A federal judge in New York has issued a permanent injunction against the Cortland Housing Authority (CHA) prohibiting any sort of firearms ban against CHA tenants, in a victory for the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and its fellow plaintiffs.

SAF was joined in this action by three private citizens, Robert Hunter, Elmer Irwin and Doug Merrin. They are represented by attorneys Edward Andrew Paltzik, Serge Krimnus and Meredith Lloyd at Bochner PLLC in New York City. U.S. District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York signed the order.

“Pursuant to Plaintiffs’ claims as set forth in the First Amended Complaint, Defendants, and their respective employees, agents, representatives, service providers and/or contractors, are enjoined from prohibiting Plaintiffs and all other CHA tenants from owning, possessing, transporting, or using firearms for lawful purposes, provided they are otherwise qualified and in compliance with all federal, state, and local laws applicable to the ownership, possession, transportation and use of firearms,” Judge Suddaby wrote.

He also ordered the defendants — CHA and Executive Director Ella M. Diiorio — to pay plaintiffs’ counsel $150,000 for attorney’s fees and costs.

“This is not the first time SAF has successfully challenged a gun ban in a public housing authority facility,” recalled SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “Whenever we are alerted to this sort of thing, we are prepared to challenge it. Bringing these cases simply fulfills our effort to win firearms freedom one lawsuit at a time.”

“At some point,” SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut observed, “it should become abundantly clear to various public housing authorities that gun bans are not allowed. Residents do not leave their constitutional rights at the entrance, as each of our victories over the years have affirmed.” Read more

Attorneys representing the Second Amendment Foundation and its partners in a federal lawsuit challenging the general ban on firearms carry in post office facilities have filed a plaintiffs’ brief supporting their motion for summary judgment in the case.

The brief was filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division.

SAF is joined by the Firearms Policy Coalition and two private citizens, Gavin Pate and George Mandry, who are members of both organizations. They are represented by attorneys R. Brent Cooper and S. Hunter Walton at Cooper & Scully, P.C. in Dallas, and David H. Thompson, Peter A. Patterson and Megan M. Wold at Cooper & Kirk in Washington, D.C. The case is known as FPC v. Garland.

In their 22-page brief, SAF and its partners argue, “The Founders did not bar carriage of firearms in Post Offices. Instead, they regulated the improper, threatening, and violent use of weapons in Post Offices. Later generations confirmed this historical tradition by protecting mail carriers with bounties and facilitating carriage, not banning firearms. Post Offices have been a feature of our country from before we were a country, and concerns about threats to Post Offices are as old as Post Offices themselves…Yet, to Plaintiffs’ knowledge, Congress passed no restrictions on the carriage of firearms in U.S. Post Offices during the Founding era, suggesting that the Carry Ban is unconstitutional.” Read more

Washington, D.C. – Last week, Gun Owners of America (GOA) and Gun Owners Foundation (GOF) joined the Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition, Palmetto State Armory, B&T USA, and the States of West Virginia, Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Montana, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Utah in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in defense of former Iowa Police Chief Bradley Wendt. Chief Wendt, who previously ran the Adair Police Department, was targeted by the Biden-Harris DOJ for acquiring machine guns for his police department, which is expressly permitted under federal law.

Although federal law clearly allows local governments to acquire, possess, and use machineguns within their complete discretion, the ATF and DOJ have recently begun a malicious prosecution scheme aimed to crack down on the ability of local government officials to acquire machineguns. Tellingly, DOJ’s prosecutions have been brought against small town police chiefs and rural sheriffs – generally the very same officials who stand up for their constituents against the efforts of radical gun grabbers.

In July, Chief Wendt was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for making false statements and fraud in connection with acquiring machine guns for his department, and his case is now on appeal to the Eighth Circuit.

In our brief, the coalition argues that federal law expressly prohibits the federal government from interfering in a local police department’s authority to acquire, possess, and issue machine guns to officers. Additionally, our brief argues that the alleged false statements made by Chief Wendt could not be considered by ATF under their own regulation, meaning they were not material and should never have been presented to the jury. Read more

A federal district court judge in New York has ruled that the state’s restriction against concealed carry on private property open to the public is unconstitutional, handing a victory to the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) in a case known as Christian v. James.

U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. issued a 43-page decision in which he observed, “The Nation’s historical traditions have not countenanced such a curtailment of the right to keep and bear arms. Indeed, the right to self-defense is equally important—and equally recognized—on then vast swaths of private property open to the public across New York State.”

Judge Sinatra further wrote, “The State maintains there is ‘extensive historical support spanning the colonial era to Reconstruction and beyond that forbade carrying guns onto others’ property without their permission. But the State fails, on this historical record, to demonstrate that the challenged restriction is ‘consist[ant] with a well-established and representative National tradition.”

SAF is joined by the Firearms Policy Coalition and Brett Christian, for whom the case is named.

“As we’ve said all along, the ‘sensitive place’ carry restrictions imposed by New York post-Bruen are unconstitutional. Hard stop,” said SAF Director of Legal Operations Bill Sack. “We are thrilled that once again, the courts have agreed, and sent this amoral and unlawful ban packing.” Read more

NSSF, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, has developed a webpage containing resources for military veterans, including a fact sheet discussing mistaken beliefs that cause some veterans to forego seeking health care from the Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA) because of concerns about having their firearms taken away.

“Understanding the facts about this topic can help veterans make informed decisions about seeking the health care they are entitled to,” said NSSF President and CEO Joe Bartozzi. “This care can range from a routine checkup to a hip replacement to screening for PTSD to mental health care.”

The fact sheet is titled “Correcting Mistaken Beliefs about VA Confiscating Veterans’ Guns.”

The webpage notes that “NSSF and its member companies proudly support America’s military service veterans. On this page NSSF shares information and resources that can benefit veterans’ health and resiliency, and that highlights their importance as employees and leaders in America’s firearm industry.”

The site includes information about several NSSF veterans-focused initiatives. Read more

BELLEVUE, Wash. —— On Tuesday, Oct. 8, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the Second Amendment Foundation’s (SAF) challenge to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) regulation expanding what constitutes a “firearm.”

Arguments will begin at 10 a.m. EST and will be broadcast live here.

SAF is joined in the case by Defense Distributed and Not an LLC (doing business as JSD Supply). SAF and its partners are represented by attorneys Charles R. Flores and Josh Blackman of Houston, and SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut.

In April 2022, the ATF published its Final Rule amending the regulatory definition of the term “firearm” to encompass precursor parts that, with enough additional manufacturing operations, would become functional firearms frames and receivers, but in their current state were non-functional objects. Read more

Firearms News’ Facebook Page Getting Deleted Is Part of the Reason Why

DENVER – The saying “what comes around, goes around” rings true today as Firearms News, a leading voice in the Second Amendment community since 1946, announces a renewed commitment to print media as social media censorship further restricts free information flow. The publication’s Facebook page, a top resource for nearly 1 million followers, was recently deleted without warning, underscoring the growing challenges faced by conservative and pro-Second Amendment voices online.

Firearms News has long balanced the legacy of print media with the immediacy of digital content, publishing both monthly issues and daily updates online. Despite digital disruptions, the publication remains steadfast in its dedication to delivering unfiltered Second Amendment news, historical firearm insights, and gun reviews.

“Social media censorship shows the importance and value of our print roots,” notes David M. Fortier, Executive Editor at Firearms News. “Our community relies on us for unbiased journalism, and print is a key part of ensuring our message reaches those who value freedom and transparency.” Read more