Trump Plans to Create New DOJ Second Amendment Rights Section
The Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) reports that the Trump Administration will establish a dedicated Second Amendment rights section within the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. The new section is expected to commence work in early December. FPC President Brandon Combs stated: “This is a great move by the Trump Administration. Gun owners certainly have something to be thankful for this year.”
The objective is to fight unconstitutional state and local restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms. The new DOJ staff will work to challenge local and state governments that continue to defy U.S. Supreme Court precedent and block the exercise of fundamental Second Amendment rights.
This move by the Trump administration recognizes that the Second Amendment warrants the same institutional protection as all other enumerated rights. FPC also emphasized the importance of appointing leadership with deep expertise in original-public-meaning jurisprudence to ensure that the new section’s work remains faithful to the Constitution.
“If this new section is led by genuine Second Amendment litigation experts, faithfully grounded in the original public meaning of the Constitution, and fully coordinated with the groups and firms already driving the long-term strategy, this could be a significant step forward for the fight for liberty and the right to keep and bear arms.” — Brandon Combs, FPC President.
FPC can work with the Administration to ensure that the new DOJ section is structured for long-term success, led by advocates and experts committed to proper constitutional interpretation, and fully aligned with the strong national strategy to restore the right to keep and bear arms at all levels of government.
Lapua Monarch Cup Announces Official 2026 Schedule
The Lapua Monarch Cup, North America’s premier smallbore rifle silhouette competition, has announced its official 2026 schedule. Now entering its fifth year, the Cup features a two-part series of smallbore standard rifle silhouette matches hosted in the United States and Mexico. The Lapua Monarch Cup is built around the annual U.S. Smallbore Rifle Silhouette National Championships, with an additional host country (either Canada or Mexico) selected through a proposal process. CLICK HERE for registration details and complete information on the Lapua Monarch Cup.
2026 Lapua Monarch Cup Competition Schedule:
1st Match – NRA National Smallbore Silhouette Championships
Ridgway Rifle Club, Ridgway, PA, USA | July 26-28, 2026 2nd Match – NRA National Smallbore Silhouette Championships
Saltillo Coahuila, Mexico | October 10 & 11, 2026
About the Monach Cup — “The Lapua Monarch Cup is more than a competition — it’s a premier showcase of precision and passion”, said Adam Braverman, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Lapua and advisor to the Cup. “With $25,000 in cash prizes on the line, this event delivers an unmatched experience for shooters while fostering camaraderie and celebrating world-class marksmanship across North America.”
Competitors earn scores from each match within their respective classifications (Master, AAA, AA, & A), allowing all participants the opportunity to compete for a share of $25,000 in cash prizes distributed across the two events.
The Lapua Monarch Cup Board is pleased to welcome new members: Dustin Flint (USA), Gabriel Villareal (Mexico), Jose Corral (Mexico). These three new Board Members join existing members Erich Mietenkorte, Daniel Salazar, Jason Marsh, Jose (Pepe) Valdes, and Chris Cawthorne — with Adam Braverman serving as an advisor. To learn more about the North American Silhouette Shooting Association (NASSA), visit www.nassasilhouette.org.
CMP Announces the Early Release of Four 2026 Competition Rulebooks
Four rulebooks that govern CMP Highpower Rifle, CMP Games, Bullseye Pistol and Action Pistol competitions in 2026 have been updated and approved by the CMP Rules Sub-Committee. These four rulebooks were published on 12/1/2025, one month before they will take effect on January 1, 2026. This early release will give competitors and match sponsors a head start on preparing for their next competition year. Download these Four New Rulebooks at https://thecmp.org/competitions/cmp-competitions-rulebooks/.
The following 2026 rulebooks are now posted on the CMP website:
Copies of these new rulebooks can be downloaded from the CMP Competition Rulebooks Webpage. On that CMP webpage, the listings of downloadable documents will include the 2026 rulebooks, lists of changes in each 2026 rulebook, and the Range Officer scripts that are to be followed.
Notable CHANGES IN 2026 CMP RULEBOOKS
The four CMP rulebooks that are being released now contain some important changes that may impact your 2026 competition plans. Here are some of the most significant 2026 rule changes.
New F-Practical F-Class Category (HIGHPOWER RIFLE). The 2026 CMP Highpower Rifle rulebook introduces a new F-Practical F-Class Category that is limited to factory production rifles and equipment. Cartridges cannot exceed .308 in bullet diameter; “magnums” will not be allowed. Rifles may not weigh more than 14.0 pounds and must have a minimum trigger pull of 2.0 pounds. Optics are limited to 16X. Total retail cost of a competitor’s rifle and equipment is limited to $3,000. This new category will be offered in all CMP Mid- and Long-Range Matches. Clubs are encouraged to include it in their sanctioned matches.
