Buckeye Firearms Association

Ohio 2026 spring wild turkey hunting season results

SHummel — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000

From Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Ohio’s wild turkey hunters bagged 15,887 birds during the spring 2026 season, which concluded on Sunday, May 31, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. The total statewide harvest represents all turkeys checked from April 18 to May 31, including the 2,058 birds taken during youth-only hunting.

During the 2025 spring season, the total number of turkeys checked was 16,014. The three-year average for the spring season (2023, 2024, and 2025) is 15,743.

Ohio’s spring turkey season is split into two zones to align with the timing of turkey nesting in those regions. The northeast zone includes Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, and Trumbull counties. In 2026, 1,216 turkeys were checked in the northeast zone, while 14,671 birds were taken in the 83 counties that comprise the south zone.

The top 10 counties for wild turkeys taken in the 2026 season were as follows:

Ashtabula (500)
Tuscarawas (433)
Belmont (418)
Monroe (413)
Trumbull (410)
Highland (407)
Adams (401)
Gallia (397)
Guernsey (383)
Brown (358)

The season bag limit was one bearded bird. Adult male turkeys made up 85% of the final count with 13,441 birds taken. Following strong brood production summers in the last few years, biologists expected a high proportion of adult birds in the total harvest this spring. Hunters checked 2,285 juvenile male turkeys in 2026, representing 14% of birds taken. Turkey hunters also checked 161 bearded female turkeys (hens) this season.

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Shotguns accounted for 98% of the total harvest (15,631 birds) this spring. The remaining 256 birds were taken with archery equipment.

The ODNR Division of Wildlife issued 52,799 spring turkey permits for use during the spring 2026 hunting season. In 2025, the agency issued 52,693 spring turkey permits.

Wild turkey research

The Division of Wildlife is studying the nesting and survival of hen turkeys in eastern and southwestern Ohio in collaboration with researchers at The Ohio State University. Similar research is being conducted in Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Since 2023, Ohio’s biologists have affixed GPS transmitters to 319 hens and gathered information on their movement, survival, and nest activity timing.

Division of Wildlife staff are also conducting research on the gobbling frequency and timing of male wild turkeys. Biologists placed audio recorders in eastern Ohio in 2024 and 2025 to record wild turkey gobbles and learn more about factors that influence gobbling. Preliminary results show that daily gobbling activity varies considerably throughout the spring. When compared with hen GPS data, periods of peak gobbling align closely with periods of peak nest initiation and egg laying.

Information gathered in these turkey research projects will influence wild turkey management decisions in the coming years. This helps the Division of Wildlife structure science-based turkey hunting regulations, ensuring wild turkey success across Ohio for many more years.

The Division of Wildlife began an extensive program in the 1950s to restore wild turkeys to the Buckeye State after they were extirpated in the early 1900s. Ohio’s first modern-day wild turkey hunting season opened in 1966 in nine counties, and hunters checked 12 birds. The total number of turkeys harvested topped 1,000 for the first time in 1984. Turkey hunting was opened statewide in 2000. The highest Ohio wild turkey harvest was in 2001, when hunters checked 26,156 birds.

AOC's accidental revelation: It's the criminal, not the firearm

SHummel — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000

by Matt Manda

University of Chicago Institute of Politics senior fellow and notable chief strategist for former President Barack Obama, David Axelrod, had the opportunity to speak with U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) recently. During their one-and-a-half-hour conversation, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez — a staunch proponent of strict gun control — made a great point about lawful gun ownership that she probably didn’t realize she was making.

Axelrod asked her about litmus tests from special interest groups on elected officials, and he referenced a conversation he had with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) years prior about gun control. The senator told Axelrod he would not vote the same way on gun control that he does now if he instead represented his hometown of Brooklyn, New York, in Congress.

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Ocasio-Cortez, in a long statement answering the question, agreed. “It’s true, the way guns show up in rural Vermont is very different than in Brownsville, Brooklyn,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “You should vote differently in those communities.”

