Seven Charged In Illegal Firearm Dealing and Altering

Second Amendment Groups Challenge Vermont Gun Waiting Period In Second Circuit Story by Mike Jenkins The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and a coalition of prominent gun rights organizations have filed an amicus curiae brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, urging the court to strike down Vermont's 72-hour waiting period for firearm purchases. The brief supports the plaintiffs-appellants in the case, Vt. Fed. of Sportsmen’s Clubs, Inc. v. Birmingham, arguing that the district court’s previous ruling upholding the waiting period misapplied the historical test established by the Supreme Court in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen. Bruen and Rahimi by misapplying the Second Amendment’s historical test and creating a false ‘fork’ in the analysis for so-called ‘ancillary’ rights, and by relying on unserious analogues like laws disarming intoxicated persons." Moros emphasized the lack of historical tradition for such restrictions, noting, “History shows no tradition of waiting periods, even as mass production made guns widely available in the 19th century.” The groups are urging the Second Circuit to "reverse and restore the proper Bruen framework." The 2nd Amendment: History, Controversy, and Constitutional Debate The brief leverages recent legal victories and historical context to bolster its claim. It notes that the Tenth Circuit recently struck down a similar waiting period in Ortega v. Grisham, and points out that several other challenges to waiting periods are currently pending nationwide. Furthermore, the brief relies on primary historical sources, including newspaper advertisements offering firearms for sale as far back as 1745, to demonstrate a long-standing tradition of immediate access to arms. Alan M. Gottlieb, SAF founder and Executive Vice President, characterized the waiting period as an unconstitutional infringement. “The right to keep and bear arms doesn’t have a timestamp and should be afforded to anyone wishing to legally purchase a firearm,” Gottlieb said. He concluded that "waiting periods to exercise a constitutional right are impermissible and are a direct infringement on the Second Amendment rights of peaceable citizens.”

Second Amendment Foundation Urges Supreme Court To Hear Assault Weapons Ban Case Story by Billy Adams The legal battle over "assault weapons" bans is inching closer to the U.S. Supreme Court, as the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) filed a reply brief on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, pressing the High Court to take up its challenge to the Cook County, Illinois, ban. The case, Viramontes v. Cook County, has been distributed for a conference among the Justices scheduled for Friday, December 5th. The reply brief was submitted following an attempt by Cook County to persuade the Supreme Court not to hear the case. Viramontes is a suitable vehicle for the Court to settle the assault weapons ban issue," said SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut. He expressed hope that the case would provide the opportunity for the Court to "put an end to these pernicious hardware bans." The brief contends that the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld the ban, "is not alone in deeply misunderstanding the application of the Second Amendment in challenges to firearm bans," and that "the time has come for this Court to address the AR-15 issue." Seeking Constitutional Clarity SAF, along with the Firearms Policy Coalition and two private citizens, is challenging the county's prohibition on certain semi-automatic firearms. The organization argues that the Supreme Court needs to intervene to settle the constitutionality of such bans "once and for all." "Despite Cook County’s attempt to avoid constitutional accountability, we think Viramontes is a suitable vehicle for the Court to settle the assault weapons ban issue," said SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut. He expressed hope that the case would provide the opportunity for the Court to "put an end to these pernicious hardware bans." The brief contends that the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld the ban, "is not alone in deeply misunderstanding the application of the Second Amendment in challenges to firearm bans," and that "the time has come for this Court to address the AR-15 issue." Rights of Millions at Stake SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb emphasized the urgency of the matter, stating, "The assault weapons issue has percolated long enough." He stressed that the bans subject "the fundamental rights of millions of Americans... to constitutional injury." The case originated in 2021, and its petition for a writ of certiorari was filed in August. The Justices will consider the petition at their December conference, which could result in the Court granting review, denying review, or taking no immediate action. A decision to grant review would put the constitutionality of widely adopted "assault weapons" bans—which typically target popular semi-automatic rifles—squarely before the nation's highest court. The Supreme Court has faced numerous appeals concerning firearm bans since its 2022 ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, which established a historical-tradition test for Second Amendment challenges.

