2 If By Sea Tactical Weekly News Round Up Week of 5/25/26

The first week of June brought no shortage of major developments in the firearms world. From another legal defeat for anti-gun politicians in Virginia to a major expansion of a gun confiscation lawsuit in New Jersey, firearm rights continue to be fought over in courtrooms across America.

Meanwhile, Maryland's latest attempt to target Glock pistols has already landed the state in court. The decades-old Hughes Amendment is once again drawing renewed scrutiny, and firearm sales continue surging as NFA ownership reaches historic highs.

Here are the stories every gun owner should know this week.

Virginia Gun Rights Groups Warn Police Not to Enforce Blocked Background Check Law

Virginia's battle over gun control took another dramatic turn this week. This is after several firearm-rights organizations publicly warned law enforcement agencies against enforcing a recently enjoined state firearms law.

The controversy stems from a court order blocking portions of Virginia's latest firearm restrictions while litigation proceeds. Gun rights groups argue that once a court issues an injunction, government officials, including law enforcement agencies, have a legal obligation to stop enforcement immediately.

The warning highlights a growing issue nationwide. As more firearm laws face constitutional challenges after Bruen, courts are increasingly stepping in to block enforcement while lawsuits proceed. The result has created confusion in some jurisdictions regarding what laws remain enforceable and which do not.

For gun owners, the bigger takeaway is simple, anti-gun legislation is no longer receiving automatic approval from the courts. Many of these laws are now facing serious constitutional scrutiny, and Virginia continues to be one of the largest battlegrounds in that fight.

SAF Expands New Jersey Gun Confiscation Lawsuit

The Second Amendment Foundation is broadening its challenge to New Jersey's firearm confiscation laws, adding additional claims and plaintiffs to an already significant lawsuit. The lawsuit focuses on New Jersey's "red flag" and firearm seizure procedures, which critics argue can deprive individuals of constitutional rights without adequate due process protections.

Supporters of these laws argue they are necessary public safety tools. Opponents counter that constitutional rights should never be suspended without meaningful legal protections and opportunities for citizens to defend themselves in court.

The expanded lawsuit demonstrates a growing trend within the Second Amendment legal movement.

Rather than simply challenging firearm bans, organizations are increasingly focusing on due process concerns, government overreach, and the constitutional protections that must accompany any deprivation of rights.

The outcome of this case could have implications far beyond New Jersey as other states continue adopting similar confiscation statutes.

Gun Owners of America Targets Virginia Gun Control Efforts

Virginia remains ground zero for many of the most significant Second Amendment fights in America.

This week, Gun Owners of America intensified its opposition to newly enacted firearm restrictions and continued mobilizing supporters throughout the Commonwealth. The organization argues that many of Virginia's recently passed firearm laws directly conflict with Supreme Court precedent and are likely to face significant constitutional challenges moving forward.

What makes Virginia especially important is that it often serves as a testing ground for legislation that anti-gun advocates hope to replicate nationally.

The legal battles unfolding there today could influence firearm policy discussions throughout the country tomorrow.

For gun owners nationwide, Virginia is becoming a state worth watching very closely.

Gary, Indiana's Long-Running Lawsuit Against Gun Makers Finally Ends

One of the longest-running firearm industry lawsuits in America may finally be over.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal involving Gary, Indiana's decades-long lawsuit against firearm manufacturers, effectively ending the case. The lawsuit originally sought to hold firearm manufacturers responsible for criminal misuse of firearms by third parties.

Critics argued that allowing such lawsuits would create unlimited liability for lawful businesses based on the criminal actions of others.

Supporters of the firearm industry view the outcome as another major victory for the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), the federal law designed to prevent firearm manufacturers from being sued for crimes committed by unrelated third parties.

The case serves as a reminder that many gun control advocates continue pursuing litigation strategies when legislative efforts fail. For now, the courts continue rejecting many of those attempts.

Maryland Sued Over New Glock Ban

Maryland is already facing legal challenges over a newly enacted law targeting certain semiautomatic pistols, including Glock handguns. State lawmakers argued the measure addresses concerns involving illegal machine gun conversion devices commonly known as "Glock switches."

The problem, according to plaintiffs, is that the law goes far beyond targeting illegal conversion devices and instead impacts constitutionally protected firearms commonly owned by millions of Americans. That creates a major Bruen problem.

The Supreme Court has repeatedly emphasized that firearms in common lawful use receive strong constitutional protection under the Second Amendment. Glock pistols are among the most popular handguns in the country.

As a result, many legal observers expect Maryland's law to face an uphill battle in court. The lawsuit may become one of the first major tests of whether states can use illegal conversion devices as justification for broader restrictions on commonly owned handguns.

The Hughes Amendment Returns to the National Conversation

The Hughes Amendment is once again becoming a major topic of discussion among gun owners and legal scholars. Passed in 1986 as part of the Firearm Owners Protection Act, the amendment froze the civilian machine gun registry, preventing ordinary Americans from purchasing machine guns manufactured after May 19, 1986. As a result, the supply of transferable machine guns became permanently fixed.

Today, transferable machine guns routinely sell for tens of thousands of dollars, not because they are rare mechanically, but because federal law artificially limited the supply nearly forty years ago.

Recent proposals in Congress to eliminate remaining NFA taxes have renewed interest in broader NFA reform and renewed scrutiny of the Hughes Amendment itself. Several ongoing lawsuits are also challenging portions of federal machine gun restrictions under the Supreme Court's Bruen framework.

Whether those challenges ultimately succeed remains uncertain. But for the first time in decades, serious discussions about the future of federal machine gun regulations are taking place publicly. That alone marks a significant shift.

Firearm Sales Remain Strong as NFA Ownership Surges

The latest numbers released this week show Americans continue purchasing firearms at an impressive pace. More than 1.1 million firearms were sold during May, continuing a trend that has remained remarkably strong despite predictions of slowing demand.

At the same time, NFA ownership continues experiencing explosive growth. Federal data indicates NFA applications increased by approximately 100 percent compared to previous years, driven largely by suppressor ownership and increased interest in other NFA-regulated items.

This should not surprise anyone. As processing times improve and legal barriers continue falling, more Americans are entering the NFA world than ever before. Suppressor ownership alone has surpassed six million units nationwide, making them one of the fastest-growing segments of the firearms industry.

Those numbers also continue strengthening constitutional arguments that suppressors, short-barreled firearms, and other NFA-regulated items are clearly in common lawful use. Under Bruen, common use matters a lot.

Final Thoughts

Another week and more examples of the fight over the Second Amendment is increasing in court battles. Virginia's firearm restrictions face growing legal challenges. New Jersey's confiscation laws are under attack. Maryland's Glock restrictions are already being challenged. Long-standing lawsuits against firearm manufacturers continue failing.

At the same time, Americans continue purchasing firearms at historic rates while NFA ownership reaches levels that would have been unimaginable only a decade ago. The legal landscape continues changing rapidly.

For us gun owners, staying informed has never been more important. That reality has led many gun rights advocates to argue the NFA itself is outdated and unconstitutional in modern America.

Here at 2 If By Sea Tactical we strive to bring you the best experience in the firearms world.  As we continue to grow the media arm of 2 If By Sea, make sure you keep tuning in to our Youtube and Rumble channels and right here at “The Patriot’s Almanac” to stay informed on the latest happenings in the firearm world! But we are not lawyers, so this isn't legal guidance. We are proud to be Southern Minnesota source for all things 2A.

Stay sharp, stay informed, and stay ready.