The remarks sparked immediate backlash in online discussions, as some commenters argued she was making racist remarks. However — as the firearms industry believes — the Second Amendment is for every law-abiding American, no matter your background, race or religion. And while the point of her remarks was about the calculus Members of Congress must consider when casting votes on public policy, the example she brought up about firearms and gun ownership are noteworthy.

As it turns out, Ocasio-Cortez — likely without realizing it — wasn’t making the point she thought she was making.

Quite the contrast

Ocasio-Cortez has spent the past seven years supporting all measure of federal gun control proposals to come through Washington, including a failed attempt to impose a federal ban on modern sporting rifles (MSRs), that would restrict the rights of law-abiding Americans to exercise their Second Amendment rights. She has even criticized the lawful and highly regulated firearm industry, which provides Americans the ability and means of exercising their constitutional rights, suggesting the industry is “all about blood money.” There are too many examples to list, but to her point to Axelrod — those are the votes her district expected, even if the results of those gun control policies don’t result in truly safer communities.

In fact, while speaking in Chicago with Axelrod, Ocasio-Cortez’s comments seem to nuke all the gun control arguments she’s ever made. Her words make the point about the inefficacy of passing stricter and stricter gun control laws much better than any gun rights organization ever could.

Vermont, a state that receives a score of only 43 out of 100 from the billionaire Michael Bloomberg-funded gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety for how “strong” its gun control laws are, also has one of the highest per-capita rankings of gun ownership in the country. At 50.5 firearms owned per 100 people, Vermont ranks No. 15 out of 50 states in gun ownership per capita. The culture and history of firearm ownership in the Green Mountain State are centuries long and today are still robust — across all ages and even across political party lines. Vermonters hunt, target shoot, and keep firearms for self-defense. And yet homicides committed with firearms are uncommon there.

According to the Vermont Attorney General’s website, Vermont experienced 25 total homicide deaths in 2024, only 15 of which involved a firearm. In addition, like most everywhere else in the country, the majority of Vermont’s deaths involving a firearm were the result of suicide.

Meanwhile in New York

For its close neighbor — more appropriately farther south in Brooklyn — gun ownership and gun control laws couldn’t be any more opposite.

Unsurprisingly, Everytown ranks New York No. 4 in the country for “strength of gun laws,” though Gov. Kathy Hochul loves to brag the state is No. 1, rivaling California. The strict gun control-loving officials in Albany, as well as a string of governors going back 20 years, have restricted Second Amendment rights and gun ownership so much, it’s near the bottom of the barrel with regards to respect for gun ownership.

The same rankings that place Vermont at 15 put New York at 46, meaning for every 100 New Yorkers, only 19.2 of them own a firearm. How does that translate to public safety? According to New York City police data, there were 688 shooting incidents in New York City alone in 2025. Incredibly, that made it “the safest year on record,” according to police. That is in the state’s largest city, which also has stricter gun control laws than in counties and cities located in other regions of the state.

Why it matters

It’s the person holding the gun — not the gun. This article doesn’t mention race or ethnicity or religion at all because that’s the point. Firearms do not shoot on their own. A firearm’s trigger is pulled by someone.

When criminals — who are already comfortable breaking the law — are often allowed back out of jail time and time again, as they are in Manhattan and New York City, they will most likely commit crimes again and again. They will steal firearms. They will illegally sell them. They will illegally and dangerously use them.

The firearms are the same. Vermont has semi-automatic handguns, as does New York City. Vermont doesn’t restrict the sale of MSRs, the semi-automatic centerfire rifles that are the most commonly owned rifle in America. That’s not true of New York. But the metal and polymer is all the same, and in Vermont, these firearms are much more prevalent and common, according to the data.

