Rage Broadheads unveiled the Tyrant 3-Blade, featuring a massive 2.0+ inch cutting diameter—the largest 3-blade mechanical cut in brand history. The broadhead combines a titanium chisel tip, offset blade design for aggressive wound channels, and .035" thick stainless steel blades for durability, available Spring/Summer 2026.
Team Mathews dominated the 2026 ASA Pro/Am in Foley, Alabama, winning four of six pro divisions with eight podium finishes. Notable winners included Kyle Douglas in Men's Known Pro, Cara Kelly in Women's Pro, and Jack Wallace in Senior Pro, with Derek Phillips crediting the team's strong execution and mental focus.
Jeff Crane, President and CEO of the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, received the 2026 Distinguished Hunter Advocacy Award from the Mule Deer Foundation at the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo in Utah. The award recognizes Crane's decades of leadership in advancing hunting heritage and science-based wildlife conservation policy.
The National Wild Turkey Federation received the Winchester Legend Award at its 50th Convention and Sport Show in Nashville, Tennessee. Winchester Ammunition presented the award recognizing the NWTF's decades of commitment to conservation and hunting traditions. NWTF Board Chairman Bryan Perry accepted on behalf of the organization and its volunteers, members, and partners.
Team Winchester and Team White Flyer shooters earned twelve top finishes at the 2026 Jack Link's Cup in Okeechobee, Florida, among nearly 1,700 competitors. Notable winners include Anthony Matarese (Winchester Cup Champion), Connor Daniel (FITASC Junior Champion), and Desi Edmunds (Winchester Cup Lady 3rd), competing with Winchester AA target shotshells.
NSSF, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari challenging New York's public nuisance law that attempts to circumvent the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. NSSF argues the law is preempted by PLCAA and creates a circuit split requiring Supreme Court intervention.
Safari Club International's Nashville convention exceeded expectations with over 900 exhibitors and thousands of attendees from around the world. The event featured educational sessions, auctions, and celebrations highlighting hunting heritage and conservation, with SCI leadership emphasizing the convention's role in advancing the organization's mission to protect hunting freedom and fund conservation worldwide.
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will host six virtual fisheries management discussions March 9-11 via Zoom, featuring 30-minute presentations and Q&A sessions for each of the five Fisheries districts plus a statewide and Aquatic Habitat Program session. Registration is required at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov, and all sessions will be recorded for later viewing on YouTube.
The Montana Fish & Wildlife Commission has closed LMU 123 to all male mountain lion hunting effective one-half hour after sunset on Tuesday, February 24th, 2026. Hunters can check detailed quota status on the Montana FWP website.
Montana's 2026 hunting and fishing license year begins March 1 with significant changes including new deer and elk regulations, a Nonresident Shed Hunting License requirement, increased license fees, and a transition to a License Ambassador program for in-person sales through Montana Fish and Wildlife.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) has released 2026 pronghorn and elk hunt draw results. Applicants can check their AZGFD portal account to view results and bonus points, with hunt permit-tags expected to mail by April 1.
The Montana Fish & Wildlife Commission has closed LMU 340 to all male mountain lion hunting effective one-half hour after sunset on Tuesday, February 24th, 2026. Hunters can check detailed quota status through the Montana FWP website.
Montana's 2025 Legislature passed a law requiring nonresidents to obtain a $50 shed hunting license for Wildlife Management Areas and prohibiting nonresident antler collection for the first seven days after WMA openings in spring. Resident shed hunters face no changes.
Insight Media Stream demonstrated that its incremental advertising campaign generated $281,494.46 in extra sales for a firearm optics and accessories retailer, achieving over 5x return on ad spend. The campaign resulted in 1,262 additional purchases, with an optimized approach delivering more than double the sales of standard methods.
Sturm, Ruger & Company appointed Aaron Rivers, Stephen Timm, and Lorin Cassidy Wolfe as independent directors while Sandra Froman, Christopher Killoy, and Rebecca Halstead retired from the board. The refreshment strategy includes Todd Seyfert as President and CEO and Bruce Pettet from Leupold & Stevens as an independent director.
The Range Network has appointed Colonel (Retired) Mark A. Davis as Military Liaison. Davis brings over two decades of senior Military Police leadership and recently served as Director of Protection for Army South at Fort Sam Houston before retiring from the United States Army in October 2025.
