October's 1.4M Checks Mask a 2027 Cost Shift

October's adjusted NICS checks rose 7.9 percent while the raw FBI count fell 8.1 percent. The election did not change this quarter's demand, but it changed the state map that sets your 2027 compliance costs and product mix.

By Mark Edwards •

K9 Handler Gear Considerations

Welcome back to Front Line Friday. This week is a gear week, and the topic is K9 patrol equipment: the gear that keeps both the handler and the dog alive and working across a career, not a demo. Front Line Friday is brought to you by Dead Air Silencers , whose support keeps this column going ever...

By Tom R •

SAF’s Kostas Moros Pulls Conviction and License Data Straight From Texas, Florida, Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia, and It Shows Permit Holders Rarely Commit Crimes

A new SAF fact sheet pairs stopped-attack moments like the Greenwood mall with state data showing permit holders rarely commit crimes. Read the original story: SAF’s Kostas Moros Pulls Conviction and License Data Straight From Texas, Florida, Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia, and It Shows P...

By Luke McCoy •

Election Surge: A 90-Day Growth Plan for FFL Dealers

October's adjusted NICS checks rose 7.9% and a new Congress is seated in January. A 90-day operating plan for the surge: counter throughput, first-time-buyer follow-up, and the listing details that decide who gets found.

By Gary Stone •

5 Smart Tips for DIY Prairie Pothole Duck Hunting

Freelancing the Prairie Pothole Region isn’t the open-door operation it used to be. Farmers now get a steady run of fall requests from people they’ve never met, located through mapping and permission apps and asking for access by phone rather than face to face, and the resulting frict...

By James Chen •

Ruger's Wednesday Print: 3 Numbers That Set Your Q4 Order Book

Ruger reports Wednesday into a market where checks rose 2.5% but retail units fell 7.8%. Sell-through, distributor inventory and average selling price are the three lines that should set an FFL dealer's first-quarter order book.

By Mark Edwards •

Active Shooter Response: What Changed Post-Uvalde

Welcome back to Front Line Friday. This week is an editorial on how active shooter response doctrine changed after Uvalde and what patrol officers are now expected to do differently on the street. Front Line Friday is brought to you by Dead Air Silencers , whose support keeps this column going ev...

By Tom R •
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