Ocasio-Cortez made an excellent point in her answer in Chicago. It just wasn’t the point she intended to make. If she truly cared about safer communities and Brooklyn neighborhoods, maybe her voting record should be much different.

Republished with permission from NSSF.

Department of Interior announces major expansions for hunters, anglers

SHummel — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000

In late May, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) announced it will be issuing a proposed rule that would result in the largest expansion of hunting and sport fishing opportunities in agency history.

The proposal opens or expands more than 1,450 hunting and sport fishing opportunities, which will result in 95% of the National Wildlife Refuge Systems to be available for hunting.

Furthermore, the DOI announced it will work with the National Park Service to remove bureaucratic red tape that discourages sportsmen and women from utilizing our nation’s most treasured natural resources.

In case you missed it: Trump taps BFA-backed Ohio Judge Matthew Byrne for federal district court

“American hunters are some of the greatest stewards of our wildlife and national heritage,” said John Commerford, executive director of NRA-ILA. “For years, hunting opportunities have dwindled because of overregulation and demonization of this inherently American tradition. Millions of NRA members and hunters nationwide appreciate that we finally have an administration that recognizes hunting as a vital tool for conservation that should be cherished and encouraged rather than hindered at every step.”

This action is a result of Secretarial Order 3447, which was issued by Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum earlier this year. This order directed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to identify and remove unnecessary regulatory barriers and allow access to hunting and fishing wherever practical.

The NRA-ILA applauds President Trump and Secretary Burgum for their continued effort to expand opportunities for sportsmen across the nation.

ATF reform package sends Everytown into full gun control meltdown

SHummel — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000

by Bill Cawthon

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has proposed nearly three dozen changes to its rules: The shrieks from gun control addicts could drown out a chorus of scorched cats.

Everytown for Gun Safety (aka Control — “every town, every gun”) wasted no time accusing the ATF of selling out to the firearms industry.

Gun writer-turned-quisling Greg Lickenbrock wrote a response to the ATF’s actions in The Smoking Gun, Everytown’s version of the National Enquirer:

The ATF has only released summaries of the rules so far, but like past deregulation efforts by the Trump administration, many will likely put public safety at risk and hamper law enforcement efforts to solve gun crimes and stop traffickers.

(T)he rules are clearly designed to benefit the gun industry, whose surrogates were all in attendance at the press conference announcing the rules — including some representing extreme groups dedicated to undoing all gun laws. Leaders from the American Suppressor Association (ASA), National Rifle Association (NRA), National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR), Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), and Gun Owners of America (GOA) surrounded Robert Cekada, the ATF’s new director, as he signed the rules.

Last time we looked, Gun Owners of America, the NRA, National Association for Gun Rights, and the Second Amendment Foundation weren’t part of the gun industry. There have even been times when the industry and the organizations have been at odds. Lickenbrock apparently is unaware of the reactions to Bill Ruger or to the “Lawsuit Locks” on Smith & Wesson handguns.

On another note: Trump taps BFA-backed Ohio Judge Matthew Byrne for federal district court

Lickenbrock claims the ATF is abdicating its role as the archenemy of the gun industry and gearing up to give gunmakers their best Christmas ever. He was aghast that the ATF reached out to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) for input on the proposed regulations.

It will probably come as a shock to the folks at Everytown, but regulatory agencies and the industries they regulate are supposed to communicate. They are even supposed to work together—fancy that!

Everytown’s propaganda pros have mad skills when it comes to shaping public opinion. They’ve mastered the art of the big lie; they make monsters virtually out of thin air; and turn tiny numbers into existential threats. Greg Lickenbrock’s article is a prime example of this.

“For example, the ATF estimates that 3.28 million gun buyers would take advantage of one of the agency’s most troubling proposals: allowing FFLs to ship guns directly to a buyer’s door without visiting a brick-and-mortar location, in what is known as a ‘non-over-the-counter’ (NOTC) transaction.”

