handgun. The agent in grey starts to step away from the scrum, removing the pistol from the scene, a prudent move. He barely takes a step before a shot is fired. At least two of the agents recoil in response. Then several more shots are fired, which result in Pretti's death.
What Langly has found and shows, is it appears the first shot was from Pretti's Sig P320 as it was being removed from the scene.
In the detailed analysis by Langly, it is clear the slide on the Sig P320 moves back and forth as the agent in grey holds it down toward the ground, by his side, as he steps away. His hand appears to move, as if from recoil. There is some evidence of a bullet hitting the ground.
There should be evidence of an impact of a bullet at the crime scene, in the suspected location.This sort of situation has happened before in law enforcement. There is a struggle. A gun is found. A shot goes off. Officers, keyed to the edge in a highly dangerous situation, fire in response. Langley calls it "Contagious" gunfire. The officers were primed to a deadly threat. They are on the edge of responding with deadly force. Then the gunshot rings out. It is very close. People may even feel splatter or fragments from the bullet hit their feet or legs.
There will be much more investigation. The agent in grey will be questioned. He probably has already written an after action statement. The truth will come out.
It is to be hoped the crime scene is preserved. This is not easy to do when the local police will not assist, the governor and the mayor are telling the proto-insurgents to resist, and the incident occurs in an area where the proto-insurgents are attempting to exert control.
In some cases, confederates of offenders have removed evidence from the scene. Several cartridge cases should be at the scene to be analyzed in a crime laboratory. The local police have been forbidden to assist, so it will have to be at a federal lab.
There are also peculiar things which can happen, and have happened at other crime scenes. A cartridge case may become embedded in a boot tread or vehicle tread, if the crime scene is not very carefully controlled.
A tragedy composed of a series of unfortunate events, triggered by illegal interference with ICE agents, appears to be the most likely explanation of what resulted in Alex Pretti's death.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
The New Hampshire legislature is considering a Campus Carry bill, HB1793, to restore rights protected by the Second Amendment to public colleges and universities in New Hampshire. The bill has been introduced by Rep. Sam Farrington, R-Strafford. Here is the heart of the bill. From legiscan.com:
I. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, no public institution of higher education shall enact rules, policies, or similar prohibitions restricting the possession, carry, storage, or lawful use of firearms or non-lethal weapons on campus.II. No state or institutional permit or license shall be required for such carry on campus.
159:30 Remedies. Any individual aggrieved by a violation of this subdivision may bring an action against the public institution of higher education and its employees responsible for the violation and seek appropriate relief, including injunctive relief, monetary damages, reasonable attorneys' fees, and court costs. Total damages awarded in an action brought under this subdivision shall be at least $10,000.
159:31 Severability. If any provision of this subdivision or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the subdivision which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this subdivision are declared to be severable.4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2027.
There are ten sponsors of the bill in the New Hampshire House, and four sponsors in the Senate. Republicans have a supermajority in the Senate, with 16 Republicans and 8 Democrats. In the House the numbers are closer, with 221 Republicans and 177 Democrats. In the Dartmouth, David Meuse, D-Rockingham, stated he believed the bill has a good chance of passage.
Meuse said that he believes that the Protecting College Students Act has a “pretty good chance” of passing due to the Republican control of the legislature and the governorship in New Hampshire. He noted that gun rights was a “Republican pet cause” and that pro-gun groups in the state usually send a “raft of emails” to legislators whenever gun legislation is coming up.
The sponsor of HB1793, Representative Farrington, is a senior at the University of New Hampshire. He has skin in the game. New Hampshire has been a Constitutional Carry (permitless carry) state since 2017. Most college students in New Hampshire can legally carry openly or concealed in most places in New Hampshire. There are very few problems, if any. It is difficult to see how the rights of the students, and anyone else who travels onto public colleges or universities, may be legally restricted on campus facilities. The power of universities to act as parents ended with the passage of the 26th Amendment in 1971, when 18-year-old citizens were given the power to vote by the amendment.
As recent scholarship has found, 18 year old people had the right to keep and bear arms in the early republic and at the time of the ratification of the Bill of Rights. Some early private colleges banned the possession of arms as a regulation of their students, not as a governmental entity. Their regulations did not apply to educators, administration, or people who were not students of the colleges and universities. United States Courts have long recognized deprivation of rights is a a serious harm.
New Hampshire, as with most states, has kept the regulation of weapons and weapon carry strictly to its own power. This has been done to prevent local political entities, such as public colleges, from depriving people of rights protected by the Second Amendment and the State Constitution. This bill makes clear: public colleges and universities which receive state money are not allowed to deprive people of their right to arms.
New Hampshire has one of the lowest murder rates of the states in the United States.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
The incident occurred at about 2:40 a.m. in the 5200-block of West Montana Street.
Police said a 39-year-old man was getting out of his car when two male suspects approached on foot. One of the suspects took out a gun and demanded the victim's belongings, police said.
The victim, who is a licensed concealed-carry holder, took out his own gun and shot one of the suspects, police said.
Tajauna Thomas, 38, and Richard Mouton, 34, were arrested after allegedly breaking into a home in the 4000 block of Lockwood near Calvacade at about 1:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 26.
Police said both masked suspects and the 72-year-old woman exchanged gunfire before HPD was dispatched to the scene.
HPD said officers arrived and found Thomas, Mouton, and the woman injured. Paramedics with the Houston Fire Department confirmed the 72-year-old died at the scene.
In the Big Beautiful Bill passed in 2025, the National Firearms Act (NFA) tax for silencers/suppressors, short barreled rifles (sbr), short barreled shotguns (sbs) and any other weapons (aow) was reduced from $200, or $5 for aow, to 0. The elimination of the tax took effect on January 1, 2026.
