The past few weeks have been a boon for gun rights across the country, and the Second Amendment Foundation has been right in the middle of these historic advancements. From the U.S. Supreme Court accepting two SAF “assault weapons” ban cases, to a win out of Texas where a judge ruled the remaining registration scheme in the National Firearms Act is unconstitutional, the gun rights movement is in full force. In addition to the great strides for the Second Amendment freedoms across the nation, SAF also welcomed new partners and renewed commitments from existing supporters. If that wasn’t enough, the Gun Rights Policy Conference planning committee continues to announce high-caliber speakers for the 41st annual event. Check out the full details, and more, below:
The U.S. Supreme Court has granted two of the Second Amendment Foundation’s (SAF) petitions for a writ certiorari in both Viramontes v. Cook County and Grant v. Higgins, the organization’s challenges to the bans on so-called “assault weapons” in Illinois and Connecticut.
Originally filed in 2021, Viramontes challenges Cook County’s ban on many commonly owned modern guns, which was the precursor for the nearly identical statewide ban passed by the Illinois legislature. In Grant, SAF is challenging Connecticut’s ban on commonly owned semi-automatic rifles – both by name and by feature set. After a troubling and misguided preliminary injunction decision from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, SAF presented the case to the Supreme Court for consideration.
“The Supreme Court’s decision to hear these pivotal cases will finally provide the courts the necessary guidance as it relates to the types of arms protected by the Second Amendment,” said SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut. “The modern semi-automatic rifles banned in Cook County, Connecticut and elsewhere are among the most commonly owned firearms in the country, placing them well within the scope of the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment protects arms in common use for lawful purposes, and it’s hard to argue that a type of rifle that potentially outnumbers Ford F-150 trucks in America doesn’t meet that standard.”
A judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas has ruled that the remaining registration scheme for short-barreled rifles and suppressors in the National Firearms Act (NFA) is unconstitutional in Jensen v. ATF, a case supported by the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF).
“The removal of the $200 tax in the One Big Beautiful Bill offers the best opportunity to remove the NFA registration requirements that we’ve had in almost a century,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “We are thrilled the court ruled in our favor and look forward to other jurisdictions following suit in our remaining NFA cases. This ruling will set a precedent we can now argue in courts across the country to allow Americans to exercise their Second Amendment rights without fear of being placed on some government registry.”
Since 1934, the NFA required anyone who wished to purchase certain classes of firearms, including silencers and short-barreled rifles, to pay a $200 tax and register the firearm with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), purportedly drawing from Congressional authority to levy taxes. Through the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, however, the tax on these arms was eliminated but the registration requirement was left in place. SAF and its partners have filed three lawsuits challenging the remaining registration requirements, because without the tax, Congress’ reliance on their taxing power is no longer justifiable.
The injunction in Jensen v. ATF, a case supported by SAF, is in effect after the government did not seek to extend the stay of the ruling from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas by the judge’s deadline.
On Aug. 5, the court ruled that the remaining registration scheme for short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, any other weapons (AOW’s) and suppressors in the National Firearms Act (NFA) is unconstitutional and gave the government one week from the date of the ruling to file a stay pending appeal. The injunction was therefore put into effect after the government failed to meet the judge’s deadline. It should be noted, however, that the government has 60 days from the date of judgment to file an appeal.
Given the uncertainty surrounding the Jensen ruling, SAF put together a Q&A web page to answer the most relevant questions regarding the injunction. The web page answers 12 of the top questions regarding individual rights, who is covered and what the ruling means for those who wish to purchase arms covered under the injunction.
To find out more, and to learn how this historic judgment affects you, visit SAF.org/nfainjunction.
Over the course of the past few weeks, SAF welcomed two new corporate partners and two renewed commitments from existing supporters. SilencerCo joined the organization at the Gold level, while One Horse became a corporate partner at the Silver level. In addition, Magpul renewed their commitment at the Platinum level, both Lipsey’s and Credova renewed at the Gold level and Luth-AR continued their support at the Silver level.
“We are proud to welcome these new and renewed partners to the Second Amendment Foundation family,” said SAF Senior Vice President Lauren Hill. “By renewing their support and joining the organization, these companies have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to protecting the constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans. Their continued investment in SAF’s mission strengthens our ability to defend and advance the right to keep and bear arms through litigation, education and advocacy. We are grateful for their partnership and look forward to continuing our work together to safeguard Second Amendment freedoms for generations to come.”
In addition to the new and renewed partners, Colt and Guns.com joined forces to auction off an exclusive collector’s edition Colt Custom Shop Python, and Vortex teamed up with Hunter Constantine to offer a limited-edition belt with a portion of proceeds benefitting SAF. Both campaigns were wildly successful, and combined provided close to $30,000 of additional funding for SAF’s legal and educational efforts.
Should you have any questions or need more information about SAF’s corporate partner program, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Hill at Lhill@saf.org.
The 41st annual Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC) is approaching quickly and the planning committee is announced the latest speaker lineup. The Honorable Roger T. Benitez (Ret.) will give the keynote address and Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice Harmeet Dhillon will also speak during the event.
In addition, Second Amendment advocate and Congressional candidate Brandon Herrera, ATF Director Robert Cekada and ATF Chief Counsel Robert Leider will all address the crowd. This is just a small sampling of the speaker lineup. Visit the GRPC speaker page to see a full list of those who will give presentations during the event.
Co-hosted by the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA), the event is scheduled for Sept. 25 – 27 in Dallas at the Westin Dallas Fort Worth Airport hotel.
GRPC 2026 is sponsored by USCCA, Silencer Shop, Vortex, Magpul, Credova, U.S. Law Shield, Volquartsen, Trijicon, Colt, GrabAGun, RAYVN Group, AZFirearms Auctions, NSSF and Taurus.
For more information and to register for the event, visit SAF.org/grpc.
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