Flxpoint is hosting a free webinar on March 5 at 1 p.m. EST for FFL dealers and firearm retailers to learn automation strategies for GunBroker.com. Solutions Architect Mike Burneko will demonstrate how top sellers automate listing management, pricing updates, inventory syncing and FFL routing to scale efficiently while protecting margins.
During National Invasive Species Awareness Week (Feb. 23-27, 2026), Michigan's Invasive Species Program, implemented cooperatively by the Michigan departments of Agriculture and Rural Development; Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; and Natural Resources, encourages residents to prevent invasive species spread. In 2025, the program surveyed over 110,000 acres for species like spotted lanternfly and hemlock woolly adelgid, with management actions covering nearly 36,000 acres.
Gun Owners of America supports SB 1071 in West Virginia, which would authorize state-run distribution centers to transfer machine guns to qualified citizens under the Hughes Amendment exemption. Erich Pratt and Chris Stone of GOA argue the legislation adheres to existing federal law while defending Second Amendment rights.
SLG2, Inc. released its 2024-2025 Annual Report highlighting significant growth across its three brands: Shoot Like A Girl, Safe LivinG, and Hunt Like A Girl. The report shows 5,655 signed-in guests and an estimated 17,000 people nationwide engaged with the firearms safety and shooting sports experiences, with 87% of Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's visitors making purchases.
GRITR Sports announces expanded inventory of EAA handguns including Girsan MC P35, Girsan MC 14T Tip-Up Solution, and Windicator revolvers. EAA Corporation is known for offering quality firearms at competitive prices with safe designs and efficient manufacturing.
Staccato 2011 announced the Staccato HD C4X compact pistol is now available through authorized dealers and online. Co-developed with an elite law-enforcement special-surveillance team, the 4-inch pistol features an integrated compensator, ambidextrous controls, 15-round capacity, and Glock-pattern magazine compatibility, with pricing starting at $3,499.
Meprolight, an SK Group company, introduced the Sting Lumina, a dual wavelength compact laser pointer with integrated IR illuminator developed with special forces for close quarters battle and covert operations. The system features visible red or green laser options, IR capabilities, and ambidextrous controls designed for high-recoil platforms.
Zanders, a national firearms distributor based in Sparta, Illinois, announced it is now stocking GForce Arms products, including the Jawbone 9mm PCC. The firearm features an Ace of Brace paddle pistol brace, ambidextrous controls, and a forend charge handle, offering reliable performance at competitive pricing.
AmbassadorTrack, a leading ambassador management platform, announced the addition of TikTok to its supported social media platforms alongside Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The expansion enables organizations to track cross-platform performance metrics including reach, impressions, engagement, and video views through a unified dashboard, according to President Graham Johnston.
TrueTimber, the world's best-selling camo brand, announced a collaboration with Softopper featuring two TrueTimber patterns—Vintage Brown and Midnight—on retractable truck bed covers available for pre-order across Toyota, Dodge Ram, Jeep, Chevy and GMC models.
CCI Ammunition announced its new Blazer Brass Clean-Fire Suppressor ammunition line featuring subsonic velocities, Total Metal Jacket bullets, and lead-free primers. The product is now shipping to retailers nationwide in 9mm Luger, .40 S&W, and .45 Auto calibers, designed to reduce fouling and maintenance for suppressed firearms.
HIVIZ Shooting Systems has launched the LiteWave Front Sight for Ruger Redhawk Alaskan revolvers, featuring interchangeable fiber-optic LitePipes in green, red, or white for customizable sight pictures. The sight delivers fast target acquisition and enhanced durability for demanding shooting environments.
CZ will exhibit at IWA Outdoor Classics 2026 in Nuremberg, Germany, celebrating its 90th anniversary. The company will showcase new pistol models including the CZ 75 LEGEND and CZ SHADOW 2 CARRY, plus rifle offerings like the CZ 600+ Series and CZ 457 TARGET at Stand No. 3C-110.
Meprolight will showcase its optical and electro-optical innovations at IWA OutdoorClassics 2026 in Nuremberg, Germany. The company will feature the Mepro MCO PRO, Meprolight Variable Optic (MVO), and Mepro MPO pistol optics at Booth #3A-308, highlighting battlefield-tested products designed for shooters and professionals.