According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, there were over 150,000 NFA applications submitted on 1 January, 2026. We do not know how many of the applicaitons were for what type of NFA item. An educated guess is a majority were for silencers/suppessors, a significant minority for sbr, somewhat less for sbs, and a few aow.
There is quite a bit of chatter on the Internet about the experience of people submitting applications and what the response was from the ATF computer system. Many people are reporting being approved in hours or days. Many are reporting the ATF 2026 control numbers on their applications. Exactly what those control numbers mean is not certain. Some state they started on October 1, 2025 (start of the fiscal year) and they were in the low 300,000 on January 1, 2026. One reasonable assumption is they represent the number of applications submitted so far in 2026.
From AR15.com, there are reports of ATF 2026 control numbers exceeding a million as of 11 P.M. on January 8th, specifically over 1,080,000. Another poster mentioned a control number he received on January 7 was over 897,000. Some are control numbers 1,300,000 plus on late January 10, 2026. The implication is over 100,000 applications are being received per day, for the first ten days. The implication and assumption are not correct.
At the SHOT Show, the BATFE released the actual number of applications received and approved. As of January 22, the number of applications was over 290,000 in 2026. About 150,000 application had been approved. The problem with control numbers appears to be: a new control number was generated for each attempt to make an application. Multiple control numbers might be generated before an application is finally successfully submitted.
In an article published at AmmoLand, it was estimated the total number of registered silencers in the USA was over five million by January, 2025. It is unknown how many silencers were registered in 2025. Some people were waiting for the zero tax to take effect on January 1, 2026. Some people put in applications and were willing to pay the $200 tax to beat the rush. Some of the rush is pent up demand from 2025.
The implications of such large numbers of applications bode well for the lawsuits which claim silencers/suppressors are protected arms as considered by the Second Amendment, in part, because they are in common use. It is plausible the number of approved applications could reach a million plus by then end of 2026. There may be a backlog of approvals, but the approval process for digital applications seems to be much faster than in the past.
When the effective cost of an item in demand is reduced from $200 to $0, the demand will soar. Most people will buy commercially made silencers. Making your own SBR is extremely simple: mate one of the commercially available AR15 uppers with a barrel less than 16 inches to an existing AR15 type lower. The process takes less than a minute. Alternately, you could add a commercially made stock to an existing pistol, or register an existing pistol with a pistol brace as an SBR. Silencers are not difficult to make. Many of the people discussing their NFA applications on the forums this last week talked about making suppressors using the ATF form 1. Printing .22 rimfire suppressors was a method commonly mentioned.
Determining actual numbers of applications for the various items may take some time. During some periods in the past, the ATF has not released NFA numbers without a Freedom of Information Act request. At the SHOT Show, numbers were announced by the ATF. As of January 22, about 10,000 applications were being made each day.
Vendors of NFA items are willing to help submit applications for a fee. To submit one as an individual takes a little time. In addition to the information required on the form, the fastest way to submit an application requires a digital fingerprint file and a passport type digital photograph. Applications may still be done by mail, but response times could be months instead of days. Once a digital fingerprint file is in your possession, it can be used for any number of applications. Photographs should be good for a year. Digital fingerprint files can be obtained from multiple sources. This correspondent found a local gun store which was willing to create the digital fingerprint file for $20, as long as the recording medium, such as an SD card or key drive, was supplied. It is likely bloggers will give detailed instructions on the best way to submit the forms before very long.
Many applicants posting on the Internet have submitted multiple applications, ranging from 2 to 30. Once the first application is completed, submitting further applications for the same form only requires a few changes to the existing files.
For those who worry about "being on a list": Most of us are already on multiple lists. It has become a challenge not to have fingerprints recorded somewhere. Anyone who has been in the military, law enforcement, education, or a government position almost certainly has their fingerprints recorded.
The Trump administration is bringing the ATF to the 21st century. Hundreds of thousands of applications and zero tax argue for taking all suppressors, sbr, sbs, and aow out of the NFA.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
“The initial investigation revealed that the victim in this incident and the suspect have ongoing issues,” a Jacksonville police news release states. “The suspect drove to the victim’s residence, and an argument ensued. During the argument, the suspect displayed a handgun and started shooting in the direction of the victim.
“The victim returned fire and struck the suspect’s girlfriend, who was in the suspect’s vehicle,” the news release states.
The Attorneys General Forum was held at the 2026 SHOT Show on January 21, 2026. Eight Attorneys General were present. From left to right they were: Montana AG Austin Knudsen (wearing cowboy hat); Missouri AG Catherine L. Hanaway; Iowa AG Brenna Bird; West Virginia AG John B. McCuskey; Kansas AG Kris Kobach; Louisiana AG Liz Murrill; Arkansas AG Tim Griffin; and Florida AG James Uthmeier.
The discussion started with a question about the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, the PLCAA. The Montana AG, Austin Knudsen answered: Yes the Supreme Court had made the PLCAA clear, but lawsuits against firearms companies for criminal actions of others are not about the law, they are about lawfare, using lawsuits to damage the firearms industry by the costs of continual lawsuits. This appeared to be a consensus among the AGs present. The lawsuits are being used as political tools. Those bringing the lawsuits do not expect to win.
There was considerable discussion of the Supreme Court and the cases they have and have not taken. There was a general dissatisfaction at the relatively small number of cases taken by the Supreme Court. Kansas AG Kris Kobach made the case of the enormous progress which has been made since 2008, compared to the previous 70 years. He suggested the originalists on the court are being very careful so as to make a lasting legacy for the Second Amendment.
Several Attorneys General commented there were possibilities to build cases against the organizations bringing these lawsuits on the bases of fraud, for false statements used in fundraising emails, or for conspiracy to defraud based on false statements. In Montana, for example, the state AG has broad authority over non-profits.
