2nd Amendment

West Virginia: Pro-Gun Bills Advance to Governor's Desk

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 11:36:01 -0500

This week, two pro-gun bills that provide additional assurances for the firearms industry passed out of the legislature.

Maine: Massive NRA Grassroots Mobilization Makes Lawmakers Take Notice

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 10:31:02 -0500

NRA members are more active in the political process than ever, and Maine politicians are taking notice. At recent Public Hearings on a slew of anti-gun bills, lawmakers on both sides of the political spectrum took to the mic to discuss the NRA's highly successful grassroots mobilization efforts.

SUREFIRE JOINS SAF AS SILVER-LEVEL CORPORATE PARTNER

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 10:30:39 -0500

BELLEVUE, Wash. — April 10, 2025 — The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) is pleased to announce SureFire – manufacturer of the world’s finest and most innovative illumination tools and tactical products – has joined the organization as a corporate partnership at the Silver level.

“We are proud to partner with the Second Amendment Foundation,” said SureFire Vice President, Sales and Marketing Jeremy Rosenberg. “SAF has a long history of advocating, educating, and taking legal action where necessary to defend our Second Amendment rights. We’re excited to work closely with them and support this important mission.”

Located in Fountain Valley, Calif., SureFire is the leading manufacturer of suppressors, high-performance flashlights, weapon-mounted lights and other tactical equipment for those who go in harm’s way or anyone who demands the ultimate in quality, innovation and performance. SureFire illumination tools are used by more SWAT teams and elite special operations forces than any other brand.

Along with joining SAF as a corporate partner, SureFire has also provided products for giveaways to help raise awareness and support for the organization’s legal efforts.

“I have known and worked with Jeremy and the SureFire team for quite some time, and I can say with confidence that they are all committed to defending, securing and restoring our Second Amendment rights,” said SAF Senior Vice President Lauren Hill. “Thanks to SureFire’s partnership commitment, along with the other avenues of support they provide through product donations, SAF can continue to fight and ensure our right to keep and bear arms continues for generations.”

For more information about SAF’s corporate partner program, contact Hill at lhill@saf.org.

The post SUREFIRE JOINS SAF AS SILVER-LEVEL CORPORATE PARTNER appeared first on Second Amendment Foundation.

Gun Owners in Embattled States Beg for Bondi’s ‘2A Task Force’ Attention

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 09:17:21 -0500

Gun owners are reacting to the announcement of a DOJ ‘Second Amendment Task Force.’ (Dave Workman)

No sooner did Attorney General Pam Bondi’s memorandum announcing the creation of a Second Amendment Task Force become public than social media erupted with messages from gun owners in embattled Democrat-dominated states expressing hope for Justice Department attention.

Bondi’s memo to DOJ employees declared, “For too long, the Second Amendment, which establishes the fundamental individual right of Americans to keep and bear arms, has been treated as a second-class right. No more. It is the policy of this Department of Justice to use its full might to protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.”

Quite possibly the most energetic reactions came from Washington state, where gun owners are presently under direct attack by the Legislature. Within a couple of hours of the story being reported at The Gun Mag (formerly GUN WEEK), more than 125 people had read about Bondi’s announcement, and many had left comments on the order of, “We need this in Washington state,” and “PLEASE come to WA.”

One respondent named Matt Occhione said he “Can’t wait till Pam Bondi shows up in the state of Washington and introduce(s) our government to the federal constitution!”

In Florida, one fellow responding to the story posted on Florida Carry’s Facebook page declared, “I love it!”

A reader responding to the same story link at the New York S.C.O.P.E. Facebook page suggested that Bondi “should have a chat with (New York Gov. Kathy) Hochul! Bring Tom Homan with her!”

Another respondent on yet another Facebook site suggested, “Anti-gun groups exist to deprive people of their constitutional rights. That’s a federal crime. They should be prosecuted under the RICO statute, imprisoned and all assets seized.”