Ooohh! Scary, huh? Well, if you didn’t know, the ATF is simply expanding an existing regulation, it might be.

Gun-grabbers have a nearly pathological fear of any firearm transfer that hasn’t been blessed by the FBI/NICS. They might become totally unhinged if someone told them 29 states have concealed-carry permits that exempt the holder from background checks.

“The agency has also proposed a new, significantly shorter version of the Form 4473, the decades-old firearm transaction record, that dispenses with several questions used to stop illegal straw purchases and allows a gun dealer to determine if the customer can legally purchase the gun,” Lickenbrock wrote.

The questions supposedly used to stop illegal straw purchases are:

A requirement for the purchaser to use their biological gender in answering Part 1, Section A, Question 6;
An expanded explanation of the status of the federal marijuana prohibition in Question 11.e.

Those are sure to reveal lots and lots of straw purchasers.

Lickenbrock is also concerned about the ATF’s proposed doubling the time a NICS decision remains valid from 30 days to 60 days.“Incredibly, the ATF states that the proposal increases the risk that a prohibited person will obtain a firearm and use it ‘to inflict mass casualties’ when they ‘would have been prevented under the current baseline requirement to renew the background check.’”

Someone should remind Mr. Lickenbrock that a prohibited person with a firearm is still a prohibited person with a firearm. In the event of a glitch in the system, the ATF already has the statutory authority to retrieve the gun.

There’s no way to predict whether or not there will be any mass shootings attributable to the extra 30 days. However, there have been two mass shootings that can be blamed on law enforcement failures to act.

A shooter took possession of a Glock pistol on April 11, 2015, 67 days before he used it to murder nine people at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. When the 72-hour NICS deadline for a proceed/deny decision expires, the FFL can opt to transfer the gun. If the NICS examiner later discovers the transfer should have been denied, the FBI sends a retrieval request to the ATF.

Calling this the ‘Charleston Loophole’, gun control addicts demanded almost unlimited time for the NICS to process inquiries. The other mass shooting incident was at the Henry Pratt Company in Aurora, Illinois, in 2019. In that incident, the Illinois State Police dropped the ball. In fact, they dropped enough balls to fill a McDonald’s play pit.

Illinois requires a Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card to purchase and/or possess a firearm. When the ISP revoked a citizen’s FOID card, the agency would send a letter informing the citizen of the action and directing them to turn in any guns they owned.

And that was it. The police never followed up; never verified the guns had been surrendered or disposed of in some other legal manner. The holder of one of those revoked cards used the gun he purchased when his card was still valid to murder five people and take his own life after he lost his job at a valve manufacturing company in Aurora, Illinois.

Lickenbrock’s rant next moves on to the ATF’s rescission of the 2023 “stabilizing brace” rule.

At this point, Lickenbrock’s case abandons any credibility it might have had.

Lickenbrock claimed the rule was, “(F)inalized to stop gun makers from selling easily concealed short-barreled AR-15s, AK-47s, and other assault weapons as ‘pistols’ — instead of short-barreled rifles that must be registered under the National Firearms Act (NFA) — when fitted with arm braces that can be used like shoulder stocks. While brace-equipped AR-15s have been used in at least five mass shootings, the ATF says that rescinding its prior rule would allow “small entities” to “experience an increase in revenue due to weapons with brace configuration no longer undergoing NFA requirements such as enhanced background checks.”

If that isn’t a lie, it’s profound ignorance with malice aforethought.

The ATF isn’t making the change to help the gunmakers. They’re making the changes because the previous version was thrown out by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Turns out the ATF violated federal law when it created the new rule.

“Additionally, the ATF is proposing to simplify the process for spouses to apply for NFA weapons like silencers, short-barreled rifles and shotguns, and other concealable firearms; cross state lines with them, and notify local law enforcement of one’s intent to make or purchase them. Taken together, these proposals may make NFA weapons more appealing to customers and easier to own, again benefiting the gun industry.”