The potential of filing lawsuits against state governments which prohibit citizens of one state from exercising their constitutional rights in other states was considered a possibility. West Virginia AG John B. McCuskey believes this is an upcoming tool to protect Second Amendment rights.
State lawsuits against other states are supposed to go directly to the Supreme Court instead of through the appellate courts. Use of the Dormant commerce clause was mentioned. The commerce clause was originally meant to prevent one state from inhibiting commerce with or through another state. State laws which inhibit or prohibit the sale of firearms appear to directly violate the commerce clause and the Second Amendment. An example could be state waiting period laws, which have no historical basis.
Economic power of the state can be used to prevent banks from discriminating against people who are involved in the firearms industry. States can pass laws preventing banks from discriminating. Banks, at present are vulnerable to this because of actions at the federal level, by the Trump administration. This tactic has been successful, but could be reversed in a future leftist administration.
Florida AG James Uthmeier told of how he refusef to defend Florida laws which he had determined were unconstitutional. He stated his oath to follow the Federal and State Constitutions pre-empted any duty to uphold a state law. The recent example was the nullification of the Florida open carry ban.
Arkansas AG Tim Griffin told of how he had researched to see if there was any historical requirement for an Arkansas AG to defend state laws in court. He did not find any such requirement. He then looked for an opportunity make a test case. He found a law which was clearly unconstitutional, violating the dormant commerce clause. He stated the AG would not prosecute the unconstitutional law, and created a precedent the AG would not prosecute or defend laws which violate the Constitution. The ability of Attorneys General to use their power to uphold Constitutional rights has been dormant for decades. It can be very powerful. The Attorney General is an elected official. They are not required to rubber stamp acts of the legislature.
This gives state AGs power to negotiate with the legislature during debate over the passage of a law. When the AG says he will not enforce a law because it is unconstitutional, legislatures will be willing to make necessary changes in bills before they become laws. The doctrine that Attorneys General must defend unconstitutional laws in court has been pernicious. It does not have a Constitutional basis.
Iowa AG Brenna Bird explained how important the office of AG is in a state. She defeated a Democratic party AG Thomas Miller, who had been in office with only a 4 years break, since 1978. Miller was not a friend of the Second Amendment. AG Brenna Bird is. She finds delight in defending rights protected by the Second Amendment.
Missouri AG Catherine L. Hanaway brought up the problem of referendum used to undermine Constitutional rights. Referendum can be brought with out of state money, which allows deep pockets to undermine constitutional rights. States need to tighten requirements for referendum in order to protect constitutional rights.
Louisiana AG Liz Murrill explained how the cases being brought to the Supreme Court by the opposition are carefully crafted to erode rights protected by the Second Amendment as shown in the Bruen decision. She explained how Second Amendment supporters cannot let down their guard and assume their rights will be protected. Second Amendment supporters have to be vigilant in every case.
There appeared to be consensus on the need to counter the ability of organizations to bring lawsuits to attack rights protected by the Second Amendment without risk and at little cost. There are mechanisms to use state resources to protect constitutional rights and to hold those who bring such lawsuits accountable.
Another theme of the forum was the opportunity afforded by the Trump administration. The possibility of rolling back federal constraints and working with the Trump administration showed a 180 degree reversal from the Biden administration.
Analysis: The eight Attorneys General were impressive in their understanding of the law, the Constitution, and the current threats to rights protected by the Second Amendment. Their ability to articulate the threats and potential remedies was excellent. The open forum gave them enough time to delve into details of strategy and tactics not easily available in an ordinary press conference.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
Investigators say Syltico Morand, 29, and another man were armed when they tried to rob two men who were also armed and sitting in a vehicle parked on 22nd Lane South.
A confrontation ensued between the men and Morand and the other suspect with him were shot, SPPD said.
Officers detained the two men that fired shots from their vehicle. Multiple firearms were recovered at the scene, according to SPPD.
SPPD says the men that were detained have not been charged at this time. Investigators believe the shooting was an act of self-defense.
SB 2 has been introduced in the South Dakota legislature. It removes silencers from the list of "controlled weapons" in the state statutes. This bill effectively removes state regulation of silencers, but not federal regulation. From sdlegislature.gov:
An Act to provide that a firearm silencer is not a controlled weapon.
The Bill removes silencers from the definition of "Controlled weapon". The definition is Section 1. § 22-1-2 (8).
The bill creates a new definition which removes silencers. Here is how the new definition would read:
(8) "Controlled weapon" includes machine gun and short shotgun as those terms are defined in subdivisions (17), (23), and (46)
of this section but does not include a firearm silencer;
As you can see, South Dakota does not include short barreled rifles in their definition of "controlled weapons". The definition of what a silencer is still exists in Section 1.§22-1-2 (17).
(17) "Firearm silencer," any instrument, attachment, weapon or appliance for causing the firing of any gun, revolver, pistol, or other firearm to be silent, or intended to lessen or muffle the noise of the firing of any such weapon;
Because silencers are removed from the list of "controlled weapons", they would no longer be banned from possession by most of the people in South Dakota. In effect, the law removes the state ban on the possession of silencers for everyone who may legally posses firearms in South Dakota. In the current law, an exemption exists for people who have a federal tax stamp for a particular silencer. The ban on short barreled rifles has already been removed from the statute.
For whatever reason, the bill keeps short barreled shotguns on the list of "controlled weapons".
Senate Bill 2 still has a long way to go to be enacted into law, even though it has a very strong start. The bill has 18 Senators as sponsors: Crabtree (prime), Blanc, Carley, Davis, Deibert, Grove, Howard, Hulse, Jensen (Kevin), Miskimins, Nelson, Pischke, Reed, Rohl, Voight, Voita, Wipf, and Zikmund . It has 29 Representatives as sponsors: Peterson (Drew) (prime), Aylward, Bahmuller, Baxter, Emery, Fosness, Goodwin, Hughes, Jordan, Jorgenson, Kull, Moore, Mortenson, Mulder, Novstrup, Overweg, Pourier, Reimer, Reisch, Rice, Roe, Schaefbauer, Schwans, Shorma, Shubeck, Sjaarda, Van Diepen, Walburg, and Weems.
