This Week in Firearms Law

ATF Reverses Course, Keeps Biden-Era "Ghost Gun" Rule Intact

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has informed plaintiffs in the ongoing VanDerStok v. Bondi litigation that it will not issue a revised frames-and-receivers rule, reversing an earlier commitment. In early April the Justice Department had requested a 90-day stay in the Northern District of Texas case, citing plans for new rulemaking. Sources close to the litigation told AmmoLand News that internal reviews concluded rewriting the 2022 rule would invite additional legal complications, particularly after the Supreme Court upheld its core framework in Bondi v. VanDerStok. The Firearms Policy Coalition and Second Amendment Foundation, lead plaintiffs, said they would continue pressing constitutional challenges.

First Circuit Upholds Maine's 72-Hour Gun-Purchase Waiting Period

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit ruled on April 3, 2026 that Maine's 72-hour waiting period for firearm purchases does not implicate the plain text of the Second Amendment. In Beckwith TLC v. Frey the court held that the law regulates conduct "antecedent to keeping or bearing arms" and vacated a preliminary injunction that a federal district court had granted in February 2025. Maine enacted the waiting-period law in 2024 in response to the October 2023 Lewiston mass shooting. The decision deepens a circuit split on the scope of the Second Amendment's commercial-sale protections and is considered a strong candidate for Supreme Court review. (First Circuit / Bearing Arms)

West Virginia Expands Constitutional Carry to 18–20-Year-Olds

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey signed HB 4106 on April 1, 2026, extending the state's existing constitutional carry law to adults aged 18 to 20. Previously, residents in that age range could legally possess a handgun but were required to obtain a provisional concealed-carry permit. The bill passed both chambers of the legislature in March 2026. West Virginia now joins a growing list of states that permit permitless carry for all adults. (NRA-ILA / Breitbart)

Massachusetts New Firearms Training Mandates Take Effect

New mandatory firearms safety training requirements under Massachusetts's 2024 gun modernization law took effect April 2, 2026. Under the rules, residents applying for or renewing a firearms identification card or license to carry must complete a revised basic safety course from a state-approved instructor. WBUR reported that the state published a list of approved courses only the day before implementation, creating confusion among gun shop owners, instructors, and applicants. A second phase requiring live-fire training has not yet taken effect. Critics argued the rushed rollout placed an additional cost burden on applicants without adequate infrastructure in place.

Colorado Sends 3-D-Printed Firearms Ban to Governor Polis

The Colorado General Assembly passed HB 26-1144 on April 2, 2026, sending a bill to Governor Jared Polis that would make it a class-1 misdemeanor—and a class-5 felony on repeat offenses—to manufacture a firearm, unfinished frame, large-capacity magazine, or rapid-fire trigger device using a 3-D printer. The bill was scaled back to avoid a gubernatorial veto: an earlier provision banning the sale or distribution of CAD files for printing firearms was removed. The bill exempts licensed manufacturers and accredited gunsmithing programs. As of April 11 the governor had not yet signed or vetoed the measure. (Colorado General Assembly / Guns.com)

SCOTUS Poised to Narrow Federal Marijuana-Gun Prohibition

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on March 2, 2026 in United States v. Hemani, a Fifth Circuit challenge to 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3), which bars firearm possession by anyone who is an unlawful user of a controlled substance. A majority of justices appeared skeptical that the categorical prohibition survives Bruen-era scrutiny as applied to marijuana users, particularly as dozens of states have legalized recreational cannabis. A decision is expected by late June 2026. SCOTUSblog noted it would be the Court's first major Second Amendment ruling since Bruen to address which persons may be disarmed.