Clearly, Second Amendment activists across the landscape are delighted and energized by the news from Bondi and the DOJ. Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, released a statement hailing the announcement.

“This is the news we’ve been waiting for,” Gottlieb said. “From the wording of Attorney General Bondi’s memo, it looks like ‘gloves off’ time may have finally arrived. It marks a significant, and welcome change at the Department of Justice, because it is clear we now have leadership in place which treats gun owners as allies instead of antagonists.

“It’s great to have a Department of Justice defending Second Amendment rights,” he said, “instead of attacking them.”

Not only could the DOJ task force likely go after laws already passed and others facing certain enactment in Washington, but there would be fertile ground in neighboring Oregon, farther south in California, and in several other states in the east. The one thing they all have in common is a Democrat-controlled legislature and anti-gun Democrats in the respective governors’ offices and the offices of Attorneys General.

In his remarks, CCRKBA’s Gottlieb recalled how the Joe Biden administration “declared war” on the Second Amendment and this nation’s gun owners, by some estimates numbering between 85 and 100 million. It started almost immediately after Biden was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2021, and it continued throughout his four-year term, either at his direction or that of his subordinates.

That much was intimated in another CCRKBA statement reacting to the Trump administration’s reversal of Biden’s “zero-tolerance policy” toward even minor paperwork errors by federally licensed firearms dealers.

“Joe Biden, and whoever was guiding his anti-gun agenda while he suffered from diminished capacities, clearly intended to treat gun rights as regulated privileges,” Gottlieb stated at the time. “Their disdain for gun owners, gun shows and neighborhood retailers was well-established, and by trashing Biden’s Enhanced Regulatory Enforcement Policy, the new administration continues to treat America’s Second Amendment community as allies, rather than enemies.”

Just where and how the DOJ’s Second Amendment Task Force will direct its attention remains to be seen, but the announcement is considered by many to be an affirmation of his campaign promises to protect the Second Amendment, and his executive action in March setting Bondi on the course she now appears to be following zealously.

One thing is clear, however. Bondi has all of the key players involved in this effort: FBI, ATF, the DOJ’s Office of the Solicitor General, the Civil Division, the Civil Rights Division and the Criminal Division.

What signal should this be sending to state officials who have been laboring feverishly to adopt the most stringent gun control laws ever? Karma may be on the horizon, and beleaguered gun owners from coast to coast are anxious for relief.

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DOJ Announces Second Amendment Task Force

About Dave Workman

Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms, and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.

Leak Reveals Deputy Marvin Richardson Forced Out at ATF

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 08:41:01 -0500

Screenshot From ATF Page Showing Richardson and Dettelbach

Long-time Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Deputy Director Marvin Richardson has been dismissed from his post after being forced to retire. His other option was to be forcibly removed from his position.

Richardson served in the ATF for decades under multiple Presidents. Previously, he was Acting Director from 2021 to 2022. Richardson was the driving force behind the ATF’s war on pistol braces and privately manufactured firearms (PMFs). In 2020, AmmoLand News learned through a source inside the ATF that Richardson and then acting head Regina Lombardo met with the Biden Transition team without the knowledge of President Trump to discuss the ATF’s focus. Mr. Richardson was particularly interested in going after the stabilizing devices.

Even before the meeting with the Biden transition team, Mr. Richardson had been no fan of pistols equipped with braces, which he saw as a National Firearms Act (NFA) loophole. At his direction, ATF’s enforcement side issued cease and desist letters to Q, LLC, regarding its Honey Badger pistol, which was equipped with an SB Tactical brace. The ATF claimed that the Honey Badger was a short-barreled rifle (SBR) even though it was classified as a pistol by ATF standards. ATF’s enforcement side issued the letters even though the Trump Justice Department (DOJ) had ordered ATF’s industry side not to move on pistol braces. Q, LLC wasn’t the only company to receive a letter; multiple companies producing braced pistols also received them. But eventually, the ATF was forced to back down after pressure from the Trump DOJ.

