Virginia Shooting Sports Association

VSSA Ready to Challenge Spanberger Gun Ban

2026-04-24T12:44:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, Governor Spanberger signed several bills after the General Assembly approved her changes. Those bills were HB1525 and two companion bills - HB1524 and SB727. HB1525 prohibits individuals under the age of 21 from purchasing and possessing certain firearms, including those who already own those particular firearms. Making matters worse, this bill includes an "emergency clause" that makes the law effective immediately instead of July 1 which is usually t he case. This means that thousands of previously legal gun owners are now in violation of Virginia law with no notice.

The other two bills (SB727/HB1524) out law the carrying and transportation of many common firearms on public property. This includes any semiautomatic centerfire rifle or handgun with a fixed magazine capacity over 15 rounds. This law does not take effect until July 1, 2026.

The Assembly rejected Spanberger's changes to HB217 and SB749, the bills banning the purchase of certain semi-automatomatic handguns and rifles, as well as banning the purchase of magazines that hold more than 15 rounds of ammunition. We are waiting on her signature on the original bills. There is no reason to believe that she is going to veto those bills.

Other Bills that remain to be determined:

HB229 and SB143 - The other bills the Assembly “passed by” during the special session to consider the governor’s changes was HB229/SB143, which bans people from carrying guns at facilities that provide mental health treatment. Spanberger wanted to expand the restricion and remove an exception that allowed staff or security to carry firearms if administrators gave the ok.

By “passing by,” deciding not to offer a final vote on the changes rather than out right voting down the changes, the House and Senate effectively rejected her recommendation. The bill still has the exceptions for anyone who gets written permission from the hospital. It heads back to Spanberger’s desk, too.

The same questions about what the governor will do with HB217 and SB749 apply here. She made the same boilerplate statement about approving the bill’s “general purpose” in her recommendation statement. Will she veto it because the legislature didn’t add what she wanted?

She has 30 days to decide.

As soon as she signs the bills, VSSA is ready to challenge them in court. We have been working with the NRA since the bills passed before the end of the Session to find plantiffs and to draft the documents to challenge them in court. Be assured that VSSA and NRA will not let these infringments on your rights stand.

Additionally we are watching several cases that have been waiting at the U.S. Supreme Court related to gun and magazine bans. The challenges to semiautomatic firearm bans (Viramontes and National Association for Gun Rights) and standard capacity magazine bans (Duncan and Gator’s Custom Guns) were discussed at conference on Friday, April 17. None of those have been listed on the Order’s List, so the Court may reschedule the cases for discussion at a future conference. We’ll keep an eye on their respective dockets.

Midway USA Notifies Virginia Customers of Shipping Limitations.

2026-04-09T08:09:00.003-04:00

Midway USA has notified Virginia customers that they will not be able to ship certain items beginning June 15, 2026,

Due to pending legislation, effective June 15 we will no longer be able to ship magazines with a capacity over 15 rounds, and most semi-automatic rifles, pistols, and shotguns, to the state of Virginia. Please place any orders for these products prior to June 15 to ensure we can still legally ship them to you.

We're sorry for the inconvenience,

MidwayUSA Customer Service

If you regularly do business with other online firearm and firearm accessory retailers, you may receive notices from those companies as well.

HT VCDL.

AAG Hermeet Dhillon Expects to Get Involved in Fighting Spanberger Gun Ban

2026-03-27T09:41:00.009-04:00

Assistant Attorney General Hermeet Dhillon was a guest on Dana Loesch's radio program yesterday and said DOJ will be joining some of the cases that are expected to be brought against Virginia's new gan ban bills, but that DOJ will also be bringing lawsuits as well. AAG Dhillon said they continue to staff up the Second Amendment section of the civil rights division. Take a listen.

"She'll sign that, then we'll end up challenging it"

~ @HarmeetKDhillon on VA Gov. @SpanbergerForVA's gun control proposals pic.twitter.com/YuJBrOCX72
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) March 26, 2026

Gun Bills Headed to Governor Spanberger.

2026-03-09T09:02:00.003-04:00

Several gun bills are now headed to Governor Spanberger. VSSA's lobbying team is monitoring the situation but it appears that the worst of the bills will not reach her desk in time to require action before the end of the session which is currently scheduled for March 14. The bills that have passed both houses include:

SB727: This bill prohibits carrying and transporting many types of common firearms on public property. This includes semi-automatic rifles & pistols that are equipped with any of the following features: A fixed magazine with over 10 rounds, a standard magazine over 20 rounds, a folding stock, ability to accept suppressors, along with many other obscurities.

SB27 & HB21: These bills target the firearms industry including manufacturers and retailers in an attempt to get around the federal Protection Lawful Commerce in Arms Act and creates sweeping new standards of “responsible conduct” for members of the firearm industry, including manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. The bill requires these businesses to establish and implement vague and subjective “reasonable controls” over the manufacture, sale, distribution, use, and marketing of firearm-related products. It also allows for frivolous law suits against the industry, establishing a broad civil cause of action, allowing the Attorney General, Commonwealth Attorneys, or private individuals to sue firearm businesses for injunctions, damages, and costs. This is a direct attack on the firearm industry.

HB40 This bill is the so-called "ghost gun" bill and will end the centuries-old practice of individuals building lawful firearms for personal use without government interference. It prohibits the manufacture of firearms without serial numbers. Transfer and possession of an unserialized or plastic firearm will be prohibited. This legislation will also penalize individuals who lawfully purchased unfinished frames and receivers before the bill’s effective date.