Suppressors and Silencers (HIGHPOWER RIFLE). The use of silencers or suppressors is already widespread in some shooting sports disciplines. Their use is promoted as a means of reducing range noise levels and mitigating the possibility of hearing loss. The CMP has taken its initial steps in approving suppressors for use in CMP Matches. In 2026, competitors in most F-Class categories (F-TR, F-O, AR Tactical) will be allowed to shoot with suppressors.
Highpower Rifle Scoring (HIGHPOWER RIFLE). Several years ago, the CMP adopted the highpower rifle scoring protocol used by the NRA. This calls for scoring highpower rifle targets according to the size of the competitor’s bullet. This meant that competitors with AR-Type rifles had their shots scored with a .223″ gauge while competitors firing M14-Type rifles had their shots scores with a larger .308″ gauge. Starting in 2026, electronic targets used in CMP Highpower Rifle events will have the same sized scoring rings. Electronic targets, of course, score to the center of the shot hole, not the outside edge, so those targets will now assume that all shots were fired with a 7.62mm/.308 bullet to determine precise scoring ring sizes. All shots fired on paper targets will be scored with a uniform .308 inch scoring gauge.
Nat’l Trophy Match New Shooter Rule (HIGHPOWER RIFLE & BULLSEYE PISTOL). National Trophy teams will get a break if they have two or more new shooters on their National Trophy Teams. They must designate one of them as their new shooters. Any other new shooters retain their new shooter eligibility.
At-Large Teams (HIGHPOWER RIFLE, BULLSEYE PISTOL). The new rules for both Highpower Rifle and Bullseye Pistol changed “Out-of-Competition” teams to “At-Large” teams. This rule is used extensively in the National Trophy Rifle and Pistol Team Matches to allow teams that could not comply with eligibility requirements to still shoot in the match even when they could not win awards. To give status to these teams, the name was changed to “At-Large” and the possibility of giving awards has been added.
Smallbore Rifle and Air Gun Rulebooks Delayed. The completion of two 2026 CMP rulebooks is being delayed while the shooting world awaits final decisions from the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) regarding major proposals to change rifle clothing and rifle 3-position finals.
Yesterday we featured nine great Black Friday SALES from leading vendors. With those deals you can save hundreds of dollars on firearms, gun safes, optics, reloading hardware and more. Here are seven more Black Friday specials, some of which have discounts that run for a full week or more.
Midsouth Shooters Black Friday Sale
Midsouth is running a major Black Friday Sale with big savings on reloading presses (and combos), powder dispensers, and more. There are discounts on primers, with top-tier CCI primers discounted to $249.00/5000. That is just $50/1000, a great deal! Also, nearly all Dillon products are 15% off.
EuroOptic Black Friday Sale
EuroOptic is running a huge Black Friday Sale with significant discounts on a wide variety of optics and firearms. Among the optics brands on sale are Leupold, Zeiss, Leica, Sightron, Burris, Athlon, Holosun, and Kowa. In addition there are discounts on Beretta, Barrett, and H&K firearms along with GRS stocks.
MidwayUSA Black Friday and Cyber Sale
MidwayUSA is running an extended Black Friday + Cyber Sale, with major discounts good through 12/1/2025. There are some great deals on optics, hunting gear, reloading tools and much more — save 20-73% on featured items, with most sale goods discounted at least 30%.
KYGUNCO Black Friday Sale
If you want to add a rifle, pistol, or shotgun to your collection, now’s the time to buy at KYGUNCO. This week you can save 20-35% on a wide selection of quality firearms.
Precision Reloading Black Friday Sale
Precision Reloading is running a 10% off Promo that covers most of the merchandise in the stock. Use CODE BF25 to save 10% on your orders over $149.00.
Natchez Black Friday Sales and Other Discounts
Natchez is offering major promotions now through Cyber Monday. First, you can get FREE Hazmat with purchase of $99.99+. And you can get $5.00 Flat-rate Shipping with orders of $99.99 or more. Another notable deal is 10% Off Vortex scopes. Plus there are discounts on a large variety of merchandise.
Cabela’s Black Friday Week Sales
Cabela’s has been running an extended Black Friday Week Sale. There are major discounts on optics, hunting gear, tripods, gun safes and more.
K&M Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale
K&M Precision Shooting Products (K&M) makes great arbor presses and precision reloading tools. Now through Monday 12/1/25 you can save $20-$75 on Arbor Presses and other K&M Gear. Pick the discount code — KMBF20, KMBF30, KMBF45, KMBF60, or KMBF75 — that fits the amount you spend.