New Products & Recalls

Springfield Armory Launches Compact SA-35 4-Inch 9mm

Springfield Armory announced the SA-35 4" on April 7, 2026, adding a shorter-barreled variant to its Hi-Power-inspired SA-35 line. The pistol features a forged-steel slide and frame, a 4-inch barrel, white-dot/tactical-rack sights, and a flush-fitting 15-round magazine—two rounds more than the original P-35 design. MSRP is $799; the pistol is manufactured in the United States. The SA-35 4" ships immediately to dealers. (Springfield Armory press release / AllOutdoor)

Heckler & Koch Introduces the VP9CC Micro-Compact

Heckler & Koch unveiled the VP9CC on April 8, 2026, the smallest pistol yet in the VP9 family. The striker-fired, polymer-frame micro-compact is chambered in 9mm, measures 6.02 inches overall with a 3.12-inch barrel, and weighs 17.64 ounces unloaded. H&K says the pistol meets NATO AC/225 specifications and ships with the company's Multi-Axis Safety System and six interchangeable backstraps. MSRP ranges from $1,049 (optics-ready) to $1,399 (with enclosed-emitter red dot). The VP9CC is manufactured in Oberndorf, Germany, with full dealer availability expected by month's end. (HK USA press release / Soldier Systems Daily / The Firearm Blog)

No manufacturer or ATF safety recalls were identified for the April 4–11, 2026 period at time of publication.

Industry & Business

1,350 Workers Strike at Lake City Army Ammunition Plant

Approximately 1,350 machinists represented by IAM Local 778 walked off the job on April 4, 2026 at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, Missouri, operated by Olin Corporation's Winchester subsidiary. Workers rejected the company's contract proposal over wages, mandatory overtime, and work-life balance concerns. The plant is one of the most critical facilities in the U.S. defense industrial base, producing the 5.56mm, 7.62mm, and .50-caliber cartridges used by the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps. The IAM said very little production is taking place during the stoppage and warned of potential impact on military readiness amid ongoing global conflicts. A solidarity rally was scheduled for April 11. (IAM Union / Manufacturing Dive / Spectrum Local News)

Beretta Pushes Proxy Contest at Ruger Ahead of May Annual Meeting

Beretta Holding, which accumulated a 9.95% stake in Sturm, Ruger & Co. and is the company's largest individual shareholder, escalated its contested proxy campaign this week. Beretta posted materials to a dedicated shareholder site on April 8 and held an in-person meeting with Ruger's board on April 9. The record date for voting is April 13, 2026. Beretta is seeking to elect four of its nominees to Ruger's board at the May 2026 annual meeting, arguing the American manufacturer has delivered years of margin compression and negative long-term shareholder returns. Ruger's board has unanimously urged shareholders to vote for its nine incumbent nominees and for a proposal to increase authorized shares from 40 million to 60 million. Ruger also has a shareholder rights plan (poison pill) in place to limit further share accumulation. (BusinessWire/Beretta / Outdoor Life / StockTitan SEC filings)

Tariffs Continue to Pressure Firearms and Ammunition Pricing

With broad steel and aluminum tariffs still in effect—steel at a 50% rate—domestic and imported firearms manufacturers are absorbing higher input costs that are increasingly reflected in retail pricing. Import-dependent brands face additional pressure from tariffs applied directly to finished firearms from key production countries. Industry analysts note that reduced consumer discretionary spending has slowed NICS-adjusted background check volume compared to 2024. The National Shooting Sports Foundation has not publicly commented on the tariff regime's effect on member companies. (The Smoking Gun / Q1 2026 update / The Reload)

The Bottom Line

This week's dominant theme was legal and regulatory uncertainty at multiple levels of government simultaneously. The ATF's decision to hold the 2022 ghost-gun rule in place—after signaling the opposite—leaves the post-VanDerStok litigation in unsettled territory, while the First Circuit's waiting-period ruling widens an active circuit split that the Supreme Court may soon need to resolve. On the business side, the Lake City strike is the most immediate story to watch: a prolonged work stoppage at the primary U.S. military small-arms plant carries implications that extend well beyond the firearms retail market. Editors should monitor the Beretta-Ruger proxy vote closely as the April 13 record date arrives and the May annual meeting approaches. No product recalls were identified for this period; if any emerge, an update post is recommended before next week's roundup.