NSSF—The Firearm Industry Trade Association

Bullet Points roundup (3/24/25): ➤ Second Amendment Scholar Appointed ATF Chief Counsel ➤ NSSF Opens Hunting Heritage Trust® Grant Applications ➤ Biden-Era Surgeon General ‘Gun Violence’ Advisory Deleted ➤ Mexico’s Lawsuit Against U.S. Gun Manufacturers Misses the Target ➤ and more. Subscribe to NSSF's emails 📧 for the latest updates and more in-depth stories. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gE9B-iEQ #NSSF #BulletPoints

U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty’s (R-Tenn.) father introduced him to hunting and shooting sports at a young age on their family farm in Castalian Springs, Tennessee, where they had a target range. “It helped forge a bond with my father for which I remain thankful,” the first-term Senator says. His favorite activity these days is when he gets to hunt or shoot alongside his children. These days, in Congress in Washington, D.C., Sen. Hagerty has used his leadership position on the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs to support legislation like the Financial Integrity and Regulation Management (FIRM) Act (S. 875), to remove reputational risk as a component of federal supervision, and ensure lawful businesses, including firearm companies, have access to the essential services they need to operate and the Fair Access to Banking Act, (S. 401), to keep regulators from pressuring banks to debank politically disfavored industries. We thank Sen. Hagerty for speaking with us. https://lnkd.in/e3456xZz #NSSF #Tennessee #BillHagerty

“Right now, there are a whole crop of gun control experiments being planted in state capitals. They have potential to gain root and not just harm the firearm industry and the rights of law-abiding citizens in those states but potentially grow into federal policy. That’s why NSSF is busy not just in Congress but also in the states.” - Jake McGuigan, Managing Director, Government Relations- State Affairs https://lnkd.in/gWFDQSav #Federalism #guncontrol #HardwareBans #MerchantCategoryCodes

The quick, regular order legislative session in New Mexico, where strict gun control legislation had been making its way through committee consideration, came to an end on Saturday at noon. Thankfully, Second Amendment supporters in the Land of Enchantment turned out in full force over the past several days and weeks to make their voices heard loudly and clearly. They don’t support Gov. Lujan Grisham’s gun control activism. Two bills in particular where auspiciously close to gaining approval and proceeding to her desk for approval but legislators wised up, listened to constituents and chose not to proceed. The good news? Those gun control bills failed to advance. The bad news? New Mexico’s Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham isn’t happy. https://lnkd.in/gNpbVG2Y #GovMichelleLujanGrisham #gunban #guncontrol #modernsportingrifles

Whether it’s the high-dollar, high production mock ad campaign, AI phone calls or theater plays, the message is clear: these gun control groups will focus more on optics and show rather than working toward meaningful policies to hold criminals accountable and reduce criminal firearm misuse. https://lnkd.in/g5CKYD9F

The 2025 Hunting Heritage Trust Grant application period is now open! These grants offer a total of $100,000 in support for programs that work to expand participation in hunting and the shooting sports. Qualified non-governmental organizations (NGOs) may apply for a portion of this year’s $100,000 Hunting Heritage Trust Grant total, to be used to support recruitment, retention and reactivation programs, known collectively as R3 efforts. NSSF will place emphasis on programs that focus on increasing participation by attracting new participants and reactivating past participants. “We are excited to offer this new round of Hunting Heritage Trust Grants to encourage organizations to expand programs that facilitate participation among diverse groups in target shooting and hunting,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO. “We’ll be looking to reward programs that address the needs of this growing participant base. If you’ve got a program in mind that meets the grant guidelines, a Hunting Heritage Trust Grant can help elevate your efforts.” Grant applications must be submitted through the application link provided on the NSSF Hunting Heritage Grant Trust webpage no later than 5 p.m. (Eastern time) April 18, 2025. All projects awarded grant funding in 2025 must be completed by February 9, 2026. https://lnkd.in/g3J8WPRg #huntingheritagegrant #grant #hunting #shootingsports #SHOTBusiness #R3 #NSSF