Oral Arguments Begin In Oregon Supreme Court Over Restrictive Gun Law Challenge Mark Chesnut Oral arguments begin before the Oregon Supreme Court in the challenge to Measure 114—the restrictive gun-control law passed by voters three years ago. For background, Measure 114 was voted on in November 2022 and passed by a narrow margin of 50.65% to 49.35%. The law includes a very restrictive permit-to-purchase scheme, so-called “universal” background checks, and a 10-round magazine capacity limit. The permit-to-purchase provision is extremely problematic in that even if Oregon citizens jump through all the required hoops, receiving the permit doesn’t mean they’ll be able to purchase a firearm. The law actually states: “A permit-to-purchase issued under this section does not create any right of the permit holder to receive a firearm.” As for so-called “high-capacity” magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, such magazines are commonly owned by millions of Americans for all manner of lawful purposes, including self-defense, sporting and hunting. In fact, Americans owned approximately 115 million such magazines as of November 2022, with millions more purchased since then. In December 2022, just before the measure was set to take effect, a district court judge blocked the law from being enforced. Shortly after, then-state Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum asked the Oregon Supreme Court to step in and allow the law to take effect, but that court declined to overturn the lower court’s decision. Then, on March 12, 2025, the Oregon Court of Appeals reversed the lower court ruling that declared the law unconstitutional. The law remains on hold and has not yet taken effect due to the ongoing legal battle.

How Gun-Banners Bought A Red-Flag Law Mark Chesnut - After a terrible mass murder in Lewiston, Maine, back in October 2023, gun-ban advocates began to push all manners of new gun control laws, despite the fact that few if any would actually make anyone safer. One such was a so-called “red-flag” law, which would allow the state to confiscate firearms from lawful owners without due process, the same as most such laws. Gun grabbers didn’t get everything they wanted, though, as the legislature instead passed a “yellow-flag” law that sought to protect due process rights of Pine Tree State gun owners. That law required law enforcement to request emergency restraining protective orders, and there was also a requirement for mental health consultation. That, however, wasn’t enough restrictions for gun-ban advocates, who wanted to make it where family members can turn in their gun-owning kin, without due process of law, of course. Fast forward to Nov. 4 of this year, and gun-ban advocates finally got what they wanted. Despite that fact that important voices across the political spectrum, from Governor Janet Mills to Governor Paul LePage, advised voters to oppose Question 2, the problematic measure passed with nearly 63% approval. About 306,000 people voted for the measure, compared to 180,000 who voted against it. If you wonder exactly how that happened, look no further than the money trail. According to a report at ammoland.com, anti-gun groups spent 12-times more money to get the scheme passed than pro-gun groups spent trying to defeat the proposal.

Socialist New York Governor Hochel NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will become a national anti-gun force NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has become a national anti-gun spokesman. by Lee Williams Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson described Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani’s election victory as “the biggest win for socialism and the biggest loss for the American people.” Speaker Johnson understands how badly the New York City mayor-elect can harm our civil rights, especially our Second Amendment rights. The mainstream media looks at Mamdani with damn-near lust in their eyes. He’s 34, good-looking, well spoken, Muslim and even more leftist than the reporters who cover his every single word. The anti-gun media has constantly tried to stamp-out those who support the Second Amendment. Their only problem has been finding the right sources. However, once Mamdani is sworn in as Mayor, the media’s wait is over. Mamdani will become a loud national anti-gun voice. The Democratic Socialists of America could hardly contain their glee Tuesday night, firing off a lengthy statement that contained most of their policy plans, at least the ones they want the public to know about. “We look forward to fighting alongside Mayor Mamdani to win a rent freeze, fast and free buses, and universal childcare. We will continue to fight for a free Palestine, to get ICE out of our cities, fight for alternatives to policing that truly keep communities safe, and stand up to Donald Trump’s attacks on our social services,” Democratic Socialists of America posted on its website. For all gun owners, not just those behind the lines in New York City, Mamdani’s election was the absolute worst. He never hid his hatred of modern firearms. In fact, he was lobbying hard against legal firearm ownership before he was elected mayor. “We are reminded—no matter how strong our gun laws are in this state—we are only as safe as the weakest laws in this nation,” Mamdani claimed throughout his mayoral campaign. He even had it posted on his X account. Like New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Mamdani has repeatedly called for a federal ban on what he and Hochul call “assault rifles.”

