Minnesota Firearm News

New FBI background check data shows Americans continue buying firearms at elevated levels, with over 1.26 million likely retail sales in February 2026. In states like Virginia, where lawmakers are advancing new gun control measures, purchases surged dramatically as gun owners moved to secure firearms before potential restrictions take effect.

West Virginia is advancing legislation to strengthen constitutional carry and shield gun owners from future federal overreach, while Virginia lawmakers are moving forward with sweeping firearm bans and new restrictions. The stark contrast highlights how state-level politics increasingly shape the direction of Second Amendment rights nationwide.

New Mexico’s sweeping semi-automatic firearm ban, SB 17, has stalled after failing to advance before the legislative deadline—a significant victory for gun owners and small businesses who mobilized in strong opposition. While the proposal is effectively dead for this session, sponsors have signaled they intend to revisit similar legislation in the future, underscoring the need for continued vigilance and engagement.

Virginia lawmakers are advancing a semi-automatic firearm and magazine ban despite RAND’s decade-long research review finding the evidence that such bans reduce violent crime is “inconclusive.” With federal studies reaching similar conclusions and rifles accounting for a small fraction of homicides, the debate raises broader questions about whether policy is being driven by data—or politics.

South Dakota has removed suppressors from its “controlled weapon” definition, positioning itself ahead of potential federal NFA deregulation—while Virginia lawmakers recently attempted, and failed, to impose a $500 state tax on suppressors. The sharp contrast highlights the growing divide between states expanding Second Amendment freedoms and those seeking new ways to tax and regulate lawful firearm accessories.

With days remaining before Virginia’s legislative crossover deadline, Democrats in the House of Delegates advanced a sweeping package of gun control bills that would ban commonly owned firearms, impose magazine limits, and expand civil liability against the firearms industry. Chief among them, HB 217 would outlaw a wide range of semi-automatic rifles, pistols, and shotguns while criminalizing possession by adults under 21—despite Supreme Court precedent protecting arms in com