In 1939, the Supreme Court handed down its first significant ruling on the scope of the Second Amendment. It’s still having an impact today, but should it?
Plus, professor Dru Stevenson joins the podcast to give his perspective on oral arguments in Mexico’s case against Smith & Wesson.
Charges against a midwestern man over possession of an unregistered short-barrel rifle don’t violate the Second Amendment, according to three federal judges.
This week, we’ve got a longer episode than usual. That’s because we’re doing a deep dive into oral arguments for the Supreme Court’s latest gun case, Smith & Wesson v. Mexico. Most observers, including me, thought Mexico faired poorly in its attempt to move forward with liability claims against American gunmakers over cartel violence south of the border. However, Professor Dru Stevenson, who studies gun policy at Southern Texas College of Law, had a bit of a different take. So, I wanted to have him on the show to go through why he thought the justices may be more sympathetic toward Mexico’s claims than most other people thought. While he still believes Mexico’s suit is unlikely to make it through the Supreme Court unscathed, Stevenson argued the justices might allow part of it to proceed. And, even if not, he said The Court may end up laying out what amounts to a framework for how to successfully pierce gun industry liability protections in future suits. You can listen to the show on your favorite podcasting app or by clicking here. Video of the episode is also available on our YouTube channel. An auto-generated transcript is available here. Reload Members get access on Sunday, as always. Everyone else can listen on Monday. Get a 30-day free trial for a subscription to The Dispatch by clicking here. Plus, Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I break down the latest national gun sales data for February and discuss why they suggest trouble ahead for the gun industry. We also talk about Trump’s latest omission of his gun policy priorities in a major public address, this time in his first joint address to Congress. Audio here. Video here.
Plus, law professor Dru Stevenson joins the podcast to discuss oral arguments in SCOTUS’s latest gun case.
Gun sales are declining, and there’s reason to think the trend could get worse.
The last time Donald Trump was president, gun sales faltered. So, this time around, that’s what many people expect to happen. After his first full month in office, that expectation seems to be coming true. Gun sales fell significantly in February, landing at a point below pre-pandemic levels. As I explain in a member piece, that’s another sign the gun industry is headed into uncertain waters. Speaking of Donald Trump, he gave the first big speech of his new term this week. You may be surprised at how much of his record-long monologue was dedicated to gun policy. The Supreme Court also heard a major gun case this week, holding oral arguments in Smith & Wesson v. Mexico that saw one side come away the clear favorite. And I take a look at why the NRA’s upcoming election could solidify reformers’ control over the group. Plus, Reason Magazine’s J.D. Tuccille joins the podcast to give his view on Kash Patel taking over the ATF. And we have a bunch of stories down in the links, including how one Trump appointee plans to pursue gun cases and Honolulu’s invisible “ghost gun” prosecutions. Gun Sales Plunge Nine Percent in February By Stephen Gutowski Year-over-year background checks on gun sales declined sharply in the first full month of Donald Trump’s second term. An industry analysis of numbers from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) found Americans bought about 120,000 fewer guns in February 2025 than they did in February 2024. The drop from 1,343,478 checks to 1,222,980 represents about a nine-point decline, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). That makes last month the second-worst performing February over the last 13 years, with only 2018 seeing fewer gun-sales-related checks. Click here to read the rest. Analysis: The Gun Industry Enters Uncertain Territory [Member Exclusive] By Stephen Gutowski Gun sales are declining, and there’s reason to think the trend could get worse. This week, an industry analysis showed gun sales were down nine percent year-over-year in February. That made it one of the worst Februarys in a decade. It follows a 2024 where sales declined to pre-pandemic levels. If the next four years are anything like the previous four when Donald Trump was president, the slide may just be starting. If you’re a Reload Member, you can click here to read more. If not, buy a membership today for exclusive access! AD: The Dispatch is For The Silent Majority of Self-Directed Thinkers Tired of partisan media cheerleading for one team? Get the news without the drama when you join The Dispatch. Jonah Goldberg and Steve Hayes launched The Dispatch in 2019 to build an enduring presence on the center-right for original reporting and thoughtful analysis. No insulting clickbait, no false outrage, no annoying auto-play videos—just reliable journalism that prioritizes context, depth, and understanding. Join half a million loyal readers and start reading The Dispatch today. Reload readers: Claim your exclusive 30-day, all-access FREE trial today. Supreme Court Appears Skeptical of Mexico’s
Year-over-year background checks on gun sales declined sharply in the first full month of Donald Trump’s second term.
President Donald Trump did not mention gun policy once in what turned out to be the longest address to a joint session of Congress in history.
The National Rifle Association just brought one significant donor back into the fold. Or, at least, its reformer faction did.
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