The National Firearms Act of 1934 was passed as a tax measure. This was affirmed by the Supreme Court in Sonzinsky v. United States and United States v. Miller.

Last year, Congress reduced the tax on short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and suppressors to zero. There’s a question about all the compliance hoops and hurdles. They were designed to confirm the tax was paid. With no tax being due, can they be justified?

I doubt any of this is going to go the way Everytown wants. Good.

Lickenbrock is angered that the ATF is removing bump stocks from its definition of ‘machine gun’. Apparently, he hasn’t heard the Supreme Court tossed the bump stock ban in June 2024. The court found the ATF exceeded its authority.

Actually, he seems to be more upset by the ATF’s failure to mention the 2017 Las Vegas killer. It doesn’t matter that the Las Vegas massacre was one of the most meticulously planned crimes in American history; it doesn’t matter that the murderer controlled the scene, including law enforcement agencies’ abilities to effectively respond.

Nope, all that matters is that the perpetrator used evil black rifles with bump stocks.

This implies that, had he used Molotov cocktails and pipe bombs, Greg Lickenbrock and the rest of the gang over at The Smoking Mess might have been okay with it.

The ATF is trying to repair the damage done by four years of the Biden holy war on guns, gunmakers, and the American people. It’s going to take some time and some persistence. However, if we stay the course and resist Everytown’s ‘commonsense tyranny’, the fight will be worth it.

Republished with permission from AmmoLand.

NRA lawsuit challenges post office carry ban

SHummel — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of America, Gun Owners Foundation, and three NRA members on May 26 filed a lawsuit challenging the federal prohibition on carrying firearms at U.S. post offices.

Federal law prohibits knowingly possessing a firearm in a federal facility — including a U.S. post office — as well as carrying firearms on postal property. Violations are punishable by a fine, up to one year of imprisonment, or both.

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The complaint argues that the post office carry ban violates the Second Amendment under the Supreme Court’s text-and-history test set forth in NYSRPA v. Bruen. In Bruen, the court held that the Second Amendment protects the right to carry handguns publicly for self-defense and that firearm regulations must be consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.

The lawsuit notes that although the first post office was established in 1639 and the Post Office Department was established by the Second Continental Congress in 1775, firearms were not prohibited in post offices until 1972. The complaint therefore contends that the post office carry ban contradicts the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation and is thus unconstitutional.

The case, Hornbake v. Blanche, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

3 BFA-backed gun bills moving forward this week

SHummel — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0000

by Joe D. "Buck" Ruth

Three Senate bills supported by Buckeye Firearms Association are progressing through the Ohio General Assembly this week. All three have passed the Ohio Senate and are scheduled for hearings in Ohio House of Representatives committees.

Senate Bill 214

This bill, which passed the Senate in March, will get its first hearing in the House Public Safety Committee at 3:30 p.m. today, June 2.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Kyle Koehler (R-Springfield), proposes revisions to the Ohio Revised Code, eliminating suppressors and mufflers from the definition of dangerous ordnance and removing language that mandates suppressor registration under the National Firearms Act of 1934. BFA's Rob Sexton testified in favor of SB 214 in June 2025.

Currently, the NFA tax stamp on suppressors and short-barreled rifles and shotguns has been reduced from $200 to $0, effective Jan. 1. However, both remain subject to the NFA.

Senate Bill 273

The Senate passed the bill unanimously as Sub. SB 273 in November. It is scheduled for its fourth hearing in the House Public Safety Committee at 3:30 p.m. today, June 2. BFA's Sexton submitted testimony Oct. 15 and testified in person Oct. 29. BFA's Jim Samuel testified in favor March 3.

The bill, known as the "Keep Them Safe Act," is also sponsored by Koehler and would provide guidelines and civil immunity for the voluntary storage of firearms by retailers and law enforcement agencies as a service to citizens.