A common sense gun reform bill was passed today. Thousands of lives will be saved. Are Republicans furious and foaming at the mouth with rage? Gregg Kielma Let’s take a look at this this in reverse order. Gun control is not a strongly partisan issue along Democrat/Republican lines. On most gun control issues Democrats are around 10 points more likely to favor control, say 65% to 55%. The national Democratic party generally favors gun control, but it rarely passes legislation, and that legislation is mostly cosmetic, so it’s not a real priority. The national Republican party usually does not support gun control measures but sometimes does. And individual Democratic and Republican candidates hew to the views of their local voters, not to the national party line. The people who get angry about gun control laws are gun rights supporters. Many are Democrats, more are Republicans and most are not happy with either political party and either don’t vote, vote third-party or vote against the worse of the two candidates on the ballot rather than voting for anyone. No one seriously believes popular gun control proposals will save lives. The hope of sensible gun control proponents is to gradually change the gun culture, the way culture changed against smoking. Taxes, government harassment, social shaming and other discouragements might reduce gun ownership, and with-it political opposition to confiscation and outlawing civilian ownership of firearms. In a couple of generations, the US might have a gun culture similar to Canada—and gun control proponents hope—Canadian violent crime rates. The anger gun rights supporters feel comes from two sources. First is the disregarding of the people’s right to keep and bear arms. Regardless of consequences, a right is a right. Second is they know from experience that any “common sense” is only in the legislation title and preamble, the operative rules will be administered to inflict maximum inconvenience on civilian gun owners.

Governor Ron DeSantis Florida Judges Strike Down Key Gun Restrictions While Lawmakers Face Pressure to Act Scott Witner Two recent court decisions in Florida have declared parts of the state’s gun laws unconstitutional, shaking up the legal landscape in one of the nation’s most firearm-friendly states and prompting calls for lawmakers to act. Despite Florida’s reputation as a pro-gun state, its Republican-controlled Legislature passed several restrictive measures after the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Those included raising the minimum age to buy a firearm to 21 and maintaining a ban on open carry. Now, both of those laws are under fire, and the courts appear to be siding with the Constitution. Broward County Judge Strikes Down Age Restriction In Broward County, Circuit Judge Frank Ledee ruled that Florida’s ban on concealed carrying for adults under 21 is unconstitutional. The ruling came after he overturned the conviction of 19-year-old Joel Walkes, who had been charged with a third-degree felony for carrying a concealed handgun. Under current law, 18- to 20-year-olds can legally own a firearm if it’s gifted or inherited, but they cannot purchase one or carry it concealed. Judge Ledee found that the restriction fails the “historical tradition” test established by the U.S. Supreme Court in NYSRPA v. Bruen, which requires gun laws to align with the nation’s historical understanding of the Second Amendment. Ledee also referenced a recent appellate decision striking down Florida’s open carry ban, noting that the state’s firearm laws have become inconsistent. “Distilling these inconsistencies into a framework of firearm regulations compatible with the guarantee to bear arms…is best left to the wisdom of legislative debate,” Ledee wrote. Open Carry Ruling Adds Fuel to the Fire Florida’s First District Court of Appeal addressed the open carry issue in September in a case involving a man arrested in downtown Pensacola on July 4, 2022, for openly carrying a holstered handgun along with a copy of the U.S. Constitution. The court ruled that Florida’s blanket prohibition on open carry cannot stand under the Second Amendment, effectively restoring the right to carry a firearm openly. Existing limitations still apply, including bans on carrying in a threatening manner or in prohibited areas such as schools, bars, or government meetings.