BERSA USA will exhibit at the 2026 IWA OutdoorClassics in Nuremberg, Germany, February 26 - March 1, showcasing new M2XI double-stack 1911 and striker-fired pistol models alongside legacy products. Rafael Del Valle, Director of Sales and Marketing, highlighted the platform's importance for engaging international distributors and strengthening BERSA's global presence.
Iron Valley Supply's Spring E-Show features over a dozen brands offering pistols, revolvers, AR's, and accessories. The event runs through March 1st, with additional deals added on February 25th.
Kinetic Development Group will exhibit at the AmChar Dealer Show in Savannah, Georgia in early March, showcasing its firearm accessories including M-LOK rail systems, Kinect quick-attach mounting solutions, and optic mounts. Director of Sales & Marketing Chris Bardugone highlighted the company's focus on rugged, purpose-driven products for shooters and retailers.
Wildgame Innovations has renewed its sponsorship with Whitetails Unlimited, continuing to provide game cameras, feeders, and attractants. Founded in 2002 by Ryan and Matt Busbice, the company focuses on creating better, more effective hunting products through research and science.
Shell Shock Technologies announced its continued sponsorship of competitive shooter John Vlieger for the 2026 season, supplying him with NAS3 cases and ammunition. Vlieger, a USPSA Single Stack National Champion and five-time USPSA Area Champion, has used Shell Shock's innovative cases since 2017 and fired over 200,000 rounds.
The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and Audubon Vermont have closed multiple cliff areas from March 15 through August 1 to protect nesting peregrine falcons. Nongame Bird Biologist Jillian Kilborn and conservation biologist Margaret Fowle urge hikers and climbers to maintain respectful distance, as peregrines are sensitive to human presence during breeding season.
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will administer a guide and outfitter written examination on March 28, 2026 at 1 p.m. in Bismarck. Preregistration is required by March 20 by calling 701-328-6604. Candidates must pass the exam, undergo background checks, obtain CPR and first aid certification, and meet additional licensing requirements.
Brookville Lake features a remodeled beach house at Mounds State Recreation Area and updated amenities at Whitewater Memorial State Park, while Quakertown SRA's beach closes due to declining usage. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources will repurpose the space for other recreational activities.
Nebraska Game and Parks discontinued guided horse trail rides at Ponca and Chadron state parks to improve efficiency and resources. Trail rides will continue at Fort Robinson, Platte River, Eugene T. Mahoney, Niobrara state parks, and Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park, with horses and equipment transferred to strengthen equestrian services.
CC Bar Whitetails, owned by Hank and Shauna Corbell, has released a new video showcasing their operation's achievement in developing whitetail deer with proven genetic resistance to Chronic Wasting Disease. The Texas-based breeding operation has become a national model for sustainable deer farming, with other breeders now seeking their guidance and genetics.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission continues monitoring avian influenza in wild birds as migration season approaches. The agency urges the public to report sick or dead birds by calling 1-833-PGC-WILD, and removed approximately 2,000 bird carcasses from a Northampton County quarry in December and January. Hunters and bird enthusiasts should follow biosecurity precautions including wearing gloves and masks when handling birds.
The United States is currently experiencing what is likely to be a record-low in homicide, which has occurred at the same time as a massive expansion in firearm carry rights across the country. I have previously written about how those with carry permits almost never commit crime. State-level data proves it, and even gun-skeptical research organizations have recognized that “evidence generally shows that, as a group, [carry permit] license holders are particularly law abiding and rarely are convicted for violent crimes.”
Yet this irrefutable data didn’t stop the usual antigun suspects from predicting doom when the Supreme Court first issued its ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen in 2022. There, the Court held that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to carry a handgun for self-defense outside the home. Gun control groups angrily claimed that the decision would lead to dramatic increases in violence.
For example, the then-Chief Counsel of Brady, Jonathan Lowy, said thatBruen “is extremist judicial activism at its worst, and Americans may die as a result of what the Court issued in the sanctity of its protected chambers.” John Feinblatt, President of Everytown for Gun Safety, said the Supreme Court chose “to put our communities in even greater danger with gun violence on the rise across the country.” Giffords claimed the ruling would “escalate gun violence,” “spur unlawful militia activity,” “embolden those inclined to vigilante justice,” “increase violence at protests,” and cause “more domestic violence and hate crimes.”
Antigun politicians made similar breathless predictions. Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey claimedBruen was a dangerous decision that “will make America a less safe country.” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said it “severely undermines public safety not just in New York City, but around the country.” Senator Alex Padilla of California put it more bluntly: “Today’s decision will make our communities less safe, plain and simple.”