Shooting Targets USA Sale
Need targets? Right now Shooting Targets USA is discounting its full selection of targets — steel, “healing” polymer, foam, rubber, and cardboard. The reactive targets work great.
Happy Thanksgiving folks. Major gun and optics makers, tool crafters, and large outdoor gear vendors are offering great bargains for Black Friday week. Expect discounts from 5% to 30% on a wide range of quality products.
While some sales are set for Friday, November 28th only, most of the featured Black Friday Sales have already started. And some of these promotions run through 11:59 pm on Cyber Monday (12/1/2024). Find other sales at Gun.Deals.
Most of the showcased vendors offer discounts on a large inventory selection — in some cases, everything in stock is discounted 10%, 15%, 20% or more. For other sellers, only specific items are on sale, so we’ve identified those particular deals. In addition to the 9 sellers showcased below, Brownells is offering big Discount Code savings on nearly all products. Get 15% OFF your Brownells orders with Code SHOPBF15.
Come back tomorrow for Part Two of our Black Friday Sales Showcase!
Optics Planet Black Friday Sale
Powder Valley Outdoors Black Friday Sale
NOTE: In addition to this special powder sale, Powder Valley Outdoors is offering 5% off your whole cart if you purchase more than $299.00 of non-sale items.
Tomorrow, November 27th, is Thanksgiving. Today and tommrorrow a large percentage of Americans will be on the road to visit relatives. We know many of our readers have concealed carry permits or will otherwise be traveling with firearms. When crossing into different states with guns in a vehicle, you need to be mindful of all state and local laws and restrictions.
Five Worst States for Traveling with Firearms
This article appears in the Cheaper Than Dirt Shooter’s Log.
The U.S. is a patchwork of confusing and cumbersome laws that change the rules of what you can carry, where you can carry, and whether you can possess the firearm, ammunition of magazine at without running afoul of the local laws. Now, if every state was like Vermont, law abiding gun owners could freely travel with their firearms with no worries. Unfortunately, many states have a history of being hostile to traveling gun owners.
The federal “Firearms Owner Protection Act” allows travel through any state as long as the firearm is unloaded, in a locked case, and not easily accessible to the passengers. However, that is not to say that certain states that are less friendly to firearms have not created their own laws that would snare unsuspecting otherwise law-abiding firearm owners. This led us to name the Top 5 States to Avoid while traveling with a firearm this holiday season.
CONNECTICUT
Connecticut does not have any gun reciprocity agreements with other states. This means nonresidents are not allowed to carry handguns in Connecticut under a permit issued by another state.
HAWAII
Every person arriving into the state who brings a firearm of any description, usable or not, shall register the firearm within three days of the arrival of the person or the firearm, whichever arrives later, with the chief of police of the county where the person will reside, where their business is, or the person’s place of sojourn. GET Hawaii Firearms INFO HERE.
MASSACHUSETTS
Massachusetts imposes harsh penalties on the mere possession and transport of firearms without a license to carry. Prospective travelers are urged to contact the Massachusetts Firearms Records Bureau at (617) 660-4780 or contact the State Police. GET Massachusetts Firearms INFO HERE.
NEW JERSEY
New Jersey has some of the most restrictive firearms laws in the country. Your firearm must be unloaded, in a locked container, and not accessible in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that anyone traveling within the state is deemed to be aware of these regulations and will be held strictly accountable for violations. If you’re traveling through New Jersey, you need to comply with state laws on firearm transport, which are very strict. GET New Jersey Firearms INFO HERE provided by a New Jersey legal team.
NEW YORK
Use extreme caution when traveling through New York state with firearms. New York’s general approach is to make the possession of handguns and so-called “assault weapons” illegal. A number of localities, including Albany, Buffalo, New York City, Rochester, Suffolk County, and Yonkers, impose their own requirements on the possession, registration, and transport of firearms. Possession of a handgun within New York City requires a New York City handgun license or a special permit from the city Police Commissioner. This license validates a state license within the city. Even New York state licenses are generally not valid within New York City unless a specific exemption applies. Possession of a shotgun or rifle within New York City requires a permit, which is available to non-residents, and a certificate of registration.
More Scary States for Gun Owners
Here are six other jurisdictions (five states and DC) where you need to be wary when traveling. California, for example, treats all handguns in vehicles as “loaded” if there is ammunition loaded into an attached magazine. It’s wise, when in California, to have handguns unloaded in a LOCKED case, with all ammunition or magazines in a separate section of the vehicle. These states (and DC) all have laws that can trap unsuspecting gun-owners. Be wary.