Senate Bill 278

The Senate in April voted 24-9 along party lines to pass SB 278. Its first hearing is scheduled for the House Judiciary Committee at 9 a.m. Wednesday, June 3.

SB 278, sponsored by Sen. Terry Johnson (R-McDermott), effectively puts teeth into Ohio's preemption laws (ORC 9.68) by allowing residents to sue cities for punitive and/or monetary damages if they try to ignore the state's preemption laws on guns. Jim Samuel, BFA's legislative affairs director, testified in favor of SB 278 in February.

All meetings will be broadcast live on the Ohio Legislature homepage.

To watch the House Public Safety Committee video afterward, go to the committee's webpage.

To watch the House Judiciary Committee video afterward, go that committee's webpage.

Joe D. "Buck" Ruth, a pen name for Scott Hummel, is a longtime small-game hunter and gun owner who spent nearly three decades in the news industry. He is the website and social-media manager for Buckeye Firearms Association.

New survey: Number of Americans carrying handguns on the rise

SHummel — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000

by John R. Lott, Crime Prevention Research Center

The Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) hired McLaughlin & Associates to survey 1,000 general election voters May 19, 2026 (cross tabs available here), regarding whether likely voters carry concealed handguns. In the survey, 13.2% carry all/most of the time, with another 16.6% carrying sometimes/rarely. The percent who carry all or most the time is virtually the same as the percent who carried similarly in December 2024. But the percentage who carry at least some of the time or rarely has increased by 5.4 percentage points (from 11.2% to 16.6%). So the total who are carrying increased by 5.5 percentage points (from 24.3% to 29.8%).

Not surprisingly, people in the 29 constitutional-carry states carry concealed handguns more frequently (34.2%) than people in 21 right-to-carry states (25.98%).

We can break the numbers down more finely. The share of people who carry a gun all or most of the time stayed within one percentage point of its 2024 level. However, the shares who carry sometimes or rarely both increased by about 2.5 to 2.9 percentage points in 2026 compared with 2024.

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Twenty percent of likely voters hold a concealed handgun permit (20.2%), over double the rate for adults overall (8%). Constitutional carry states have only a slightly higher permit rate than pure right-to-carry states (21.38% versus 19.81%). However, our research suggests this gap will narrow over time because the share of adults with permits is declining in constitutional carry states while rising in pure right-to-carry states.

Interestingly, people in constitutional carry states carry handguns at much higher rates than those in pure right-to-carry states (34.19% versus 25.98%). In constitutional carry states, the share of likely voters who carry exceeds the share with permits by about 13 percentage points. In the other pure right-to-carry states, the share who carry exceeds the share with permits by about six percentage points. So constitutional carry laws result in about 7 percentage points more people carrying than who have a permit.

Blacks account for 11.0% of likely voters, but they represent 15.9% of those who carry all or most of the time. Hispanics also carry at disproportionately high rates, making up 18.8% of those who carry all or most of the time despite accounting for only 11.0% of likely voters. By contrast, whites and Asians carry at rates below their shares of likely voters. Whites make up 72.0% of likely voters but only 62.6% of those who carry all or most of the time, while Asians account for 4.0% of likely voters but just 2.0% of frequent carriers.

Interestingly, urban residents carry at rates well above their share of likely voters. Although urban residents make up 31.3% of likely voters, they account for 42.8% of those who carry frequently and 35.8% of those who carry sometimes or rarely. Suburban residents account for nearly the same share of carriers as their share of likely voters (41.0%). By contrast, rural residents carry frequently at rates well below their 23.3% share of likely voters.

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Singles also make up a much larger share of frequent carriers than their share of likely voters. Singles account for 47.3% of those who carry frequently, compared with 37.6% of likely voters overall. Married people, by contrast, make up nearly identical shares of both groups, accounting for 40.8% of frequent carriers and 41.0% of likely voters.

