Plinko de Mayo

• Aguila Ammunition announced the third anniversary of Plinko de Mayo, a unique holiday celebrating Mexican heritage and the joy of informal target shooting, also known as “plinking.” On May 5th, shooters are invited to join the festivities and experience the thrill of plinking in this fun-filled celebration.

Administration

• The BATFE has changed its policy on monitoring non-suspect lawful buyers in the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System. We note that the background check itself is facially unconstitutional.
• US Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Justice Department have given formal notice that ten individuals have regained their Second Amendment rights.
• Another one bites the dust. ATF Senior Policy Counsel Eric Epstein.

• President Trump’s DOJ continues to defend federal gun ban.
• Government opposes compassionate release of gun tuber Matthew Hoover – who probably didn’t even commit a crime – for terminal medical condition.

Litigation

• FPC rips a new one for Acting US Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi Patrick Lemon in the machine gun case United States v. Brown.
• Are Brass Knuckles Protected by the Second Amendment? In People v. Dummer, a unanimous panel of the Michigan Court of Appeals found that brass knuckles are Second Amendment covered arms in common use for lawful purposes, but that history and tradition support a criminal ban on their possession. We note that Bruen‘s “common use” test is a product of the US Supreme Court and does not exist in the US Constitution.
• The US Supreme Court declined to consider a challenge to California laws banning gun shows on public property, such as fairgrounds. The case is B&L Productions, et all v. Newsom, et al.
• The Kansas Supreme Court affirmed product liability immunity of the gun maker and seller in a civil suit after the Lyons County District Court granted summary judgment in favor of the firearm maker and seller based on a reading of the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. The PLCAA forbids lawsuits against manufacturers or sellers when a person criminally or unlawfully misused a firearm. There are some interesting facts in this case.
• Grassroots Judicial Report.

Enemies

• Felonious ATF agent. Meet Jeffrey R. Bodell, the ATF Firearms Enforcement Officer Whose Lies Put an Innocent Sailor in Prison for 20 Years. It appears that Bodell lives on McCulloch Road in Shippensburg, PA.
• More.

Friends

• Good ATF agents.

NRA

• At last week’s annual meetings, NRA EVP Doug Hamlin announced that NRA’s first-quarter legal expenses had fallen from 2024’s $15 million to $685,000 for 2025. That’s what happens when you finally dump the crooks.
• More.
• The NRA Board of Directors elected Bill Bachenberg of Pennsylvania as President of the NRA and unanimously reelected Doug Hamlin as NRA Executive Vice President & CEO. The Board also elected Mark Vaughan of Oklahoma as NRA First Vice President, Rocky Marshall of Texas as NRA Second Vice President, and reelected Sonya B. Rowling as NRA Treasurer, Robert Mensinger as NRA Chief Compliance Officer, and John C. Frazer as NRA Secretary. EVP Hamlin then reappointed John Commerford as the Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action and Josh Savani as the Executive Director of NRA General Operations.
• Outgoing NRA President Bob Barr in his last official magazine column claimed that “Having 76 Board members enables more efficient business management and, in turn, a stronger National Rifle Association.” I think not.
• NRA Board candidates can now gather petition signatures either the old fashioned way on paper or through electronic signatures. They just need to send a request to NRA Secretary John Frazer for the petition packet and an online petition link. Just email Mr. Frazer at [email protected].
• Candidates will need 363 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. According to the Bylaws Article VIII, Sec. 3(b), there is a limit of five candidates qualifying by petition per state. If more than five qualify, then it will be the top five in terms of numbers of signatures obtained.
• I do not recommend signing the petition of anyone unless you know they are aligned with the “reformers” side of the Board, and not the “Old Guard” group.

The Only Ones

• An unidentified law enforcement officer was reported to have suffered an “accidental” gunshot wound in the leg last week inside the Lassen County Superior Court in Susanville, a small city in northeastern California near the Nevada border. A news release from the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office didn’t clarify whether the wound was self-inflicted or inflicted by another – also unidentified – party.
• A loaded handgun disappeared after it was left in a restroom at Meharry Medical College’s School of Dentistry in Nashville last week by an unidentified corrections officer from the Trousdale Turner Correctional Center afternoon. The officer was assisting in the transport of an inmate.

YOYO

• More 911 failures.
• The disarmed forces. The US Air Force continues to issue toy guns.

DGUs

• The Armed Citizen: American Rifleman – April 25, 2025

Tactics & Stuff

• “The object of it all is not ‘How do I shoot the Bad Guy.’ The problem is ‘How do I keep the Bad Guy from killing me or an other innocent person?'” – Ayoob
• The ACLDN and Rangemaster May newsletters are out.
• From Farnam: The likelihood (through no fault/intent of your own) of running into VCAs, be they jihadists, “ordinary felons,” or dangerous fruitcakes has never been higher, no matter where you live. Liberal governments absolutely refuse to protect us from these threats, although they take extreme measures at our expense to protect themselves.
• Should Your EDC Be A Throw-Away Gun?
• Purse carry problem. It’s not just your life. It might be your husband’s.
• Pre-attack indicators.