California
Delaware
Dist. of Columbia
Illinois
Maryland
Rhode Island
Thanksgiving is just 4 days away. What better way to celebrate the occasion than to blast away at some bearded gobblers (of the paper variety). Here’s our Turkey Day target, ready for some family fun. This special Turkey Bullseye Target was created by our friend and Forum member Pascal (aka “DesertFrog”). CLICK HERE for FREE Turkey Target.
Get a Full Set of Animal Targets
For your convenience, we’ve packaged the Turkey Target along with five (5) other varmint/animal-themed targets. These are all offered in .pdf (Adobe Acrobat) format for easy printing.
For centerfire ammo, you can choose from dozens of flip-top boxes, storage bins, or milsurp-style ammo cans. For rimfire ammo, there are not so many good choices. Our preferred rimfire ammo carrier is the MTM SB-200 Small-Bore Fitted Ammo Box. This flip-top plastic box holds 100 rimfire rounds in black grids on the left and right. Each side has five rows left to right, holding ten rounds per row front to back (for 50 rounds per side). In the center is a storage area that will hold another 100 rounds in factory boxes.
Versatility for ALL Types of Rimfire Ammo
MTM’s SB-200 box is not just for .22 LR ammunition. This handy carrier will hold .17 HMR rounds, as well as .17 Mach 2, .22 Short, .22 Win Mag Rimfire, and of course .22 Long Rifle (.22 LR). This box is a winner — it has a low profile, holds rounds securely, and the center storage feature is smart.
MTM Case-Gard 200 Round Smallbore Box
This is really the only product of its kind on the market. It allows you to conveniently and securely hold 200 rimfire rounds, and also segregate your ammo by brand or bullet type. These boxes fit all types of popular rimfire ammunition. The vertical clearance of the lid is sufficient to hold the longer .22 WMR Rounds, and 17 HMR (as well as .22 LR naturally). The lid fits securely so you don’t have to worry about your rimfire ammo spilling out on the way to the range.
If you don’t have one of these boxes yet, we recommend you order one or two. They cost less than $20.00 and are available in Blue or “Rust” (a brick color).
You can save big bucks on guns and gear with factory rebate programs. But with the end of 2025 fast approaching, dozens of great shooting industry rebate programs are about to expire. Many major rebates on rifles, pistols, optics, and/or ammunition require purchases no later than December 31, 2025.
If you are in a buying mood (maybe to get a new gun as an Xmas gift to yourself), check out these notable rebate offers. We showcase 16 great discount/rebate programs. These rebates can save you big bucks on rifles, pistols, shotguns, ammo, or gear. Many of these rebates are worth $100 or more. For example you can Save $200 on Savage rifles or Save $150 on Beretta pistols. Note: most of these promos are good through the end of December 2025, but some expire on November 30 — so check the dates.
The NRA Foundation has given $250,000 to USA Shooting to support the organization’s national team programs. This marks the third $250,000 grant awarded to USA Shooting in recent years, underscoring the NRA Foundation’s role as one of USA Shooting’s key funders. This grant will help athlete development, enhance training resources, and help America’s top competitive shooters excel on the world stage.
USA Shooting serves as the national governing body for Olympic and Paralympic shooting sports in the United States, overseeing the development, training, and selection of athletes for international competitions. USA Shooting provides coaching, facilities, and world-class support to athletes at all levels, from youth competitors to elite national teams.
“The NRA Foundation is proud to continue supporting USA Shooting and their work preparing America’s athletes for the highest levels of competition,” said Peter Churchbourne, NRA Foundation Exec. Director. “For decades, the Foundation has been committed to strengthening the shooting sports, expanding opportunities for young athletes, and preserving America’s proud tradition of marksmanship.”
“The NRA Foundation’s investment strengthens every rung of our pipeline, from juniors developing in our programs to the elite athletes preparing to represent the United States in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This support gives Team USA the precision, readiness, and competitive power required to stand firm on the world stage,” said Kelly Reisdorf, CEO of USA Shooting.
About the NRA Foundation
Since its founding, the NRA Foundation has awarded more than $500 million in grants in support of local shooting ranges, youth programs, law enforcement training, firearm safety education, and conservation efforts. Its support for USA Shooting represents one of the organization’s most significant investments in athlete development. As one of USA Shooting’s largest grantors, the NRA Foundation has vital role for America’s Olympic and Paralympic shooting teams.
Established in 1990, the NRA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to promoting firearm safety, education, and training programs throughout the United States. The Foundation supports law enforcement, youth shooting sports, range improvements, and educational initiatives.
Happy Thanksgiving folks. Major gun and optics makers, tool crafters, and large outdoor gear vendors are offering great bargains for Black Friday week. Expect discounts from 5% to 30% on a wide range of quality products.