Very liberal and very conservative likely voters carry frequently at disproportionately high rates relative to their shares of the population. Very liberal voters account for 24.6% of frequent carriers even though they make up only 12.9% of likely voters. Similarly, very conservative voters account for 23.0% of frequent carriers while making up 18.0% of likely voters.

Republicans also carry frequently at disproportionately high rates, while Democrats and Independents/other carry at relatively lower rates. Republicans make up 35.0% of likely voters, compared with 34.0% for Democrats and 31.0% for Independents/other.

The percent of likely voters who self-identified as affluence levels were: Wealthy: 3.3%,Upper middle class: 9.9%, Middle class: 41.4%, Lower middle class: 27.8%, and Poor: 17.5%. The income breakdown for likely voters was: Under $20,000: 18.9%, $20,000–$40,000: 20.7%, $40,000–$50,000: 9.2%, $50,000–$60,000: 12.8%, $60,000–$100,000: 19.8%, $100,000–$150,000: 10.4%, $150,000–$200,000: 4.2%, $200,000–$250,000: 1.4%, and Over $250,000: 2.7%.

So the wealthy and upper middle class make up a larger share of those who carry than their share of likely voters. The poor are dramatically unrepresentative in their share of carrying concealed handguns. Those over $250,000 income were also disproportionately carrying and those under $40,000 were disproportionately low.

While women make up 52% of general election voters and men make up 48%, men make up 54.9% of those who carry all or most of the time and women make up 45.1%, so men are over represented, though the gap isn’t as large as one might normally think. The breakdown between Constitutional Carry states is relatively higher for women, with 47.5% of those carrying all/most of the time are women and 52.5% are men.

Republished with permission from Crime Prevention Research Center. Sign up for CPRC's newsletters at crimepreventionresearchcenter.nationbuilder.com.

SAF seeks SCOTUS review in 'sensitive places' case

SHummel — Fri, 29 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and its partners on May 20 petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for review in Novotny v. Moore, SAF’s challenge to Maryland’s so-called “sensitive places” carry ban.

Maryland was among the states forced to change their carry permit laws after the landmark Bruen decision held that every American had the right to carry in public. In response, the state passed a new carry ban in which, even with a newly available permit, residents are still not allowed to carry a firearm in a long list of overlapping “sensitive place” categories, like mass transit facilities, state parks, healthcare facilities, museums, stadiums, and more.”

In another case: BFA and partners ask court to strike down NFA rules on suppressors, short-barreled rifles

“Since the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling in Bruen, states have found novel ways to circumvent not only the Court’s holdings, but to continue infringing on the core rights protected by the Second Amendment,” said SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut. “By labeling essentially all areas open to the public “sensitive places,” municipalities have attempted to completely ban the possession and carry of firearms in public all over again. We are hopeful presenting this case to the Supreme Court provides an attractive opportunity for the court to once and for all clarify what places are, and are not, sufficiently ‘sensitive’ to justify extinguishing peoples’ rights.”

As noted in the petition, “… because this case addresses a wide variety of locations, it is an ideal vehicle for this Court to clarify the narrow scope of the historical “sensitive places” limitation on the right to keep and bear arms. There is no historical tradition of banning carrying firearms in “crowded” places or places where “vulnerable” people are present.” Joining SAF in the case are Maryland Shall Issue, Firearms Policy Coalition, Maryland State Rifle and Pistol Association, and four private citizens.

“States that for many years refused to grant carry permits at all – and were forced to do so after Bruen — passed these so-called “sensitive places” carry bans resulting in citizens continuing to have their right to bear arms trampled,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “Even with permits, residents in Maryland still face five years in jail for carrying a firearm just about anywhere people actually need or want to go out in public. This infringement cannot be allowed to stand, and we encourage the Supreme Court to provide guidance to these senseless laws.”

For more information visit SAF.org.

Republished with permission from Second Amendment Foundation.