There are 35 senators in the South Dakota legislature and 70 representatives. Bill 2 already has a majority of Senators as sponsors, but needs seven more representatives to have a majority of representatives as sponsors.
Governor Larry Rhoden has already said he supports the effort to deregulate suppressors in South Dakota.
The Big Beautiful Bill removed the $200 tax from the Federal National Firearms Act for silencers, short barreled rifles, short barreled shotguns, and any other weapons (aow). States need to remove state impediments to owning these weapons. The weapons should be presumptively protected by the Second Amendment. Removing the potential for state prosecution is prudent. The Supreme Court may remove these items from the NFA in the near future. Until then, removing state laws prevents the prosecution by state agencies for possession of these items. Federal law enforcement is spread thin. Without the aid of state agencies, the potential to be prosecuted for lack of a federal tax stamp becomes very small.
Arizona introduced a similar bill, SB 1014, in 2024. It was vetoed by Governor Katie Hobbs (D). Governor Hobbs holds the record for the most vetos by an Arizona governor in one session:
In her first term as governor, Hobbs set the record for the most vetoes by an Arizona governor in a single legislative session, vetoing more than 100 bills passed by the Republican-controlled legislature.[15][16]
Governor Hobbs is up for re-election in 2027.
The odds are SB2 will become law in South Dakota in 2026. It may take some time.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
Upon their arrival, JSO said officers found the victim, identified as a man in his late-30s, inside of a vehicle in front of a home.
"The initial investigation revealed three masked armed suspects entered the victim's residence and attempted to rob the victim," Johnson told First Coast News. "The suspects began firing at the victim and the victim returned fire striking one of the suspects."
Johnson said the suspect who was struck crawled out of the residence and was found in the front yard of the home when officers arrived. Both the victim and suspect who was shot were taken by to a local hospital in stable condition, according to Johnson.
In 1998, Wisconsin concluded the lengthy process to amend the state constitution to add an amendment protecting the right to keep and bear arms. The amendment passed by a super majority, 74% to 26%. The amendment is straightforward.
The people have the right to keep and bear arms for security, defense, hunting, recreation or any other lawful purpose.
The amendment was codified into the Wisconsin state constitution as section 25 of Article I. Court cases challenging Wisconsin law which infringed on rights protected by sections 25 started fairly quickly.
In July of 2003, the Wisconsin Supreme Court found the state ban on the carry of concealed weapons to be presumptively legal, in State v. Cole. They stated a Constitutional amendment is still subject to "reasonable regulation". The court essentially neutered the right to keep and bear arms as a significant protection of peoples' rights. The court had a nominally conservative majority. The case was heard five years before the Heller decision in 2008. Cole was an ugly case with the defendant a convicted drug dealer.
In June of 2016, another case was being heard in Kenosha, Wisconsin. This case also challenged state law. In this case the defendant was squeaky clean. The case was, in essence a prequel to the famous Kyle Rittenhouse case in 2021. The prosecutor was the infamous Thomas Binger, same as for Rittenhouse. The judge was none other than now famous Honorable Bruce Schroeder. The case was clear cut. Guy Smith had a revolver in his truck for his protection. Thomas Binger prosecuted the case up to the point it was going to trial. Judge Schroeder was the judge in the case. Judge Schroeder correctly ruled against a motion by the prosecution, before the trial. Binger dropped all charges, then refused to give Guy Smith his revolver back.
Wisconsin Republicans have filed an amendment to change the wording of Section 25. The wording is meant to strengthen the amendment and place it beyond the court's power to render it impotent. The changed language would read thus:
[Article I] Section 25. The people have the inalienable right to keep and bear arms which right shall never be infringed. The right of the people to keep and bear arms is a fundamental individual right, and any restriction on that right shall be subject to strict scrutiny.
The action, AJR112, has not been voted on at this time. There is an identical resolution in the Senate, SJR105. If the resolution passes the Assembly and the Senate, it then has to pass again, after an election. If it passes the second time, it will go to the people in the form of a referendum during the next election. If the referendum passes, the amendment becomes part of the state constitution. The governor is not required to sign any off on any of this process.
If the amendment is passed by two legislatures, it will pass as a referendum. The Second Amendment is popular in Wisconsin, and among states in general. No referendum establishing or strengthening the right to arms has failed a state wide referendum, to the knowledge of this correspondent. Such actions have failed in state legislatures, but not as referendums. Such referendums typically pass with super majorities. The Wisconsin Senate has 18 Republicans and 15 members of the Democratic Party. The state Assembly has 54 Republicans and 45 members of the Democratic Party.
AJR112 has 12 sponsors. SJR105, the Senate version, has four sponsors. The legislation was introduced on October 30, 2025.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
Sheriff Bill Rogers said the girl, whose name has not been released, was killed when someone opened fire on the Old Stake home just before 1 a.m.
The girl, who was 16, was killed in her bed. Family members returned fire, Rogers said, but the shooters have not been identified. The shooting occurred at 2013 Old Stake Road, roughly three miles from the town of Chadbourn.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Rogers said.
The suspected robber pulled a gun on a man who was eating at a taco truck. That man then pulled out his own gun and shot the robber multiple times.
The robbery suspect, identified as a 26-year-old man, died at the hospital.
Police say the other man drove off after the shooting, and they're now looking for him.
The KelTec PR57 has been designed from the start as a dedicated concealed carry pistol for self defense. It has a combination of old and new features, with KelTec characteristically starting fresh in its pursuit of excellence at a lower price point. AmmoLand covered the pistol at the Shot Show last year. The PR57 appears to have been selling well.
