The Weekly Reload Podcast

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I break down the key gun policy provisions included in House Republicans' new Department of Justice funding bill. We also unpack a new Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruling tossing the NRA's free speech case against a New York official that pressured financial companies to cut ties with the group over its politics.

Last week, we talked about the political implications of the National Firearms Act (NFA) tax cuts in the budget bill. This week, we're talking about the market implications. To do that, we've got the co-founders of Open Source Defense back on the show. In addition to running a smart publication on gun culture and politics, Kareem Shaya and Chuck Rossi also run a firearms business investment firm. They said the tax cut is likely to juice demand for silencers (more accurately known as suppressors), short-barrel rifles and shotguns, as well as guns in the "any other weapon" (AOW) category. They looked at the recent surge in silencer demand related to last year's precipitous drop in registration processing times as a potential guidepost for how much demand may spike. Kaream noted suppressor sales were up 80 percent year-over-year between 20023 and 2024. He said demand could see a similar jump once the cut hits, although the six-month delay before that happens might depress the market in the meantime. Meanwhile, Chuck argued that new demand would likely open up innovation in the space. He said he expects new companies will come in to try and produce mass market suppressors or even disposable ones. He said we could see renewed interest in short-barrel rifles and the long-neglected AOW category that leads to new breakout products.

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I break down a new lawsuit filed by gun rights advocates in the aftermath of the One Big Beautiful Bill that argues NFA restrictions are no longer lawful without its $200 tax. We also talk about Canada's ongoing difficulties in carrying out its now 5-year-old plan to confiscate semi-automatic firearms, as well as Colorado lawsuit that pits mass shooting survivors against a Second Amendment Sanctuary county.

This week, we saw a National Firearms Act tax cut make it across the finish line and into law. Silencers, short-barrel rifles and shotguns, as well as firearms in the "any other weapons" category will now see a $0 tax in place of the previous $200 one. But not everyone in the gun world is happy about that. So, we have Cam Edwards of Bearing Arms back on the show to work through what the text does, why it ended up the way it did, and whether gun owners should consider it a win. Cam noted the final text is not everything gun-rights activists had pushed for since the Senate Parliamentarian ruled full delisting was against the rules of budget reconciliation. He said he disagreed with the ruling and could understand why some gun-rights activists unsuccessfully pushed to fire or overrule her. However, he also said it was important to understand the politics of the situation in order not to be caught off guard by either one of those reasonably predictable outcomes. Despite arguments to the contrary, Cam said the law should still be viewed as a win for gun owners. Perhaps an imperfect one, but one of the more significant at the federal level in a generation.Special Guest: Cam Edwards.

Congress is moving closer to eliminating the NFA tax on silencers and short-barreled firearms, highlighting the influence of gun rights organizations. The DOJ has decided not to appeal a Fifth Circuit ruling, which allows those aged 18 to 20 to buy handguns in certain states. The discussion also touches on the legislative challenges in the Senate amid increasing partisanship. Additionally, potential regulatory changes from the ATF are explored, raising questions about future gun law management.

This week, we're looking into a bit of a Second Amendment legal mystery. Recently, a Fifth Circuit panel ruled silencers aren't "arms" and, therefore, don't enjoy constitutional protections. But then the Department of Justice (DOJ) changed hands and changed its mind on the case. In response, the panel took the unusual step of withdrawing its opinion. But we don't know what it plans to do next. That's why we've got federal litigator and legal commentator Gabriel Malor back on the show to give his view on what may be coming. A lot of other commentators and several gun-rights groups have taken the withdrawal as a strong sign the panel plans to reverse itself on whether silencers, often called suppressors, are arms. But Malor said that's unlikely to happen. He noted the DOJ's new position in the case doesn't actually argue silencers are arms, just that they enjoy some level of Second Amendment protection. He also said the panel thoroughly considered the arms question in its initial opinion and is unlikely to reverse, given no new facts or arguments are being presented. Malor also pointed out the panel addressed the basic argument DOJ is now backing and found it lacking, though it spent comparatively little time on that part of the case in its initial opinion. He said the panel is likely going to delve a bit deeper into the DOJ's new argument before returning the same basic ruling.Special Guest: Gabriel Malor.

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I unpack the political implications of the Senate Parliamentarian's latest ruling on Republicans' attempt to deregulate suppressors and short-barreled firearms. We also cover Rhode Island becoming the latest state to adopt a ban on AR-15s and other semi-automatic rifles. Finally, we recap a pair of recent Second Amendment rulings out of the Ninth and Fourth Circuits before wrapping up with highlights from outside The Reload.

This week, we're taking a close look at the federal gun free school zones law with National Review's Charles Cooke. A federal appeals court just upheld the zones against a Second Amendment challenge for what may be the first time in the post-Bruen era. Cooke argued the law is bad policy, but he agreed it doesn't violate the Second Amendment. Instead, Cooke argued it's actually an unconstitutional expansion of the federal government's power to regulate interstate commerce. He noted the law had already been struck down by the Supreme Court over this issue once before. However, Congress passed a new version soon afterward. Cooke said the new law has the same problem the old one had. We also talked about the current push to partially repeal the National Firearms Act through budget reconciliation. Cooke again said he'd like to see repeal make it through the process, but he had doubts that delisting silencers or short-barrel shotguns can clear the Byrd Rule. He also expressed some skepticism about whether language in the bill to try and nullify state NFA mirror laws would work in practice.Special Guest: Charles Cooke.

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I break down Senate Republicans' new proposal to remove everything but machineguns and destructive devices from regulation under the National Firearms Act as part of President Trump's "big beautiful bill." We discuss the upsides and pitfalls of this approach for gun-rights advocates and explain what needs to happen next for it to become law. We also cover a new ruling out of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on the federal Gun Free School Zones Act, a new DOJ brief arguing that AR-15s are protected by the Second Amendment, and emerging new details surrounding a tragic shooting at a recent protest in Salt Lake City.

This week, we're taking a deep dive into the fight over using reconciliation to delist silencers from the National Firearms Act (NFA). The House included a provision to eliminate the tax on firearm silencers/suppressors and one to completely remove them from the NFA's purview. But that wasn't without controversy, and the Senate is now taking up the bill. That's why we've got Knox Williams, the head of the American Suppressor Association, on the show to update us on where things are headed. Williams said there was a meeting between gun-rights activists and Senate staffers this week that left him confident they have a good chance of getting everything they want. He said Republicans were on board with the argument that silencers can be fully delisted because the NFA is a tax at its core. Still, there is a lot of uncertainty about how the parliamentarian will rule on the delisting. Williams agreed that the tax cut is seen as a sure bet. However, he said there's a strong chance delisting gets through, too.Special Guest: Knox Williams.