What You Should Never Do or You Need Think About As A Legal Gun Owner Gregg Kielma looks at what to and not to do when carrying a firearm. Please, friends, as legal firearm owners, we need to think about using a firearm in self-defense. We need to be the "Responsible Person" Let’s take a look at the 12 thoughts about owning and brandishing a firearm. Americans love guns. They love to point them at a target and squeeze off a few rounds, whether to eliminate stress or just to see what happens when a bullet traveling at high velocity shreds a Budweiser can. Indeed, the numbers prove it – there are 393 million firearms owned by civilians in the U.S., a number that’s higher than the number of people in the U.S. As much as Americans love guns, they can sometimes be a bit forgetful when it comes to the rules. That’s a sorry situation because those rules are there to ensure that everyone goes home safe and sound after a day at the range. Here’s our list of rules, guidelines, and advice for what you should never do as a gun owner. 1. Don’t Carry Without a Permit… EVER! This may seem obvious, but many rules seem obvious, and people flout them anyway. So we’re going to start off with a no-brainer that we implore you to take seriously – if your state requires a permit for carrying concealed or open, take that permit with you if you’re going to do some shooting. Think of it the same way you will always carry your license if you want to drive. 2. Never Point a Gun at Something You Don’t Mean to Shoot Again, this may seem obvious, but the headlines are full of tragic stories of people who inadvertently ended someone else’s life because they were absent-mindedly pointing a gun in some random direction. If you don’t want to turn up on the six o’clock news or be found guilty of criminal negligence, don’t point your gun at anything you don’t plan on shooting. 3. Get the Background Check Background checks vary from state to state, with some requiring longer waiting periods than others in order to make sure someone buying a gun doesn’t have a long history of violent crime. While you may have never committed a crime in your life, you still don’t want to dispense with background check, which is part of making sure that every aspect of your gun ownership is done by the book and to the letter. 4. Never Leave Your Gun Unsecured…EVER! This should really go without saying, but apparently, a lot of people never got the memo, so please pay attention to the following statement – never leave your gun unsecured. Store it in a safe, a locked cabinet, any other place with a mechanism that prevents access without a key. This is especially important for anyone with children, particularly small children who like to get into every cabinet and drawer in the house and ask, “What does this do?” 5. Educate Your Household If you’ve bought a gun, or several guns, it’s important that you sit down with your entire household and explicitly discuss the safety protocols with everyone until it’s clear to you that you’ve been understood. Even if you have someone in your household who is 100% against guns and never intends to touch one, make sure you educate them as well. You never know. 6 . Never Use Alcohol or Drugs While Handling Guns…EVER! Maybe the easiest way to demonstrate this rule is by comparing it to driving. If you wouldn’t steer a two-ton metal object down the highway at 95 miles per hour after a few drinks, then you should likewise not start playing with a gun under those circumstances either. You’re not okay to shoot, any more than an inebriated motorist is okay to drive. 7. Don’t Brandish Your Weapon to Intimidate…EVER! First, there are laws against waving a gun around to threaten somebody, even if you have no intention of firing it. Guns can discharge accidentally if mishandled, potentially resulting in lengthy prison sentences. So please, only make gestures with your index finger. 8. Never Assume a Gun is Unloaded…It’s ALWAYS LOADED! This is one of the first things that’s taught in gun safety courses – never assume that a gun is unloaded. In fact, perhaps it’s safer yet to assume it’s loaded unless you see some kind of ironclad evidence to the contrary. Treat every gun like a loaded gun until you’ve personally checked it and made sure it’s not a danger to anyone, including yourself. 9. Don’t Shoot Without Knowing What’s Behind Your Target…DON’T HURT ANYONE BEYOND THE INTENDED TARGET! If you’re shooting at something, it’s important to remember that you’re not just shooting at a target. You’re also shooting at what’s behind that target. Bullets can go through walls, windows, and many other things that your target may be in front of, so be aware of what lurks behind whatever it is that you’re pumping full of hot lead. 10. Control Your Emotions…Deescalate… Just as you shouldn’t drive angry, you shouldn’t shoot while you’re angry. It’s also not such a hot idea to shoot when you’re consumed with despair. Basically, if you’re going to handle a gun, make sure your mind is clear and your emotions are cool. The prisons are full of people who got momentarily upset and made a choice in the heat of the moment that can never be undone. 11. Don’t Dismiss the Importance of Mental Health. Sometimes, when a horrifying story about a shooter makes the headlines, the shooter has been in the throes of an untreated mental illness that makes it hard for them to tell right from wrong. If you’re a gun owner and you feel like you may be struggling with such common mental health issues as depression or anxiety, seek out medical help sooner rather than later, so it doesn’t turn from a treatable mental illness into something much worse. 12. Never Use a Gun to Solve Personal Problems. The headlines are full of stories about people losing their lives to gun violence. Sometimes, it was all over a property dispute, a noise complaint, or some other small-time nuisance that could have been resolved without violence, and the aftermath can be devastating. Firearms advocates are clear in their belief that guns should be used for protection and defense only, not for resolving personal disputes.