What potential for accuracy does the PR57 have? On the Internet, answers have been sparse. Some reviewers note it is easy to make hits on 100 yard targets with the pistol and an optical sight. The rotary system looks conducive to accuracy.
This correspondent watched sales and purchased a KelTec PR57 a little below the suggested retail price of $399 at KYGUNCO. In addition, a Viridian RFX11 1x16 Green Dot optical sight, four additional stripper clips, and an outside the waistband paddle holster by Rounded Gear were ordered directly from KelTec. The accessories cost about $240 with shipping and handling.
The average of 10 measurements on a Lyman Digital Trigger Pull Gage was 3.8 lbs. After a short take up, no stacking was detected. There is about 5/8 inch of travel before let-off. It is like a very light double action revolver trigger. The KelTec achieves this because the hammer is partly cocked by the slide. The trigger completes the cocking action and then releases. It is a 1 and 1/2 action. It is smooth, but takes practice to obtain the best accuracy. The safety is the long trigger pull.
With factory sights and a rest, five five shot groups at 25 yards averaged 2.65 inches. The groups were plagued with flyers. One four shot group was 7/8 of an inch. The pistol could shoot better than the aging eyes of the shooter. The pistol shot about 3 1/2 inches high at 25 yards.
Typical 25 yard group from rest with open sights.
The Viridian optical sight was mounted. Five five shot groups were fired from a rest while sighting in the PR57. At 25 yards the average group, center to center, was 2.01 inches. Five five shot groups, fired at 100 yards averaged 7.6 inches from a rest. There was considerable vertical stringing, which was attributed to an unsatisfactory rest. 23 of the 25 shots fit into an 5 x 8 inch box at 100 yards. The shots were fired deliberately, about a minute per shot.
With a hasty rest position, using a portable bench as support for the hands, five shots were fired at 100 yds at about 3 second intervals. An almost centered group of 9.5 inches was the result. One shot is in the black.
The rest used for the initial testing seemed to contribute to vertical stringing. After a Caldwell Pistolero rest was ordered and received, another test group was fired at 25 yards. There was wind from the left at about 10 mph. The result was a 5 shot group of 1.15 inches at 25 yards.
Five rounds were tested for velocity with a Garmin XERO C1 Pro radar chronograph. All ammunition used in the testing was Fiocchi Range Dynamics 40 grain FMJ bulk pack. The velocities were: 1625.4 feet per second (fps), 1607.6 fps, 1613.6 fps, 1628.5 fps, and 1621.9 fps. This gives an average of 1619.4 fps, and 233 ft-lbs of energy at the muzzle. This is about half the energy of hot 9mm load, twice the energy of an average .32 acp load, and 1.5 times the energy of most .380 ACP loads.
Accuracy is a function of ammunition, the pistol, and the shooting platform. The Fiocchi loads in this PR57 have much better accuracy than most shooters are able to use. An optical sight improves practical accuracy for aging eyes.
After carrying the PR57 for more than a month, it is easy to get used to. The texture of the grip can be abrasive to bare skin. This correspondent looks forward to a holster with better security, for open carry. Loaded with 21 rounds, the PR57 weighs 19 ounces, 11 ounces less than a Glock loaded with 17 rounds of 9mm. Recoil is much less than a Glock 17, more than a .22 LR from a Colt Woodsman. There is considerable flash and bang, which may be positive for most self defense situations.
21 rounds is enough for most situations. It is more than most revolvers with two reloads. If you carry another 20 rounds in stripper clips, they are less bulky than many single magazines. Reloading with a 10 round stripper clip is about as fast as reloading a revolver with a speed loader.
The stripper clips for the PR57 must be loaded from the top on the right side. The rounds can be pushed into the fixed magazine with either thumb, but the pistol is held differently with the right or left hand.
KelTec has achieved a remarkable result. A carry pistol with a 21 round capacity, lighter than most pocket pistols, compact, simple to use, easily concealable, more powerful than a .380. Accuracy is nearly as good as dedicated target pistols. With an optical sight installed, long range hits are easily achieved.
Reliability was good when using the stripper clips to load the pistol. If loading a single round at a time, be sure the cartridges are pushed all the way to the rear of the magazine. During the first 45 rounds of break-in two failure to feed malfunctions were experienced. This correspondent believes the cartridges, loaded singly, were not properly pushed to the rear of the magazine. No further malfunctions were experienced.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
Moshe Borukh, 35, heard commotion around the window of his Jamaica Estates home around 2:40 a.m., after getting a drink of water, and discovered a thief was inside while his wife and three young kids were asleep, he recalled to The Post.
Borukh, who took his gun with him to check out the noise, “locked eyes” with the burglar and drew his Sig Sauer P365.
“I always take the gun with me, because who knows. Then I hear actual window breaking, the glass breaking. Something’s going on. I come downstairs, point the gun at him, and I’m like, ‘I have a gun. Don’t move,'” he said of the harrowing moment.
After seeing Borukh, the invader quickly scurried out the window and abandoned the botched burglary.
“It was probably one of the scariest moments of my life. You know, I was prepared for it, just because I have a family. I have to protect my castle, and so by any means necessary,” Borukh said.
When police arrived, they located the victim, who they eventually identified as Tayden Dixon from Washington Park, Illinois. Dixon was found near the entrance of a residence with a gunshot wound. Officers and EMS provided attempted to provide medical aid, but Dixon passed away from his injuries. He was 18.
People in the home reported hearing loud banging and screaming outside, according to investigators. One of the residents, a 38-year-old woman, went downstairs to see what was going on. She found her 17-year-old niece involved in a fight on the front porch with another person whose face was covered by a hood.
Police said the woman was worried for her niece’s safety and believed she was in immediate danger. The woman opened the front door and fired a shot at the aggressor.