Trump taps BFA-backed Ohio Judge Matthew Byrne for federal district court

SHummel — Thu, 28 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

President Donald Trump on May 27 announced on Truth Social that he has appointed Judge Matthew Byrne to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

Byrne, whom Buckeye Firearms Association endorsed in 2020 for the Twelth District Court of Appeals in Ohio, previously worked as an attorney at two major Cincinnati law firms, received his law degree, cum laude, from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, and earned his Bachelor of ARts from Xavier University.

From Truth Social:

I am pleased to announce the nomination of Matthew Byrne to serve as Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. As Judge on the Ohio Twelfth District Court of Appeals, Matt has distinguished himself, and delivered strong results for The Buckeye State. He comes strongly recommended by our Great Vice President, JD Vance, and Senators Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted! Matt previously worked as an attorney at two major Cincinnati Law Firms, received his J.D. from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, and earned his B.A. from Xavier University. The Constitutional Rights of the incredible people of Ohio are in good hands with Matt on the Federal Bench. Congratulations Matt! President DONALD J. TRUMP

Byrne was elected to the Twelth District Court in 2020 and began serving Jan. 1, 2021. He is currently the court’s elected administrative judge, according to his bio page on the district court's website. Byrne also serves on the Ohio Supreme Court’s Commission on the Rules of Practice and Procedure and on the Board of Commissioners on Character and Fitness.

Prior to law school, Byrne was a member of the White House Staff in the Office of Presidential Personnel, according to his bio page. There he was responsible for preparing documents submitted to President George W. Bush concerning his selection and nomination of appointees for high-level federal government positions and for coordinating with the Offices of White House Counsel, Press Secretary, and Executive Clerk regarding candidate background clearances, press announcements, and the status of appointments/nominations.

Byrne has been a member of the Federalist Society since law school and served for five years as the president of the society's Cincinnati Lawyers Chapter. He is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association, the Butler County Bar Association, the Warren County Bar Association.

Byrne resides in Deerfield Township, Warren County, with his wife, Julie, and their three children.

Appointments to U.S. district courts require the president to officially nominate a candidate, followed by a public hearing and favorable vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Finally, the full Senate must debate and pass the nomination with a simple majority to confirm the appointment, according to congress.gov.

NRA-ILA applauds House passage of Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act

SHummel — Wed, 27 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The U.S. House of Representatives on May 21 passed H.R.1041, the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act.

This bill, sponsored by Chairman Mike Bost (R-Illinois), would reverse a controversial and deeply troubling policy that stripped veterans of their right to keep and bear arms without due process, simply because they have been assigned a fiduciary to help manage their Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits that they’ve earned through suffering a service-connected disability.

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It would allow veterans to receive the benefits and assistance to which they are entitled by their selfless service to our country without the fear of losing their fundamental freedoms of purchasing and possessing firearms.

“This vote represents a significant victory and another step in the right direction of eradicating this terrible practice and should be celebrated by veterans and all Americans alike,” said John Commerford, executive director of NRA-ILA. “On behalf of millions of NRA members and veterans nationwide, we applaud the U.S. House for voting to protect our veterans and honoring their service by ensuring that they are not treated as second class citizens.”

NRA-ILA would like to thank Chairman Mike Bost for his steadfast leadership on this issue. Through his relentless effort, he has shepherded this important legislation through his work as chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and through annual appropriations battles. Additionally, NRA-ILA would like to thank Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and Majority Whip Tom Emmer for their efforts to bring this bill to the floor of the U.S. House for consideration. And finally, last but certainly not least, NRA-ILA would like to thank the representatives who have cosponsored this legislation and helped maintain steady support for this effort.

But we cannot rest. America’s veterans need us to take our efforts to the U.S. Senate. It is now more important than ever for Senate Majority Leader John Thune and the U.S. Senate vote to pass the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act so that President Trump can sign this bill and end this shameful chapter of VA history once and for all.