Before President Biden took office, Richardson complained that the ATF didn’t have the “political capital” to go after pistol braces, but he was hopeful that it would have the political capital once Biden started issuing anti-gun proclamations. Mr. Richardson was right. After Biden entered office, the President ordered the ATF to change the pistol braces and PMF rules. Sources say the White House used the meeting between the Biden transition team and the ATF to develop their anti-gun road map.

Mr. Richardson has been the latest removal under the Trump Justice Department. Earlier, ATF Chief Counsel Pam Hicks was removed. Ms. Hicks was the darling of the anti-gun movement for targeting of Second Amendment rights. Under Richardson and Hicks, the ATF targeted the firearms industry with new questionable regulations and oversaw the prosecution of Americans for questionable “crimes.”

During Richardson’s reign, the ATF was a political tool instead of a law enforcement and regulatory agency. Under Richardson’s leadership, the ATF also targeted gun dealerships with its non-defunct zero-tolerance policies that saw a 500% increase in Federal Firearms License (FFL) revocations. That policy has been rolled back. Other anti-gun policies also seem to be on the chopping block thanks to President Trump’s executive order on Second Amendment Rights.

Mr. Richardson’s departure is seen as a positive step for Second Amendment Rights. Mr. Richardson was a career bureaucrat who put politics over the rights of Americans. With Hicks and Richardson out, many wonder who will be next on the chopping block? A replacement is expected to be announced later today.

Daniel Driscoll to Be Named New ATF Acting Director

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About John Crump

Mr. Crump is an NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people from all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons, follow him on X at @crumpyss, or at www.crumpy.com.

DOJ Announces Second Amendment Task Force

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 07:05:06 -0500

The Department of Justice is reminding anti-gunners the Second Amendment is not a second-class right. (Dave Workman)

The Department of Justice announced the formation of the “Second Amendment Enforcement Task Force,” setting off praise from the gun rights community and drawing the ire of the anti-gun syndicate.

“The prior administration placed an undue burden on gun owners and vendors by targeting law-abiding citizens exercising their 2nd Amendment rights,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said. “The Department of Justice’s new 2nd Amendment Task Force will combine department-wide policy and litigation resources to advance President Trump’s pro-gun agenda and protect gun owners from overreach.”

The new task force starkly contrasts the Biden Administration’s “White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.” Under Biden, anti-gun groups unofficially received an office in the White House intending to limit the gun rights of Americans. The new task force’s goal is to expand the rights of the people. The memo sent out by Bondi echoed the words of Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, who said, “The Second Amendment is not a second-class right.”

The memo read: “For too long, the Second Amendment, which establishes the fundamental individual right of Americans to keep and bear arms, has been treated as a second-class right. No more. It is the policy of this Department of Justice to use its full might to protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.”

The creation of the Second Enforcement Task Force is a direct result of President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14206 § 1 (Protecting Second Amendment Rights). The task force will comprise Attorney General Bondi as chair and the Associate Attorney General as vice chair. In addition to AG Bondi and the AAG, the AG’s personal staff, the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the Office of the Associate Attorney General, the Office of the Solicitor General, the Civil Division, the Civil Rights Division, the Criminal Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and any other group that the AG deems necessary will be tapped for the task force.

The primary purpose of the task force is to continue implementing Trump’s Second Amendment Executive Order. AG Bondi said they are “developing and executing strategies to use litigation and policy to advance, protect, and promote compliance with the Second Amendment.” The press release referenced repealing the ATF’s zero-tolerance and reviewing both the “engage in the business” and the “pistol brace rule.” The DOJ recently opened an investigation into the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) for Second Amendment rights violations in issuing concealed carry permits. The DOJ said these are just the first of many investigations into Second Amendment violations concentrating on California. It is expected that these investigations will expand past the Golden State.