Gregg Kielma says"Glock My Choice" Has Been for 40 Plus Years Is it worth spending extra on a Glock or similar firearm, or is a Hi-Point or similar firearm sufficient for most basic needs? What About Training? Gregg Kielma USCCA Instructor-FFL-Gunsmith There are several topics to discuss here. Let's Take A LOOK. First: If you are new to firearms, you want a pistol that works for you, is reliable, and can fit your budget. But remember that cheap is not necessarily good; it can be, but it’s not generally the way to go; what matters is that it fits you, and you are effective with it. I can’t emphasize that enough. I always tell new firearm owners that they must try different pistols to find the one that works best for them. THE best-feeling pistol I’ve ever held in my hands was a Glock 19. It felt as if it had been purpose-designed to fit my own hands. It felt…wonderful. I have owned my Glock 19 35 years, 40K rounds through it and never had a single issue. I’m a Glock firearms proponent in every sense of the word. It will always be firearm of choice. As a gunsmith, this is my choice. For you? I have no idea. I know competitive shooters who do quite well with Glocks; they like them a lot. The point is that you can’t know, just by the brand name. Yes, Glocks have a great reputation. This is what I recommend to my students and clients. Second, a High-Point is an inexpensive gun. You may be able to tweak it to be able to run reliably, but to do that, you need to know something about pistols. You don’t, so I would, hands-down, urge you not to buy one. Presumably you want this for personal protection and defense; you do not want to put that reliance on a cheap, possibly ineffective firearm. Quality matters here. I’ve owned a High-Point 9mm pistol. I’d read about how it could be made to run reliably (primarily by tweaking the magazine feed lips and polishing the feed ramp), and that sounded like something I’d like to try. So I bought one and proceeded to play with it and tweak it. It ran reliably, for the most part, once I modified it. It was an ugly gun, designed to be cheap, and it was. But all it took was one of these and that was it for me. What am I talking about? A jam. I used all different ammunition manufacturers and my own loads I made which are in my opinion perfect. The round didn’t feed into the chamber (the open space just to the right of the bullet), it jammed left of the barrel and chamber no matter what I used. Not something you want when in a difficult spot. For whatever reason, the High Point didn’t like that bullet profile. It was an absolute bear to get that jam cleared. and that was it for me. The gun would load and shoot standard FMJ (full metal jacket) bullets quite well, but not my own TCB handloads. It's now sitting in my collection of firearms I'll never use again. Third, you want a firearm that fits you, with which you are accurate, and which uses ammunition cheap enough that you’ll practice with it. A 9mm pistol fits this bill best, IMO. A lot of new shooters will gravitate toward .380 pistols, but it is not only a less-capable round, but its ammunition is also expensive compared to the 9mm offerings. That means you will likely shoot less because it costs more. Shooting is a perishable skill that you need to refresh on a regular basis. Fourth, you really, really want to get some training. Me, Gregg Kielma from Tactical K Training and Firearms can teach you about shooting, so you learn good habits from the start. A good teacher will instruct you in grip, sight picture, stance, and trigger control. As an FFL and range owner I can also help you find the best pistol for you. I have several models you can test for fit and ease of use. This is crucial; if you don’t know much about firearms, please get some training with Gregg. Yes, it’s going to cost, but if you can’t use a firearm effectively, what’s the point in buying one? Fifth, while Glock is an excellent name, its fame is tied to being one of the very first effective polymer-framed handguns. Many manufacturers now make excellent pistols. You know what my first choice is, Glock. Don’t limit yourself to thinking about the cheapest (High Point). Get a reliable firearm you know will not jam when you need it most. Have fun figuring out what is the best gun for you, enjoy the process. We have over 150 firearms for sale get one that’s right for you! Good luck, and please call me to get the training you need. Stay Safe! Gregg Kielma Tactical K Training and Firearms