Newsletter: Black Friday Gun Sales Disappoint

This week, we’re wanting on the gun market within the wake of the most well liked gun gross sales day of the 12 months.

Sadly for the business, the Black Friday 2025 market has cooled significantly from final 12 months and much more from 2023’s record-setting exhibiting. That continues a long-term decline that’s seen background checks related to gun gross sales fall to ranges not seen since earlier than 2020. However, as I clarify for Reload Members, there was one state to buck that development and it reveals how politics can nonetheless drive gross sales.

The Trump Administration additionally made two strikes this week that garnered reward from its allies within the gun-rights motion. First, experiences point out the Division of Justice goes to broaden its efforts to push again on native gun restrictions by creating a brand new Second Modification part in its civil rights division. Then, the Division of Training awarded a nearly-million-dollar grant for the College of Wyoming’s Firearms Analysis Heart to develop a Second Modification historical past curriculum to be used in school rooms throughout the nation.

In the meantime, the gun-control teams just lately printed their critiques of the Justice Division’s plan for gun-rights restoration. I am going by the feedback and break down what these teams wish to see modified, identical to we broke down what elements of the plan their counterparts need the division to alter final month.

Plus, Contributing Author Jake Fogleman and I reply Reload Members’ gun coverage questions on the podcast. We even have a number of extra tales down within the hyperlinks, together with an Related Press report on the latest downturn in mass shootings.

I’ve additionally been nominated for the Prime 2A Author on the Gundies. You’ll be able to vote for me right here should you’re so inclined. Because of whoever put my title up for consideration!

Black Friday Gun Gross sales StoopBy Stephen Gutowski

Background checks related to firearms gross sales declined once more final month, even on the busiest buying day of the 12 months.

Black Friday week noticed about 530,000 gun background checks, in keeping with an business evaluation printed this week. That’s down about 80,000 or 13.6 % from the identical interval final 12 months. Black Friday itself noticed the FBI course of 165,183 functions by the Nationwide Prompt Felony Background Test System (NICS), which is down from the all-time Black Friday document of 214,913 set in 2023.

The Nationwide Taking pictures Sports activities Basis (NSSF), an business commerce group, reported on Tuesday that NICS checks associated particularly to gun gross sales had been down for all of November. Final month noticed 1,408,230 such checks, a seven % year-over-year decline.

Click on right here to learn extra.

Evaluation: Politics Show Potent Propellant for Gun Gross sales As soon as Once more [Member Exclusive]By Stephen Gutowski

Background checks on gun purchases had been down once more final month, besides within the one state the place the power driving folks to their native vendor was apparent: the 2025 election.

Whereas the variety of gun-sales-related checks the FBI ran by the Nationwide Prompt Felony Background Test System (NICS) in November was down seven % in comparison with final 12 months, Virginia’s share of these gross sales shot up. The state, which is the Twelfth-largest within the nation, jumped into the highest 5 in total gross sales checks and checks for lengthy gun gross sales. The spike got here instantly after Democrats gained a decisive victory in November’s off-year election.

Virginia hadn’t been within the high 5 for gun gross sales checks all 12 months, however demand surged in the identical month Democrats captured full management of the state authorities. That’s a transparent signal that the specter of new gun restrictions, which Democrats have pursued in useless throughout the previous few years, pushed Virginians to go on a shopping for spree.

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Gun-Rights Teams Cheer New DOJ Second Modification DivisionBy Jake Fogleman

Gun-rights activists are hailing the institution of a brand new division devoted to defending their pursuits throughout the world’s largest regulation workplace.

The Division of Justice’s (DOJ) reported creation of a brand new “Second Modification Part” inside its Civil Rights Division obtained a heat reception from a key Trump administration constituency this previous week. Normal gun-rights advocacy teams like the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation, in addition to representatives of the firearms business on the Nationwide Taking pictures Sports activities Basis, expressed help for the transfer, calling it “a historic course correction in federal coverage.”

