|
|
What's new?
|
|
It's been a while since the last newsletter. December and January were busy months. In this edition I'm going to talk about SHOT Show 2026, a legal update, and upcoming training.
|
|
|
SHOT SHOW 2026
|
|
|
The Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show this year reminded me of pre-Covid SHOT Show. It was one of the most crowded shows I've seen in a long time. It was a bit of a different year. The weather this year for Media Day at the range was the nicest weather for this even I can remember in almost 10 years. There was no rain, it was relatively warm, and the wind wasn't screaming like it usually is in the Nevada desert.
|
|
|
The AR-15 Market is still strong, it's still a very popular platform, but my impression was that there was only about half of the AR-15 stuff that is typically there. I don't think this is a bad thing, the AR-15 is here to stay, but the selection of lever actions, bolt actions, foreign designs, and innovative boutique designs is increasing.
|
Tribalism is still a feature in the industry. Tactical snobbery, alas, hasn't gone anywhere. As the GWOT generation starts aging out, and their experiences lose relevance in the era of drone warfare, AI, and autonomous weapons systems, some of them are taking it personally and circling the wagons as they fight the maintain relevance in a world that is outgrowing YouTube personalities. Fanaticism is redoubling your efforts when you have forgotten your aim, it's not a good look. There has always been a dark underbelly in the arms industry that stifles innovation and tries to keep its market share by suppressing new brands and ideas, rather than by adaptation and innovation - but change comes regardless. On the bright side, technology like 3D printing and lower prices on lasers and CNC is allowing small shops to make their ideas a reality. Some of these ideas are on the outlandish side today, but as they evolve, I think we are finally seeing the next generation of arms design. It won't be from Colt or FN or Smith and Wesson, or Glock... it's going to be from small shops challenging the status quo.
|
Shhhhhh.... Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE had a suppressor there this year. With the $200 tax on suppressors going away on January 1st and faster transfer times, not to mention a continued push to eliminate suppressors and short-barreled rifles from the National Firearms Act, I'm thinking the market is betting on increased interest and popularity driving suppressors mainstream. Even Hi-Point had a suppressor this year. Other than the established suppressor companies like Griffin, Rugged, Silencerco, Dead-Air, etc... most of the new cans appear to be 3D printed designs, probably all made by the same shops and just labeled with the various company names.
|
|
|
|
Additive Manufacturing is making lighter-weight and quieter suppressors. The additional internal geometry that metal 3D printing can achieve is making for baffle designs that increase turbulence and cool gases faster. My guess - however- is that this comes with some trade offs. Once of these being increased internal surface area for carbon, copper, and lead vapor deposits to stick to. Cleaning these intricate designs is all but impossible, other than by solvent soaks or maybe ultrasonic baths. Eventually these spaces will clog, making the suppressor heavier and less quiet. Replaceable core designs with the serial number on the outer sheath can facilitate refreshes and repairs. There are more flow-through designs, also facilitated by additive manufacturing. This makes suppressors run cooler, with less back-pressure. But even that technology is changing, as seen above - modular and user-serviceable cans with replaceable, multi-caliber baffle stacks are here.
|
|
|
SECOND AMENDMENT NEWS
|
New Mexico 2026 Session:
SB17 – “Stop Illegal Gun Trade Act” passed the Senate 21–17 and is now in the House.
This is the session’s flagship gun‑control package. It layers new mandates and restrictions on licensed dealers, including:
- Mandatory “security measures”
- Mandatory record‑keeping
- Mandatory reporting of multiple sales, thefts, losses, and crime‑gun traces
- Minimum age requirements for employees
- New inspection authority
- Posting of state‑mandated notices
- A ban on undefined “extremely dangerous weapons”
This is a regulatory sweep aimed squarely at licensed gun dealers, not criminals. It expands bureaucracy, increases compliance burdens, and opens the door to the subjective enforcement than New Mexico's governor loves. For those of you in the land of Enchantment - remember how power-drunk she was during the pandemic. The bill’s vague “extremely dangerous weapons” language is a red flag for future expansion. It also treats lawful dealers as the problem while doing nothing to address the state’s violent‑crime drivers.
|
|
While Media coverage frames SB17 as a tool to combat “straw purchases," Federal law already criminalizes straw purchases. This bill duplicates federal law, adds state‑level penalties, and uses straw‑purchase rhetoric as political cover for a broader regulatory crackdown on lawful commerce.
|
This is the most aggressive anti‑gun bill of the session and has already cleared the Senate. It represents a regulatory choke‑point strategy: make firearms commerce so burdensome that small FFLs cannot survive.
|
This bill also effectively bans magazines over 10 rounds and the sale of accessories under the “extremely dangerous weapons” (whatever that means) category - you can bet suppressors will be on that list, as well as items like forced reset triggers, pistol braces, and whatever else the governor wants to make a personal decree about. It has been acknowledged that this bill does not pass Constitutional muster, but it passed anyway. If it becomes law, look for lawsuits to begin immediately, but a lot of good that will do in New Mexico where the state Attorney General can aggressively defend a restrictive law even if it’s constitutionally shaky by denying hearing on the grounds of "public safety."
|
Pressure on your representatives and supporting pro-2A causes is your best hope if you are a gun-owner in New Mexico.
|
|
On the National Level - the Second Amendment landscape is in a holding pattern: Congress isn’t advancing major gun‑control bills or pro‑2A reforms, the ATF’s recent rulemaking is tied up in court, and the real movement is happening slowly through federal litigation where Bruen‑based challenges are working their way toward the Supreme Court. Several circuit courts are split on magazine bans, rifle bans, and “sensitive places,” but until the Supreme Court takes another major case, everything feels paused. In short, Washington is quiet, the courts are congested, and the next big shift will likely come from a judicial decision rather than federal legislation.
|
|
|
|
|
UPCOMING CLASSES
|
On the 14th of March, I will be at Badlands Tactical in Grandfield, Oklahoma running their AR-15 Armorer class. Badlands is good people and a great training venue - they have been family to me since I started training there in 2016. Later this summer, I will also be working with Badlands on their new Designated Marksman Rifle class. We are planning this as a 3-day class with plenty of action and distance. Check out Badlands here: https://badlandstactical.org
|
The Mississippi Armorer class scheduled in March is looking iffy unless I get a lot of sign-ups in the next week or so.
|
|
In my new state, I'm getting settled in and would like to start some classes here, but finding an available range in the area isn't very easy. With the population of Phoenix, Mesa, and the surrounding suburbs being divided up over just a few public ranges, and plenty of established instructors defending their turf there, getting traction at a new facility is tough. I have reached out to some private ranges to see if there are opportunities there. Any folks with connections to Arizona ranges - I could use your help!
|
|
|
|
That's all for this edition! We still have plenty of items in the Armory if are looking for an upper or handguard system. If you would like me to visit your location to do some training, give me a call or email. I'd love to visit friends in Los Alamos or Idaho to run a weekend class there.
|
|
|
|
|
PO Box 20054 Mesa, Arizona 85277
|
|
  
|
|
|
|
