Q1 Retail Report: Suppressors Surge 53% While Firearm Unit Sales Dip Again
RetailBI's Q1 2026 dealer-level data shows suppressor unit sales up 53.1% YoY while overall firearm units fell 7.6%, with pistols leading the decline.
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Industry News
Firearms industry news — ATF actions, manufacturer announcements, trade shows, and breaking developments in the US gun market.
NFA Background Checks Hit 190,000 in April, Up 130% as Suppressor Demand Holds
NSSF's April 2026 NICS release shows NFA checks at 190,086 — up 130.3% year-over-year — as the post-tax-stamp suppressor boom carries into spring.
Massie Bill Would Force FBI to Publish NICS False-Denial Data
H.R. 2267 passed House Judiciary unanimously and would force DOJ and FBI to publicly report NICS denial demographics, exposing false-positive rates.
Davidsons Gets Exclusive on Burnt Bronze Hi-Point Hush-Point 22 Rimfire Can
Davidsons and Hi-Point team up on a Burnt Bronze Cerakote edition of the $239 Hush-Point 22 rimfire suppressor, available only through Davidsons.
San Antonio Drops Decade-Long LTC Exclusion at City Hall After Texas AG Letter
San Antonio removed 30.06/30.07 signs blocking licensed carry at City Hall after the Texas AG warned the policy violated state preemption law.
New Jersey Claims Hollow Points Are Unusually Dangerous — Its Own Police Disagree
In Bergmann-Schoch v. Platkin, plaintiffs filed their reply brief highlighting NJ's catch-22: the state bans civilian hollow points while requiring them for police.
ATF Cuts Form 4473 Nearly in Half, Adds Direct-Shipping Checkbox and Revised Cannabis Question
ATF's draft Form 4473 cuts the background check record from 7 pages to 4, revises the marijuana question to track Schedule III reclassification, and adds a direct-shipping checkbox.
United Gun Shop Sues Capital One Over Firearm-Industry Payment Block
A Rockville, MD gun shop is suing Capital One and Melio Payments for blocking its bill-pay access. The NRA wants the Trump administration to investigate.
ATF Proposes Joint NFA Registration for Spouses, No Trust Required
ATF proposes letting married couples jointly register suppressors and SBRs on Form 1 without an NFA trust, with inter-spouse transfers exempt from NFA rules.
ATF Proposes Allowing In-State Firearm Sales Without an In-Person FFL Visit
ATF's proposed NOTC rule would let in-state dealers complete gun sales entirely by remote — video verification, NICS check, and direct-to-door shipping.
ATF Purges Bump Stock Language from Machine Gun Rules, Rule Effective May 6
ATF published a final rule May 6 removing the 2018 bump stock language from its machine gun definitions, completing the regulatory cleanup required by Garland v. Cargill.
Ruger Beats Q1 Sales Estimates on New-Model Surge, Beretta Costs Weigh on Profit
Ruger reported Q1 2026 net sales of $141.4M, topping estimates by $2.8M, as new products drove 41% of firearm revenue — but one-time Beretta proxy costs hammered the bottom line.