It was later determined the person shot was the niece’s own brother and the woman’s nephew.
At the long range section of Industry Day at the Range near Boulder City, Nevada, a range officer told this correspondent all the rifles were fitted with suppressors but one or maybe, two. Besides the long range section, silencers/suppressors were common throughout the booths.
At the Industry Day at the Range for SHOT Show 2026, the weather was wonderful for the first time in four years. There was no wind in the morning, a clear sky, and the temperature was about 50 degrees to start. Last year was windy, dusty, and cold.
The noise at the show seemed lower than usual. Silencers/suppressors were abundant. Attendance, perhaps even exhibitors seemed a bit lower than previously. This was the year of the suppressor. The Henry booth had several models with suppressors mounted, in .357 magnum, 9mm, .22, and .45-70. A suppressor and a lever gun in .357 magnum is a nice combination. For traditionalists, remember President Theodore Roosevelt liked suppressors and had them on a couple of his lever guns.
There were many suppressor manufacturers at the range. Carbon Research deserves a mention for their very lightweight and effective silencers. Their suppressors/silencers are made with a minimum of metal to protect the carbon fiber from abrasion.
Another manufacturer was Wraith Metalworks. They make a suppressor kit which can be used on calibers from .458 Winchester Magnum on down. Their top of the line kit costs about 1700 dollars, and is on one tax stamp. The kits have many different baffles, all are 3D printed in amazing detail, from inconel or titanium. They can all be taken apart for cleaning.
Ambient Arms had a booth again this year. They are known for suppressors which run at much lower temperatures than most
HUXWRX Safety Co. had a booth on the line to demonstrate their suppressors. They are designed with the safety of the operator in mind.
By estimate almost half the firearms on the line at Industry Day at the Range were equipped with suppressors. There were many other items of interest. With the elimination of the $200 tax on silencers/suppressors, it is difficult to know how the market for silencers/suppressors will develop. The demand will likely increase immediately. Producers will probabaly manufacturer silencers/suppressors as fast as they can for a considerable period of time. When the cost is lowered, the demand will increase. Increased demand will bring in more competition. It seems likely more production of inexpensive silencers will enter the market. The high end has been favored by the $200 tax. The overall number of legal silencers in the United States will increase exponentially. Prediction: silencers will be removed from the National Firearms Act. Exactly when is unknown.
One of the other attention grabbers at Industry Day at the Range was a Boston Dynamics "dog like" robot/drone called "Spot". It was at the Flymotion and EBAD booth.
One of the representatives was willing to answer a couple of questions about "Spot". "Spot" has a top speed of about three miles per hour. The current battery life is about 90 minutes. The devise is not autonomous. It takes an operator to control it. It appears to be a very useful piece of gear in numerous situations.
It is not the Terminator. It allows operators to handle many dangerous situations with a greater degree of safety.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
Witnesses told police they heard a woman screaming and saw a man pointing a gun at her. A 66-year-old man who was walking in the area heard the disturbance and stepped in to help, police also reported.
The 58-year-old man then pointed his gun at both the woman and the 66-year-old man, who fired his own handgun and struck the 58-year-old, according to the preliminary investigation.
The Bell County District Attorney’s Office will review the case. No arrests have been made.
An initial investigation revealed that a mother and her two adult children were home when they heard someone banging on their door. The woman allegedly answered the door, and an unknown man started to force his way into the home.
During the incident, a man in the home retrieved a gun and went to the door as the subject broke through the security door and stepped inside. Officials said that is when the man shot the intruder.
Police said the family did not know the intruder. The deceased man has been identified as 27-year-old Michael Diaz.
The sheriff said the situation is so convoluted that they are still trying to determine who are the victims and who are the suspects.
The scene on the 3600 block of Avenue R was marked by police tape and dozens of yellow placards, each indicating a bullet fired during the incident.
"This was a full-blown shootout here in broad daylight," said St. Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro.
Sheriff Del Toro said two 18-year-olds and a 17-year-old used a messaging app to arrange a gun purchase from three other individuals.
"A little concerning considering the fact you have people of this age group dealing with firearms, illegal firearms transactions," he said.
A 31-year-old man was in an alley when a 36-year-old man approached, attempted to rob him, then fired shots at him, according to a desk officer at the LAPD’s Operations Center. The two men got into a fight and the would-be victim wrestled the gun away from the assailant and fired a shot that struck him, the officer said.
Paramedics took the suspect to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
HPD said an investigation, led by the Major Crimes Unit, found Linder and Ziegler were involved in a fight. Evidence shows Ziegler was armed and made a threat with his gun, according to the department. Linder, who also had a gun, fired his weapon and hit Zeigler.
HPD told News 19 that Linder also hit a vehicle in the parking lot, injuring a man inside. That man was driven to the hospital after the shooting. Police said he was taken inside for treatment, and his injuries are not considered to be life-threatening.
On January 17, 2026, at approximately 9:30 p.m., Dallas Police responded to a shooting call in the 7400 block of Hunnicut Road. The preliminary investigation determined that a man, later identified as 30-year-old Anthony Turner, pointed a gun at a man, who then shot Turner. Dallas Fire-Rescue responded to the scene, where Turner died. The motives and circumstances surrounding this incident are still under investigation. At this time, a Grand Jury Referral will be made in this case. This investigation is ongoing and documented under case numbers 008397-2026 and 008546-2026.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Detective C. Fehrenbach #11089 at (214) 671-3671 or cody.fehrenbach@dallaspolice.gov.
The shooting happened around 8:30 a.m. at a vacant home on Nine Foot Road, outside of Newport.
Deputies say a man was legally conducting business at the property when he was confronted by Blevins, who was apparently squatting at the home.
After a verbal dispute, deputies say the squatter fired multiple shots at the victim.
The victim made his way back to his vehicle, deputies say, and got his own gun and returned fire in self-defense.