Industry News

• Sig Sour – We have a report that the Chicago Police Department (CPD) has abruptly banned the use of the Sig Sauer P320 pistol as an authorized duty weapon. With more than 13,000 sworn officers, the CPD is the second-largest department in the nation. CPD allows a wide variety of duty pistols for officers including the Glock 17 or 19, several Springfield XD pistols, as well as the Smith and Wesson M&P. The Sig Sauer P320 line was added to the list of authorized police sidearms in June 2018.
• Ed McGivern’s S&W .38 Spl. Military & Police Model of 1905 Fourth Change Double Action Target Revolver, serial #286600 – used to set his world record by shooting five shots into a one-inch group at 20 feet in 9/20th of a second – is up for auction. Buying it won’t make you a world record shooter. Estimated Price: $85,000 – $130,000.
• A US Army EOD officer broke the world record for the mile run in a bomb suit. You can’t make this up.

• The FBI found and seized an extremely rare antique Springfield Model 1868 trapdoor saddle ring carbine believed stolen from the US Springfield Armory in the 1980s.

Products

• We have multiple reports that Magtech brand revolver ammo doesn’t go bang. Caveat emptor.
• Mossberg 990 Aftershock article.
• Heritage Manufacturing (Taurus) is offering a free magnum cylinder with the new purchase of any of their .22 rimfire revolvers (Rough Rider revolver, Barkeep revolver and Rancher revolving rifle), a $30 value. This promo runs through the end of May 2025. I suspect these are good pest guns.
• Thompson/Center is back.
• Updated article on the 16-round SRM 1216 shotgun.
• Charles Daly is offering a Chiappa .410 bore upper to fit any mil-spec AR-15 lower.
• Hi-Point will release an American made HP-15 modern sporting rifle in 5.56, as well as a pistol version, available in 5.56 or .300BLK. <$500.
• Faxon is now marketing a lightweight M4, called the FF15-LW, with aluminum upper and lower, skinny barrel and a skeletonized bolt-carrier. Under 5 lbs.
• The TNW Firearms Aero Survival Rifle is semi-automatic, blowback operated, simple and rugged, easy to assemble and maintain without tools, weighs 5.6 lbs. empty without sights and is adaptable to right or left side ejection/safety operation. And it uses 1911 pistol magazines. $750.
• The Fulton Armory M21 Sniper Rifle is built to comply with CMP Vintage Sniper Match Rules 7.2 Class B for the M21 rifle. $3765.
• JK Armament’s 195 SGX 20GA shotgun suppressor offers a fully modular system that adjusts from a compact 3.375 inches to an extended 12.2 inches, and includes an interchangeable choke cap system. The SGX 20 is compatible with most shotguns featuring interchangeable choke tubes by utilizing the barrel’s pre-existing choke threads for mounting. $945 + tax.
• Dead Air Silencers and Ruger Firearms have teamed up to introduce an entirely new class of suppressors: the RXD Series, including the RXD 30Ti and RXD 22Ti.
• BANISH Suppressors announces the official release of the BANISH 30-V2. Smaller, lighter, and quieter than its predecessor, the BANISH 30-V2 is also now equipped with an industry-standard HUB mount. $1000.
• Hot on the heels of the regular MegaStream, Streamlight’s MegaStream HP USB delivers 310,000 candela and a beam distance of 1,114 meters from a light that measures 6.61 inches in length, has a 1-inch body diameter and 2.24-inch head diameter, and weighs 9 ounces with battery. The light provides 1,350 lumens on High, 470 lumens on Medium, and 145 lumens on Low, with run times of two, four, and 15 hours respectively.  It is powered by a 3,500mAh Streamlight SL-B34 lithium-ion battery pack with an onboard safety circuit. Charging is simple with a sliding sleeve that reveals the USB-C port, and an LED indicator shows charging status: red for charging, green for charged.  It comes with a USB-C cord, removable pocket clip and a holster. Limited Lifetime Warranty. $219.
• Caldwell’s new ClayCopter is a battery powered handheld shotgun target launcher that uses an electric motor to spin target discs up to 15,000 RPM and releases them as single or double targets. The lightweight biodegradeable targets are available in two sizes and fly in unique patterns that mimic live birds’ flight up to 100 yards. $220 for the thrower and 20-26 cents each for the targets.
• Sierra’s new MatchKing-X bullet has virtually the same profile and ballistic coefficient as the original, but Sierra makes the MKX with a thinner jacket mouth and nose along with using a softer lead core for expansion. These are big game hunting bullets. Available in .270 cal./135 gr., 6.5mm/142 gr., .30 cal./175 gr. and .30 cal./200 gr.
• Henry Repeating Arms’ new HUSH, or Henry Ultimate Suppressor Host, features a lightweight carbon fiber barrel threaded at the muzzle and is designed to be an ideal suppressor host lever rifle. And their upcoming Bear’s Leg is a Mare’s Leg on steroids.
• Tactical Grit’s patent-pending GSR X-Out Waterless Hand Wash eliminates over 99% of lead, mercury, and nickel from hands, as verified by independent lab tests. It’s gun range GoJo. No water is needed – apply, rub, and wipe for a quick clean. Made with natural abrasives and conditioning agents, it effectively removes gunshot residue while keeping skin moisturized without sticky or greasy residue. The non-toxic, biodegradable formula is safe for regular use and environmentally friendly. Roughly seven times the price of GoJo or Fast Orange.