Why Everyone Wants Montana — And Why Montanans Are Fed Up

Ask a lifelong Montanan how they feel about the steady stream of newcomers, and you may get pointed to a sign hanging in a Bozeman bar. It reads that you should welcome yourself to Montana while remembering you are a refugee, not a missionary. The message is blunt, but it captures a tension that ...

By James Chen •

Blast from the Past: M1A-A1 Bush Rifle

Editor’s Note: This piece was crafting as a special retro-style “mini-magazine” within the Winter 2026 print issue of The Armory Life. We styled it to look as though it had been published back when the author was a young teenager poring over his collection of Springfield Armory catalogs. Yo...

By Mike Humphries •

Congress Must Rein In ATF’s Billion-Record Gun Archive After Qilin Breach

Qilin breached a separate ATF system, but the bureau’s massive archive of lawful gun purchases remains a threat to gun-owner privacy. Congress should force a full accounting, end informal record collection, limit retention, and change the law that feeds the archive—before a future administrat...

By John Crump •

The Holy Trinity of Second Amendment Law: Heller, McDonald, and Bruen

Heller identified an individual right to keep and bear arms. McDonald made that right enforceable against the states. Bruen confirmed public carry and forced courts to follow text, history, and tradition. Together, they form the holy trinity of modern Second Amendment law.

By Duncan Johnson Editor in Chief •

NSSF Takes Connecticut To Court Over "Cruciform-Trigger" Ban

Some background—the state of Connecticut banned the sale of pistols with cruciform triggers earlier in 2026, when Governor Ned Lamont signed H.B. 5043 into law. The idea behind this bill is to stop the sale of pistols that can be converted from semi-auto to full-auto with the installation o...

By Zac K •

Why Public Land Is Worth Fighting For

Public land is the reason you can grab a rifle, shotgun or bow and head into the woods without owning 500 acres or knowing someone who does. Across the country, national forests, Bureau of Land Management ground, state forests and wildlife management areas hold millions of acres open to hunters c...

By James Chen •

The Armory Life Presents: The 2026 Cantius Award

I have worked with Dr. Will Dabbs for much of my career as an editor and consider him to be both an exceptional contributor and a good friend. No matter the deadline or the assignment, I always know that I can count on him to deliver a well-rounded, thoroughly researched and — most importantly ...

By Mike Humphries •
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