Several researchers teamed up to publish a recent article in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) titled, “Bullets as Pathogen—The Need for Public Health and Policy Approaches.” The results were not at all earth-shattering – that larger bullets cause more damage than smaller ones – but policy recommendations resulting from the “research” could be far-reaching, if impractical. The JAMA article specifically described several policy suggestions and asserted these suggested policies would reduce damage caused by bullets. These included everything from an additional tax on ammunition (alluding to comparable “sin taxes” on other harmful products like cigarettes), rationing ammunition purchases and requiring additional background checks for ammunition sales. What these medical professionals get wrong – misdiagnose, if you will – is that criminals will not pay additional taxes on the firearms or ammunition they are already illicitly obtaining. Criminals, who have no regard for the law, will still have no regard for human life. Criminals, who are often let off easy by soft-on-crime prosecutors, will predictably commit more crimes. These medical studies, like the one published in JAMA, continue to ignore facts and proceed to repeatedly publish junk science using their institutions as cover for politically motivated hit-pieces. Constitutional rights are not the same as bacterial infections and crime is not a communicable disease. Treating them as such is malpractice. Read the full analysis from Matt Manda, NSSF Manager, Public Affairs. 👇 https://lnkd.in/gZRsr6B4 #ammunition #gunpolicy #JAMA #PublicHealth #gunresearch

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing multiple industries by providing unprecedented automation, analytics and decision-making capabilities. However, the rapid advancements in AI technology have also led to the emergence of sophisticated social engineering attacks, which present significant challenges to individuals, businesses and governments. The firearm industry faces a range of emerging cyber threats that pose significant risks to manufacturers, retailers, ranges and consumers alike. Watch this recent presentation that delves into the impact of AI on social engineering. Here are some critical points discussed: ➣ Understanding AI in Cyber Attacks: Cybercriminals are increasingly utilizing AI to evolve their attacks, making them more difficult to detect and defend against. ➣ Societal Impact of AI: The impact of AI on our society is profound, affecting various sectors, including the firearm industry, in ways that may not be immediately apparent. ➣ Defensive Strategies: It is essential to understand AI and learn how to spot enhanced AI social engineering attacks to protect oneself and one’s organization. ➣ As the firearm industry continues to navigate these challenges, staying informed and proactive is key to ensuring safety and security in an increasingly digital world. https://lnkd.in/gRWjrbpZ #CyberThreats #Cybersecurity #KnowBe4 #ProjectCyberSafe

You might be surprised to see some positive signs from The New York Times regarding firearms and gun policy. While they haven't embraced a pro-Second Amendment stance, they're acknowledging the evolving attitudes towards gun ownership. This is a significant shift for a publication known for its strict gun control advocacy. Recent articles delve into who’s buying firearms and why, even questioning Mexico's lawsuit against lawful gun businesses. It's a cautious step forward! These openings are where political gains are realized, when voting constituencies recognize the old gun control beliefs they previously held might be dated and wrong and that there is a place for them within the Second Amendment gun-owning community. After all – it’s a big tent. Read the full analysis of the New York Times article by Matt Manda, NSSF Manager of Public Affairs, on the NSSF Blog. 👇 https://lnkd.in/gTBxNYk4 #NSSF #NewYorkTimes #GunOwnership #GunOwners #SecondAmendment

If hunters haven’t been using traditional ammunition at all in California over the past six years (and longer in certain parts of the state), and they still aren’t using traditional ammunition today, why do anti-hunting activists still blame traditional ammunition for lead poisoning in California condors? Anti-science, anti-hunting activists in California are still keeping up with their anti-traditional lead-based hunting ammunition agenda, despite two very clear facts. First, California lawmakers already completely banned lead-based hunting ammunition in 2019, a process that begin in 2008. Hunters in the Golden State report they nearly universally comply with the ban. Second, as of 2023, the California condor population reached an all-time high of 559 condors, 22 more than the previous year’s count. NSSF’s Director of Research Salam Fatohi analyzes the report “Response of California condor populations to reintroductions, reinforcements, and reductions in spent lead ammunition pollution” published in Science Direct in January 2025 and reveals the flawed “science” in the study. Read the full analysis. 👇 https://lnkd.in/gnVGh7fg #CaliforniaCondor #PittmanRobertsonAct #traditionalammunition