NFA Background Checks Jump 129%: This Week in Dealer News

Retail background checks slipped 2.3% in September while NFA checks doubled. The week also brought a new federal suit against New Mexico's waiting period, a straw-purchase indictment, and another PTR sales reorganization.

By Fred Thompson •

Same-Day Suppressors: Week One at the Dealer Counter

A Springfield shop sold a suppressor in the time it takes to run a background check - the first real retail read on ATF's October 9 guidance. Week one taught dealers that the federal paper moved, but the compliance load did not.

By Fred Thompson •

Three Years in Prison to Earn a Day in Court: FPC and Two D.C. Gun Owners Ask the Full D.C. Circuit to Overrule the Standing Rule Shielding the District’s Magazine Ban

FPC asks the full D.C. Circuit to end a standing rule that makes gun owners risk felony charges just to challenge D.C.'s magazine ban. Read the original story: Three Years in Prison to Earn a Day in Court: FPC and Two D.C. Gun Owners Ask the Full D.C. Circuit to Overrule the Standing Rule Shieldi...

By Luke McCoy •

S&W Buys Savage: A Growth Playbook for Independent FFLs

Smith & Wesson's $160 million purchase of Savage Arms puts two major long-gun lines under one roof. A practical growth playbook for independent FFL dealers: audit your supplier concentration, lock terms while two reps still compete, and make sure local buyers can actually find you.

By Gary Stone •

The Feds Stepped Back on NFA Rules. Your State Didn't.

ATF stopped enforcing NFA registration for suppressors, SBRs and SBSs on October 9, but state law never moved. New Mexico's waiting-period fight and Montana's felony statute show what that costs dealers at the counter.

By Fred Thompson •

Texas Suppressor Ruling: What Happens Next for Buyers

As of October 20, 2026 Both of the open questions hanging over suppressor buyers this fall are now closed. The Justice Department will not appeal, and ATF has published its guidance. On October 1, Solicitor General D. John Sauer notified Congress in writing that the Department had determined not ...

By James Chen •
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