Nearly 3,000 athletes from 469 high schools will compete at the USA High School Clay Target League National Championship July 8-12 in Mason, MI. The event features team and individual qualifying rounds culminating in championship matches, sponsored by organizations including Ducks Unlimited, Winchester, and the U.S. Army.
Team Lapua's Nick Mowrer won the 2026 Lones Wigger Firecracker 4800 at the NRA Whittington Center with a score of 4792-385. The four-day competition, sponsored by Socorro Gun Club, featured all three podium finishers using Lapua rimfire ammunition, including second-place Deena McDorman and third-place Griffin Lake.
The NRA National Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC) will return to Bentonville, Arkansas, July 19–26, 2026. Open to youth ages 8–18, this premier event features eight challenging competitions including shooting disciplines and responsibility-based activities conducted under realistic hunting conditions. Organizational sponsors include Arkansas Friends of NRA, Safari Club International, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and corporate partners like Federal, Remington, Henry Repeating Arms, and Bushnell.
Gun Owners of America (GOA) and Gun Owners Foundation (GOF), alongside Air Force veteran Craig Philips, filed a federal lawsuit challenging Pennsylvania's lifetime denial of carry licenses for individuals with minor drug convictions. The lawsuit cites the Supreme Court's Hemani decision to argue the ban cannot survive constitutional scrutiny under the Second Amendment.
Firearms Policy Coalition President Brandon Combs criticized the Seventh Circuit's reversal of a district court ruling that declared Illinois' Protect Illinois Communities Act bans unconstitutional. FPC notes the Supreme Court recently granted certiorari in their Viramontes v. Cook County case, which presents the same constitutional issues.
NSSF, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, expressed disappointment with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit's decision in Barnett v. Raoul, which reversed a lower court ruling that Illinois' law restricting Modern Sporting Rifles and standard-capacity magazines is unconstitutional. NSSF plans to file a cert petition with the U.S. Supreme Court, citing over 32 million MSRs in circulation and disagreeing with the court's characterization of these firearms as "dangerous and unusual."
Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed a petition for certiorari with the Supreme Court challenging New York City's ban on electronic arms like stun guns and tasers. The petition, supported by the Second Amendment Foundation and represented by Cooper & Kirk, PLLC, seeks to clarify that the Second Amendment protects all bearable arms and resolve confusion among lower courts regarding constitutional analysis of such bans.
The Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC) planning committee announced additional speakers for the 41st annual event scheduled for September 25-27 in Dallas, including Brandon Herrera, ATF Director Robert Cekada, and ATF Chief Counsel Robert Leider. Co-hosted by the Second Amendment Foundation and Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, the conference features leading Second Amendment experts and advocates.
Silencer Central's 100 Days of Silence promotion reaches Day 85, offering a $3,100+ prize package including a CZ P-09 Nocturne SR 9mm, BANISH PSTL 45 Ti Suppressor, Steiner Optics MPS-C Pistol Sight, and more. Entries are available daily through PopularSuppressors.com with 15 remaining chances to win.
Millennium Outdoors appointed Scott Ware as Director of Sales and Marketing. With nearly three decades of industry experience and 26 years at Outtech representing Millennium brands, Ware brings deep dealer relationships and product knowledge to strengthen the company's market presence and dealer partnerships.
NSSF, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched a month-long public education campaign in San Antonio reminding the public about federal penalties for unlawful firearm purchases. The 26-year-old "Don't Lie for the Other Guy" campaign emphasizes that illegal firearm purchases carry up to 15 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.
Vortex Optics has released the Crossfire® II Red Dot lineup, available in red or green, featuring a 2 MOA dot, solar with auto D-TEC technology, and motion activation. The optic is designed for recreational shooters and compatible with AR-style rifles, rimfires, shotguns, and other firearms with Picatinny rails, with pricing starting at $149.99 MAP.
Walker's has launched the Razor Junior Muffs, hearing protection designed specifically for youth shooters with smaller head sizes. The muffs feature dual Hi-Gain microphones, HD speakers, sound-activated compression, and a 23dB Noise Reduction Rating, now available online and through retailers nationwide.
CAA USA announced a new High-Viz colorway for its MCK EVO (Micro Conversion Kit) platform, a cross-platform pistol chassis compatible with over 120 handguns including Glock, Sig Sauer, Smith & Wesson, Springfield Armory, FN, and Taurus. The MCK EVO starts at $329.99 and features ambidextrous charging, tool-free installation, and Picatinny rails for customization.
