In The News: February 2025

GEMTECH's Old School GM-9 Delivers Excellent Results, Firearms News, February 11, 2025. The Gemtech GM-9 was made to be light. Constructed mostly of aluminum, it uses steel in the threads, booster, and spring. From the outside it looks like any other 9mm suppressor, but it can be used with .300 Blackout in subsonic loads. It is not full-auto rated. Not that many of us have that option, and not going full-auto-rated is a small price for the light weight.

Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down Ban on Handgun Sales to Teens, ABC News, January 30, 2025. A federal appeals court on Thursday struck down a longstanding federal ban that prevented the sale of handguns to Americans between the ages of 18 and 20 — a landmark gun control regulation in place since 1968.

New Legislation Would Block Banks From Tracking Gun and Ammo Purchases, Washington Times, February 11, 2025. A House Republican introduced legislation Tuesday that would prohibit financial institutions from using electronic transaction codes to trace purchases of firearms and ammunition.

The Hottest New Rifle and Handgun Ammo from the 2025 SHOT Show, Field & Stream, January 27, 2025. New rifles and handguns get all the attention this time of year, but we feed our guns with ammunition, and they’d be useless without it. The means that the latest ammo introductions are always worth a close look, but that's especially true in a year like this, when the top new offerings range from noteworthy to groundbreaking.

Arkansas Senators Back Bill to Ease access to Firearm Suppressors for Hearing Protection, ABC7 On Your Side, February 11, 2025. Arkansas Senators Tom Cotton and John Boozman joined Idaho Senator Mike Crapo in introducing the Hearing Protection Act. According to a release, the passage of the act will allow the added piece to be treated like traditional firearms to regulate it.

In Support of Suppressors: U.S. House and Senate Introduce NRA-Backed Hearing Protection Legislation, NRA Hunters' Leadership Forum, February 6, 2025. In what stands to be a huge win for hunters, two pieces of NRA-backed federal legislation have been introduced that will remove the $200 tax currently required before someone can purchase a suppressor and will simplify the overall process to qualify for a suppressor.

Which States Allow Constitutional Carry?, United States Concealed Carry Association, updated February 4, 2025. In 2022, four states — Alabama, Ohio, Indiana and Georgia — passed constitutional carry or permitless carry laws, making them the 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th states to do so. Subsequently, in April 2023, Florida and Nebraska joined them, becoming the 26th and 27th constitutional carry states.

Second Amendment Doesn't Extend to Certain Gun Parts, Court Says, Bloomberg Law, February 7, 2025. The Second Amendment protection doesn’t extend to certain gun parts, including a sound suppressor, the Fifth Circuit ruled in a case of first impression where it affirmed a dealer’s conviction for possessing one.

State Lawmakers File Bills to Allow for Concealed Carry Without a Permit in North Carolina, ABC11, February 6, 2025. Currently, to get a concealed carry permit, you must be 21 years old and need to complete a firearms safety course, while meeting other residency requirements and pass a background check.