Countless other examples abound. I encourage you to follow @2Aupdates if you want to constantly be reminded of all these claims.
We all make incorrect predictions from time to time, but the degree to which opponents of the Second Amendment were wrong is simply astounding.
When nationwide data for jurisdictions of all sizes is reported by the FBI later this year, there is a strong possibility that homicides in 2025 will drop to about 4.0 per 100,000 residents. That would be the lowest rate ever recorded in law enforcement or public health data going back to 1900, and would mark the largest single-year percentage drop in the homicide rate on record.
The antigun predictions weren’t just wrong, they were hilariously wrong. They said America would turn into the “Wild West” and the streets would be awash in blood from the regular gunfighting we’d all be engaged in.
None of that happened.
Turning to firearm-related homicide in particular, Bruen didn’t mark the start of a new violent era, it was instead the beginning of a new chapter of relative peace and tranquility. Indeed, when you look at month-by-month firearm-related homicide data from the CDC, the summer of 2022 represented close to the peak of the post-Covid homicide surge, eclipsed only slightly by the two summers preceding it. Since then, there has been a dramatic and sustained decline:
The Bruen ruling was handed down in June of 2022. That month saw 1,769 firearm-related homicides nationwide. But the same month two years later, June of 2024, had 1,424. And while final data isn’t yet available from the CDC, by all accounts 2025 was even lower still.
Perhaps antigun activists would argue here that other firearm-related crime could be increasing, even if homicide is falling. But the data dispels that notion too.
According to the Council on Criminal Justice, aggravated assaults with a firearm across the 11 cities they measured — Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Nashville, Philadelphia, San Francisco, St. Paul, and Washington DC — were also down from their 2021 peak, and are now lower than they were pre-pandemic:
Several of the sharpest declines in homicide have come in cities which have been forced to issue carry permits on a shall-issue basis for the first time in their modern history, thanks to Bruen. I have highlighted some of those cities in the chart here:
This pattern persists on a state-by-state level, too. Since 2022 and Bruen, there are two broad categories of carry rights expansion:
Former may-issue states (a couple of which were effectively no-issue) that now must issue permits on a shall-issue basis because of Bruen. This category includes California, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island.
Shall-issue states that adopted permitless “constitutional” carry, i.e., you don’t even need a permit to carry as long as you can lawfully possess a firearm. States in this category include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Nebraska, Ohio, and South Carolina.
Collectively, I will refer to these 16 states as the “rights-expanding states.”
Using the CDC’s WONDER tool, we can check how Florida and the rest of the rights-expanding states have done on firearm-related homicide since 2022. That year, these states totaled 8,479 firearm-related homicides amongst them, for a rate of 5.5 per 100,000:
By 2024, most of these states saw significant declines in firearm-related homicide, and their combined rate dropped to 4.2 per 100,000, a 24% drop.
Only two of the states, Delaware and Hawaii, saw increases. Even then, the increases in those two states were slight while the drops in many of the other states were considerable. California saw a 28% reduction. Georgia is down 23%. New Jersey homicides dropped 32%. New York is down 33%. Ohio fell 22%. And Florida, which Giffords confidently and loudly asserted would be less safe thanks to constitutional carry, was also down 28% in firearm-related homicide.
Overall, the nation as a whole also saw a roughly 24% drop in firearm-related homicide, identical to the reduction in the rights-expanding states. Thus, the rights-expanding states matched the decline of the country as a whole, and several of them actually comfortably beat the national decline in firearm-related homicide.
I won’t claim that carry rights expansion caused the national decline in homicide. I don’t have sufficient evidence for that. I do believe it’s at least plausible that news coverage of the Bruen ruling made the American public (including criminals) more aware of the fact that anyone could be carrying a firearm, which may have deterred some criminals and contributed to the decline in homicide. But I certainly can’t prove it. Experts in the field continue to debate what has caused the national decline in homicide, and it may be a long time before there’s any scholarly consensus.
Whatever the cause, its existence definitely shatters the fear-mongering post-Bruen claims of the antigun groups and the politicians they support.
This has been a massive, real-world test of the “more legal carry = more gun violence” hypothesis the gun control advocates peddle. They explicitly and loudly predicted disaster. The data has proved them wrong in spectacular fashion.