The creation of the Second Enforcement Task Force saw gun rights groups celebrate on social media. Gun Owners of America (GOA), Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC), the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), and the National Rifle Association (NRA) all supported the DOJ’s move. The anti-gun groups took a “sky is falling” stance. Giffords was particularly upset about the creation of the task force. The group said:

“The Trump administration just announced a special interest task force as a favor to gun industry CEOs.”

“Donald Trump hasn’t taken a single action to address the number one killer of American kids: gun crime and gun violence.”

Gun owners are now starting to see the fruits of the Trump Executive Order on the Second Amendment coming to fruition. More changes are expected over the coming weeks and months.

About John Crump

Daniel Driscoll to Be Named New ATF Acting Director

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 16:19:48 -0500

ATF Police Raid IMG ATFHQ Instagram

According to sources, a new Acting Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) will start on Monday. Daniel Driscoll will take the reins of the ATF from Acting Director Kash Patel, who will continue as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Mr. Driscoll is currently serving as the Secretary of the Army after being confirmed on February 25, 2025. He was born in Banner Elk, North Carolina. Mr. Driscoll used the post-9/11 GI Bill to attend the University of North Carolina, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. He would then serve in the United States Army for three and a half years as a lieutenant, first as an armor officer, then as a cavalry scout platoon leader with the 10th Mountain Division. He would see combat while deployed in Iraq.

After Driscoll’s time in the Army, he attended Yale Law School and received a Juris Doctor. During his time at Yale, he would become friends with Vice President JD Vance. While at Yale, Driscoll interned for Ninth Circuit Chief Judge Alex Kozinski and the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. In 2020, he would run for the Republican nomination to represent North Carolina’s 11th congressional district. He would be unsuccessful in his election attempt.

Driscoll’s public record on gun rights is limited. When he ran for Congress, he ran on a conservative platform, including protecting the Second Amendment rights of all Americans. With the Justice Department’s (DOJ) new Second Amendment Task Force announcement, Driscoll could see a significant role. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) saw the appointment to the position as a positive step to curtail the ATF’s overreach.

“President Trump’s decision to appoint Acting Director Driscoll is indicative of his resolve to bring reform to the ATF and protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens and the industry that makes it possible to exercise those rights,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “NSSF is deeply appreciative of FBI Director Kash Patel’s service to lead the ATF as Acting Director for nearly two months in his interim role and the recognition, along with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, that the ATF was weaponized by the previous administration to carry out a radical gun control agenda. The firearm industry is confident that President Trump’s appointment of Acting Director Driscoll to lead the ATF will return the Bureau to its proper role as a law enforcement agency laser focused on combatting violent crime and illegal firearms trafficking, and to act as a non-partisan regulator of the firearm industry.”

The ATF has faced growing criticism over its actions against gun owners and the gun industry. The appointment of Kash Patel as acting director and Robert Leider as chief counsel has given hope to the gun community that the ATF will curtail some of its infringements. Both gentlemen have a record of being pro-gun. Some changes have already been taking place, including repealing zero-tolerance and reviewing rules put into place under the last administration.

It is believed that Mr. Driscoll will keep reforming the Bureau and help implement President Donald Trump’s executive order on Second Amendment issues. Kash Patel will remain the head of the FBI. There is no timeline for a permanent ATF director.

About John Crump

North Carolina: Pro-Gun Bill on the Move in the House

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 13:13:03 -0500

Last week, House Bill 193 reportedly favorably out of the House Judiciary 2 committee and was referred to the House Committee on Education-K-12 for further consideration.

Texas: Committee to Consider Self-Defense Protections on Publicly Owned Property

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 13:09:52 -0500

Tomorrow, the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee will hear Senate Bill 1065, prohibiting lessees of publicly owned property from restricting your right to self-defense. Use the take action button below to contact the committee and urge them to support SB 1065.

Montana: Red Flag Prevention Bill on Senate Floor This Week

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 10:09:01 -0500

This week, the Senate will hear House Bill 809, preventing localities from enacting "red flag" laws, on the floor.