“For the primary time, the Civil Rights Division is directed to deal with the Second Modification as what it’s: a civil proper deserving lively safety, not a second-class proper that should consistently give strategy to regulatory experimentation,” Larry Keane, Senior Vice President of NSSF, stated in a press release.

Click on right here to learn extra.

Feds Grant Practically $1 Million to Develop Second Modification Historical past CurriculumBy Stephen Gutowski

The Division of Training has awarded a brand new multi-year grant to the College of Wyoming’s Firearms Analysis Heart (FRC) to create a category on Second Modification historical past.

On Monday, the middle introduced it secured a $908,991 grant from the Division of Training’s American Historical past and Civics Training Program. The grant will final two years and fund the event of a course on the Second Modification’s “origins, authorized interpretation, and civic implications.” George Mocsary, a UW regulation professor who helps run the FRC, stated the purpose is to create a instructing useful resource that focuses on major sources and gives entry to students “who maintain beliefs throughout the spectrum.”

“The doctrinal complexity of the Second Modification is simply too typically obscured by divisive discourse,” Mocsary stated in a press release. “We search to supply a much-needed apolitical strategy to an in any other case politically charged matter, emphasizing the authorized and civic origins of the appropriate to bear arms, connecting it to the early ideas of the nation’s founding and inspecting its evolving function, by authorized interpretation, in American tradition over time.”

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Podcast: Answering Your Gun Coverage and Politics QuestionsBy Stephen Gutowski

This week, we’re fielding questions from Reload Members!

One of many perks of a membership is the flexibility to ask questions throughout our Q&A podcasts (and to hitch the present in a member section). It’s been lengthy sufficient now {that a} new Q&A is sensible. In spite of everything, loads has occurred on this planet of gun coverage and politics.

Contributing Author Jake Fogleman and I cowl questions on all kinds of matters. That features the Supreme Courtroom’s two new Second Modification circumstances, the Excessive Courtroom’s reluctance to take up among the highest-profile gun circumstances, and the justices’ considering round large Second Modification circumstances. We additionally talk about the ins and outs of permitless carry, President Trump and Biden’s efficiency on gun coverage, and whether or not there’s cause to suppose there’s about to be a circuit cut up on the constitutionality of so-called assault weapons bans.

You’ll be able to hearken to the present in your favourite podcasting app or by clicking right here. Video of the episode is accessible on our YouTube channel.

Evaluation: The Adjustments Gun-Management Teams Need in DOJ’s Rights Restoration Plan [Member Exclusive]By Stephen Gutowski

The critiques are in on the hassle to revive the federal gun-rights restoration course of, and the gun-control teams wish to see some main modifications.

The Division of Justice (DOJ) launched its Discover of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in July and requested for feedback from the general public. The gun-rights teams have been total pleased with the deliberate revival, however we chronicled their critiques earlier this month. The gun-control teams have been total sad with DOJ’s rule, and now we’re going to put out what fixes they’re pushing.

Although the gun-control teams had some reward for the DOJ’s proposal, and so they even zeroed in on some comparable points because the gun-rights teams, they need much more modified than their counterparts.

For those who’re a Reload Member, click on right here to learn the remainder. If not, purchase a membership for unique entry to this and a whole lot of different tales!

Outdoors The Reload

Third Circuit denies second bid for expedited injunction towards Delaware’s Allow to Buy handgun regulation | WBOC | By Sean Curtis

US mass killings are down in 2025 | Related Press | By Rebecca Boone

Alberta unveils plan to withstand enforcement of Ottawa’s firearm buyback program | CBC | By Wallis Snowdon

Invoice that will enable teenagers to purchase weapons strikes to full Home for vote | Florida Phoenix | By Mitch Perry

That’s it for this week in weapons.

If you wish to hear knowledgeable evaluation of those tales and extra, be sure to seize a Reload membership to get our unique evaluation e-newsletter each Sunday!

I’ll see you all subsequent week.

Thanks,Stephen GutowskiFounderThe Reload