Yesterday, January 18, this correspondent was driving on the way to Las Vegas for the Shot Show, 2026. In Nevada, on highway 95, contrails showed a remarkable cross or X in the sky. The cross was very close to the section of Highway 95 dedicated to US veterans from WWII on up.
I will be at the Shot Show this week, so blog articles may be a little spotty.
Today will be Industry Day at the Range. It appears the weather will be cool, with relatively mild temperatures.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
Deputies say it happened Friday around 5 p.m. in the 600 block of Fowler Road.
Investigators say an intruder broke into the home and got into a struggle with the homeowner.
During the incident, deputies say the homeowner retrieved a gun and shot the intruder.
The homeowner armed himself after finding an intruder inside his home. The intruder pointed a shotgun at the homeowner, who then shot and injured the suspect before calling 911, according to police.
Redlands police officers arrived at the residence to find a blood trail that led them to the backyard, where they located the wounded intruder. Police recovered both weapons at the scene.
The suspected intruder was identified as 52-year-old Daniel Torres Carrion. He was arrested and transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Terry Morris Jr. was arrested on an outstanding warrant after a joint effort between the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office, the Dillon County Sheriff’s Office, and the SLED Fugitive Unit. He was charged with felon in possession of a firearm.
Deputies said that Morris was involved in a fight at a house in the Brownsville area where a man attacked and pistol-whipped him “without provocation.”
Morris then discharged a handgun and hit the man multiple times. By the time authorities got to the scene, Morris has left, according to deputies.
Upon arrival at the scene, officers found the body of Terrance Rucker, 49, who had succumbed to a single gunshot wound.
According to officials, the shooter, identified as 68-year-old Frederick Rucker, allegedly shot Terrence Rucker in self-defense.
Witnesses in this case were interviewed at JPD headquarters, officials added.
This is an active and ongoing investigation.
According to police, four people tried to force their way into an apartment which resulted in a confrontation with the residents. During that confrontation shots were fired.
A spokeswoman for Thornton Police said a witness reported the shooting after hearing gunfire and provided a good description of the suspect's vehicle.
Officers spotted the vehicle and began a pursuit. They followed the vehicle on Federal Boulevard and the chase ended near 56th and Federal when officers successfully performed a PIT maneuver.
Four people were inside the vehicle - including a man who had been shot. He died from his injuries.
CATASAUQUA, Pa. - The Lehigh County District Attorney's Office said a resident shot a suspected car thief overnight in Catasauqua, Lehigh County.
The resident shot at the suspected car thief multiple times, according to a news release from the DA's office.
The DA's office said the person was hit at least once.
"The only description we have is wearing all black with masks on," said emergency dispatchers during scanner reports.
Investigators said the person who was shot fled the area. The shooter reportedly fired a number of rounds at the suspected car thief.
The Salt Lake City Police Department said 23-year-old Shane Hagaman called 911 to report that a man stole his bike, and that he shot the suspected thief as he rode away. Hagaman said the man then got into the passenger side of a Toyota Tacoma that fled the area.
Investigators found a broken bike lock on a handrail outside Hagaman's home, where he lived on the second story.
Hospital employees later reported to police that a gunshot victim was dropped off in a Tacoma. The victim, 42-year-old Tyson Scott Babb, was pronounced dead at the hospital. He suffered one gunshot wound to his upper back.
The National Instant Background Check System (NICS) numbers, adjusted by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) have dropped 3.4% below December of 2024 and 4.1% below the adjusted sales for 2024 for the entire year of 2025.
The pattern of adjusted NICS checks is remarkably similar to that of 2024, with slight variations. A minor variation is in 2024, August numbers were higher than in September. In 2025, the numbers climb from a low in July to a maximum in December. From NSSF:
The December 2025 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 1,587,049 is a decrease of 3.4 percent compared to the December 2024 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 1,642,270. For comparison, the unadjusted December 2025 FBI NICS figure of 2,220,852 reflects a 16.1 percent decrease from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 2,647,933 in December 2024.
The annual 2025 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 14,612,314 reflects a decrease of 4.1 percent compared to the 15,239,011 figure for annual 2024.
The chart of annual adjusted NICS numbers show a gradual decline in annual firearm sales from the peak during the tumultuous and hotly contested election of 2020 through most of the first year of President Trump's second term. President Trump has recorded success after success during the past year. Most people in the gun culture are seeing both greater domestic stability and a lower level of international chaos and crises. A form of shaky peace has been imposed on the middle east. Iran has been rendered nearly impotent, as have its proxies, the Houtis, Hezbollah, and Hamas. President Trump has had success in damping down hot spots between Cambodia and Thailand, Kosovo and Serbia, DRC and Rwanda, Pakistan and India, Egypt and Ethiopia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. While peace has yet to break out between Ukraine and Russia, serious talks are occurring.
On the domestic front, Inflation is down, the stock market is up, GDP is increasing and energy prices are down. As the United States enters the new year, prosperity appears to be breaking out and violent crime has been falling. The numbers are not completed for 2025. The trend has been toward 2025 setting the record for the lowest homicide rate ever recorded in the United States. We will not know if a record has been set for another month or two.
An upturn in international and domestic affairs may have reduced motivations to purchase firearms. It is possible greater prosperity could incentivize people to spend more disposable income. Such potential is not showing up in the NICS figures at this time.
When the NICS adjusted figures are compared to the more accurate ATF figures from Firearms Commerce in the United States, the averages have been converging. ATF figures are reported a year and a half later than NICS, to respect manufacturers' property rights. The numbers from 2000 - 2023 show the number of firearms added to private stock to be 90% of the numbers shown in the NICS adjusted figures. When the last decade of available numbers are used, 2014-2023, the ATF numbers are 98% of the NICS adjusted numbers. It seems likely the last two years have added 30 million more firearms to the private stock in the United States. This equates to a total of 540 million firearms in the USA at the end of 2025.
