Gun exporters are once again feeling the hurt.
Just a few months after the Biden Administration ended its pause on some firearms exports, the Trump Administration has imposed an even broader freeze on export licensing. Multiple sources told The Reload this time the pause came without warning, is still in place without explanation, and it’s not clear when it will be lifted. However, the gun industry probably isn’t the main target of the processing stoppage this time around either.
Check out my members’ piece on why that is and why it doesn’t change the fact gun exporters are likely to be some of the hardest hit anyway.
The courts were busy again this week but on some more rarely-litigated issues. A federal judge blocked Maine’s waiting period. Meanwhile, an Arizona judge knocked out criminal punishments over failing to report a lost or stolen gun fast enough in one county.
Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman also does a deep dive into the stark transformation Colorado’s bill targeting popular guns like the AR-15 underwent before passing the state senate. Plus, Second Amendment scholar David Kopel joins the podcast to discuss what might come of Trump’s executive order on guns. And we have a ton of stories down in the links, including news that Trump has expanded his pardon of January 6th defendants to even include gun crimes that weren’t directly related to the Capitol Riot.
Trump Admin Freezes Firearms Export License Processing
By Stephen Gutowski
The Department of Commerce stopped issuing gun export licenses around the beginning of the month, according to multiple sources who spoke with The Reload.
The department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), which oversees firearms exporting, issued a hold without action order for all export licenses on February 5th. It did so without warning, public explanation, or even private communication with many of the affected companies. Industry insiders said the total freeze is unlike anything they’d seen before.
“This is unprecedented,” Larry Keane, general counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), told The Reload. “That’s never been done previously when there was a change in administration.”
“This kind of act, I haven’t seen it before with changes in administration,” Johanna Reeves, a lawyer who has spent decades working with companies at the intersection of firearms law and federal export controls, told The Reload. “I think it’s really kind of nuts what’s going on right now. I mean, it’s nuts!”
Analysis: Trump Freeze Likely to Hit Gun Exporters Particularly Hard [Member Exclusive]
By Stephen Gutowski
President Donald Trump’s administration has put a blanket pause on most exports, but firearms companies are probably going to suffer more than others.
Starting February 5th, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) stopped processing new export licenses. That impacts all gun exports to all countries. BIS gave no warning that the pause would happen and has offered no explanation or justification for it.
The freeze comes just months after the end of a previous pause implemented by former President Joe Biden in the last year of his term.
If you’re a Reload Member, click here to read more. If not, buy a membership today for exclusive access!
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Federal Judge Blocks Maine’s Gun Waiting Period
By Jake Fogleman
Requiring blanket delays on firearm sales violates the Second Amendment.
That’s according to US District Court Judge Lance Walker. On Thursday, Walker issued a preliminary injunction against Maine’s 72-hour waiting period requirement for gun sales in a challenge brought by several Maine gun stores and individual gun owners. He found that the mandatory waiting period lacked a valid historical analogue and must be blocked.
“Viewed dispassionately, the Act employs no standard at all to justify disarming individuals, let alone a standard that can be described as narrow, objective, or definite,” Walker wrote in Beckwith v. Frey. “Consequently, I find that Plaintiffs have demonstrated that they are likely to succeed on the merits of their Second Amendment claim.”
Click here to continue reading.
Arizona Judge Tosses Criminal Penalties for Not Reporting Lost or Stolen Guns Fast Enough
By Stephen Gutowski
A state judge has ruled Pima County, Arizona, can’t fine residents $1,000 for failing to report lost or stolen guns within 48 hours.
On Tuesday, Arizona Superior Court Judge Greg Sakall ordered a permanent injunction against the county’s ordinance. He sided with gun-rights plaintiffs who argued the measure violated a state law designed to prevent localities from implementing their own gun restrictions. He even allowed plaintiffs to seek lawyer fees from the county.
“[T]he final judgment shall include a permanent injunction against the implementation or enforcement of Pima County Ordinance 2024-2,” Judge Sakall wrote in ACDL v. Pima County.
Podcast: What Will Trump’s Executive Order on Guns Deliver? (Ft. David Kopel)
By Stephen Gutowski
President Donald Trump issued an executive order that reviews federal gun policy with the aim of implementing some changes.
However, it’s unclear exactly what changes might come from the order. So, we’ve got Second Amendment scholar David Kopel on the show to try and give some clarity to what’s possible.
You can listen to the show on your favorite podcasting app or by clicking here. Video of the episode is available on our YouTube channel.
Plus, Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman and I discuss a ruling out of the Tenth Circuit where a panel once again decided that a single mother who wrote a bad check 17 years ago can be disarmed for life. We also discuss a Trump-appointed judge out of Hawaii who ruled that the Aloha state can continue to deny adults under the age of 21 access to firearms. Finally, we wrap up with coverage of an Illinois state court ruling against the state’s FOID card law, Trump’s Second Amendment executive order, and some quick hits from around the country.
Analysis: Colorado’s Sweeping Semi-Auto Ban Gets Novel Overhaul on Way to Likely Adoption [Member Exclusive]
By Jake Fogleman
Colorado Democrats’ first-of-its-kind semi-automatic firearm ban advanced after a marathon session in its first floor debate, but not before being fundamentally altered.
The Colorado Senate passed SB 25-003 on second reading at 2 a.m. Friday morning. It did so just barely, by an 18-15 vote, and only after the bill’s sponsors made significant concessions at the behest of Governor Jared Polis’ (D.) office. The bill’s core provisions banning the manufacture and sale of semi-automatic rifles, shotguns, and pistols with detachable magazines remain intact, but five pages worth of new language now provide an avenue for civilians to continue obtaining them under a complex permit-to-purchase regime. With the amendments approved, SB 003 now appears well on its way to final approval in the Senate later this week and should glide through the much more progressive Colorado House.
With Governor Polis’s concerns now ostensibly addressed, the bill has a clear path to becoming law. Here’s a look at what the new amendments would mean for Colorado gun owners.
If you’re a Reload Member, click here to read the rest. If not, buy a membership for exclusive access to this and hundreds of other stories!
Outside The Reload
That’s it for this week in guns.
I’ll see you all next week.
Thanks,
Stephen Gutowski
Founder
The Reload