Shell Shock Technologies announced completion of independent live-fire testing for its .50 BMG NAS³ case, confirming significant velocity gains and a 40 percent weight reduction compared to standard brass. Production is underway with availability expected in August 2026.
Beretta USA launched a limited-edition America's 250th Anniversary Collection of commemorative baseball hats celebrating all 50 states' outdoor heritage. A portion of proceeds from each hat sold benefits Folds of Honor, providing educational scholarships to families of fallen or disabled service members and first responders.
Auto-Ordnance and Koted Arms unveiled the "Land of the Free" 1911, a commemorative stainless steel pistol honoring the United States' 250th anniversary. The custom firearm features patriotic engravings, a two-tone finish, and is chambered in .45 ACP with an MSRP of $1,793.
Daisy Outdoor Products released three special Red Ryder commemorative models for the nation's 250th Anniversary: two Limited Edition Carbine Lever Actions (250 each) and a CO2-powered Revolver (1,776 units). All feature patriotic engravings and are available exclusively at www.daisy.com.
SHOT University has issued a call for presentations for its 2027 NSSF SHOT Show educational sessions in Las Vegas, January 19-21. Proposals must fit within 45 minutes and are due by August 3, 2026. Topics include marketing, AI, revenue diversification, inventory management, and shooting range operations.
Leapers, Inc. continues its commitment to Service Rifle competition as a three-time Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) National Matches sponsor. The company's award-winning Integrix iXF 4.5X28 Service Rifle Scope celebrates its first anniversary at Camp Perry in July 2026, with Team Leapers members and shooters Brandon Green, Bob Gill, and Liam McKenna competing in the CMP National Matches.
MyOutdoorTV launches a new Bowhunting Channel throughout July featuring shows like American Archer, Bow Madness, Bowhunter TV, and Bowhunting Whitetails with Bill Winke to help viewers prepare for upcoming hunting seasons with commercial-free, 24/7 streaming content.
GAME & FISH TV launches "Big Game Wednesday" programming blocks featuring shows like Everything Eichler, Addicted to the Outdoors, Driven with Pat & Nicole, Crush with Lee & Tiffany, Beyond the Hunt, and The Lindsey Way. The free streaming channel, powered by Outdoor Sportsman Group, airs hunting and fishing content every Wednesday in July across multiple platforms including Roku, Prime Video, and Samsung TV Plus.
Many years ago, when I first got my concealed carry permit, my instructor told me that only one in three of the students were going to take what we were learning in class and apply it to our lives. Only one in three of the twelve students in the class were going to make it a habit to carry a defensive pistol with them wherever and whenever it was possible.
Two things have happened since then. Arizona has enacted constitutional carry and as a result, attendance in entry-level firearms training classes has plummeted, and if anything, I think my teacher may have been an optimist.
Greg Ellifritz is one of the sharpest minds in the firearms training world, and his blog is a must-read for anyone seriously committed to armed self-defense. His experience as a peace officer in Ohio suggests that only ten to twenty percent of people who have a concealed carry permit actually had a pistol with them, and that their firearm was usually stashed in their vehicle rather than carried on their person. The training that those people went through was useless because the one thing they needed to make it effective — their pistol — wasn’t within arm’s reach.
Image courtesy Marchelle Davis
Concealed carry is a martial art: It has its roots in the demands of the common people to protect themselves from crime they see all around them and deciding to do something about it. Those are the exact same roots as karate, kung fu and many other martial arts styles.
However, unlike almost every other martial art out there, concealed carry is a weapons-based system. It requires a firearm in order to be useful. No firearm, no effect on the bad guy.
Time after time, I have attended a class where almost all the students arrived without a loaded, ready-to-use firearm on their person. I understand the need to respect range rules regarding loaded guns, but instructors such as Tom Givens and others not only encourage their students to show up to class ready for a fight, they almost demand it.
Taking a class in order to master the fundamentals of grip, stance, sights and trigger is great, and more people need to do it. People should not only learn these skills, but master them so they can be used on-demand when everything is on the line.
The knowledge you gain in class is only useful if you have a firearm with you when you need to apply those skills. Otherwise, you’re basically a vegetarian learning how to cook a steak: You’re just gaining knowledge you are never going to use.