How close is the United States to market saturation? Considerable growth is possible. If growth continues in the USA, a miracle may happen. The debt and budget deficit may be brought under control. Such would seem impossible for any president other than President Trump. It would be impossible if we were not on the brink of incredible technological breakthroughs such as fusion power, autonomous vehicles, breakthrough reductions in cost to orbit, and... even... increasingly powerful artificial intelligence. Any one of these technologies, if widely implemented, has the potential of enormous increases in productivity.
The elimination of the $200 tax on silencers, short barreled rifles, short barreled shotguns, and any other weapons (AOW) in the National Firearms Act (NFA) has the potential to unleash significant demand. Such demand would be multiplied if those items are completely removed from the NFA, as seems possible, but not probable in the next year. Unconfirmed reports show applications for Form 1 and Form 4 from the ATF has reached over 250,000 in the first week of 2026. The table has been set for a more prosperous year in 2026.
©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
According to DPS, the shooting happened when two men, including suspect
Marco Frazier, were inside the house arguing. The caller told law
enforcement that during the argument, Frazier shot the man, causing the
man to shoot back, hitting the woman as well as the infant.
Police say after a security guard broke up a fight inside the club, the suspects returned around 4:30 a.m. and opened fire on him.
According to investigators, two men in a nearby car thought they were being shot at, so both of them started shooting as well.
The security guard was shot in the stomach.
He was taken to the hospital in stable condition.
Police say all of the suspects are in custody.
An article published on rollingout.com claims to "debunk" myths about guns with "real data". All the "real data" used is from advocates who oppose the ownership of guns. If you skip to the end of the article, the source listed for the numbers used in the article is everytownresearch. Everytownresearch is one of the propaganda arms of the anti-Second Amendment organization Everytown for Gun Safety, financed by Michael Bloomberg, a stanch anti-Second Amendment advocate. To use such a source to "debunk" myths is similar to asking the Flat Earth Society to "debunk" myths about gravity.
The pitch starts with the presumption some nebulous entity called "the gun industry" has "spent decades convincing people that danger lurks around every corner" . This is a peculiar and highly dubious statement. Gun makers are shut out of most major media. You do not see ads for guns on major television shows. You don't see ads for guns at the Superbowl. You hardly see any ads showing guns used defensively against crime. Most social networks vigorously ban advertisements of weapons. To claim otherwise is a Marxian fantasy. The old dominant media often parrot anti-Second Amendment myths. Such dominance is fading.
Having grown up in the gun culture in the decades referred to in the article, there is some truth about the danger of crime to families being overemphasized. It isn't by the "gun industry". It is by the old media, movies, television shows, and the emphasis of media on violent crime. This correspondent recalls many television shows which would have become much shorter if the "victims" were armed.
Yes, the gun culture in the United States has shifted from hunting to personal protection, target shooting, and protection from government tyranny. It is a reasonable shift which goes with the shift from a rural culture to an urban culture.
The society in the USA has become much more affluent and fractured. People are more concerned about safety. The number of firearms in society is not related to the number of homicides and violent crime in society.
A significant number of gun owners see guns as an insurance policy, similar to a fire extinguisher in your home. The Rollingout.com writer notes that violent crimes have dropped in recent years. Crime and risk from crime is highly individual and specific. Violent crime rises and falls. Risk depends on individual circumstances as to whether a firearm is useful or not. Your risk depends a great deal on your circumstances and your neighborhood. As with a fire extinguisher, a firearm for personal protection may never be needed. If it is, the need is often immediate and severe.
The article leans heavily on the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), which does not ask about defensive gun uses. The defensive use of a firearm is only discovered if the defender self-identifies as a victim of a crime. Unsurprisingly, it is an outlier in surveys about how often firearms are used defensively. The author tries to make some point about how most perpetrators of crime are not armed with guns. This is true, but points out exactly why guns are so effective for defense.
The article cherry picks statistics from victimization surveys, and from anti-Second Amendment activists.
Unsurprisingly, the article ignores research which contradicts the narrative that "guns are bad". There is no mention of minority women in crime ridden urban centers benefiting the most from being able to legally defend themselves with weapons. No mention of gun "buybacks" being associated with small, but statistically significant increases in crime. No mention of homicide rates rising in countries where bans on guns are imposed. No mention of suicide rates persisting when gun bans are put into effect, and other methods are substituted. No mention of a correlation with the legal carry of guns and decreased homicide rates. These effects are debated, but there is debate. To ignore these findings is intellectually dishonest.
This correspondent has read most of the academic literature in the debate about whether ownership of firearms has a positive or negative effect on safety. The largest drivers of suicide and homicide rates are cultural. England had much lower rates of homicide than the United States when the United States had stricter gun control than England did, about 1914. The homicide rate in England rose as they instituted more gun control. Gun control in England was about political control, not crime.
The ownership of firearms plays a relatively small role in suicide and homicide rates. Firearms are popular because firearms increase personal power. They can play major roles in individual circumstances. A 100 lb woman with a gun is on par with a 250 lb man. Firearms even out power imbalances created by muscle, mass and age. Firearms are great equalizers for women.
In the United States, the debate about small effects on safety is winding down. It is becoming irrelevant because rights protected by the Second Amendment are being restored. If a person thinks they cannot responsibly handle firearm ownership, the are not required to own a gun. Police officers, who deal with criminal violence on a regular basis, reject this notion.
The Rollingout article ignores the Second Amendment, because the Second Amendment renders their argument superfluous. There are over 500 million firearms in private hands in the United States. Firearm ownership is popular, and becoming more popular. Firearms are fun, firearms are effective, firearms are often used to protect the innocent. The repeal of the Second Amendment is a totalitarian wish, which would render the Constitution toothless.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
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