There is one good bill also headed to the governor. HB101 will allow for alternate methods of submission of applications for concealed handgun permits by removing the requirement that such applications be submitted in writing.

Continue to check www.myvssa.org/legislation for updates concerning your Second Amendment rights in Virginia.

Senate Courts Advances SB749 Subsitute, Bans Possession of Standard Capacty Mags with No Grandfather Clause

2026-01-26T14:31:00.008-05:00

After a three and a half-hour meeting this morning, Senate Courts of Justice advanced several firearm related bills, including an amended "assault weapons" ban bill. All of the bills reported will have a fiscal impact so they were referred to the Senate Finance Committee before heading to the full senate for a vote. The bills reported and rereferred this morning are:

SB115 Concealed handgun permits; reciprocity with other states (this bill would limit the number of states' permits that Virginia recognizes
SB173 Weapons; possession prohibited in hospital that provides mental health or developmental services
SB272 Firearm or explosive material; exemptions, carrying public institutions of higher education
SB312 Assault firearms; carrying in public areas prohibited, penalty (This bill was incorporated into SB727)
SB323 Plastic firearms or receivers, etc., transfer, etc., prohibited; penalties (prohibits so-called "ghost guns")
SB348 Firearms; storage in residence where minor or person prohibited from possessing is present, penalty
SB496 Secure storage of handguns; unattended locked vehicle; penalty
SB727 Carrying loaded firearms in public areas prohibited in the Commonwealth; penalty
SB749 Importation, sale, possession, etc., of assault firearms and certain ammunition feeding devices prohibited; penalties

It should be noted that the the substitute to SB749 bans not only the sale of magazines that hold more than 10 rounds but also the possession, with no grandfather clause.

Fairfax Senator Saddam Azlan Salim Introduces Gun Ban Bill

2026-01-22T07:12:00.005-05:00

State Senator Saddam Azlan Salim has introduced the senate version of the bill to ban so-called "assault weapons" in Virginia. SB749 is different from the House bill (HB217) because SB749 also mentions possession and appears to say that possession of an assault firearm would be a Class 1 misdemeanor. It is not exactly clear if this actually bans possession of the firearms, or only those manufactured after July 1, 2026. Here are the relevant sections of the bill:

§ 18.2-287.4:1. Importation, sale, possession, etc., of assault firearms prohibited; penalty.
A. As used in this section, an "assault firearm" means the same as that term is defined in § 18.2-308.2:2.
B. Any person who imports, sells, manufactures, purchases, possesses, transports, or transfers an assault firearm is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
C. The provisions of this section shall not apply to (i) any government officer, agent, or employee, or member of the Armed Forces of the United States, to the extent that such person is otherwise authorized to acquire or possess an assault firearm and does so while acting within the scope of his duties; (ii) the manufacture of an assault firearm by a firearms manufacturer for the purpose of sale to any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States or to a law-enforcement agency in the Commonwealth for use by that agency or its employees, provided that the manufacturer is properly licensed under federal, state, and local laws; (iii) the sale or transfer of an assault firearm by a licensed dealer to any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States or to a law-enforcement agency in the Commonwealth for use by that agency or its employees; or (iv) any member of a cadet corps who is recognized by a public institution of higher education while such member is in the performance of lawful military training or such member is participating in an official ceremonial event for the Commonwealth.

§ 18.2-287.4:2. Importation, sale, possession, etc., of assault firearms prohibited by persons younger than 21 years of age; penalty.
A. As used in this section, an "assault firearm" means the same as that term is defined in § 18.2-308.2:2 except that it includes such firearms manufactured before July 1, 2026.
B. Any person younger than 21 years of age who imports, sells, manufactures, purchases, possesses, transports, or transfers an assault firearm is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
C. The provisions of this section shall not apply to (i) any government officer, agent, or employee, or member of the Armed Forces of the United States, to the extent that such person is otherwise authorized to acquire or possess an assault firearm and does so while acting within the scope of his duties; (ii) the manufacture of an assault firearm by a firearms manufacturer for the purpose of sale to any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States or to a law-enforcement agency in the Commonwealth for use by that agency or its employees, provided that the manufacturer is properly licensed under federal, state, and local laws; (iii) the sale or transfer of an assault firearm by a licensed dealer to any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States or to a law-enforcement agency in the Commonwealth for use by that agency or its employees; or (iv) any member of a cadet corps who is recognized by a public institution of higher education while such member is in the performance of lawful military training or such member is participating in an official ceremonial event for the Commonwealth.

Then, on line 324 on page 6 of the bill, there is this:

An "assault firearm" does not include any firearm that is an antique firearm, has been rendered permanently inoperable, is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action, or was manufactured before July 1, 2026.

So, it appears only the possession of rifles bought/manufactured after July 1, 2026 are banned. We will see what actually comes out during the legislative process because it is possible the House bill will be conformed to the Senate bill when it gets to the Senate and the Senate bill will be conformed the the House passed bill when the Senate bill gets to the House and they both end up in conference to determine the final outcome.

SCOTUS Hears Arguments in Wolford v. Lopez

2026-01-21T07:43:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in Wolfold v. Lopez. The issue in the case is whether Hawaii's law, which prohibits concealed carry on private property open to the public by default, requiring owners to give express permission (often via signs) for guns to be allowed. The Plaintiff in the case (Jason Wolford) and pro-rights advocates say this effectively bans guns in most places, turning public spaces into "no-carry zones" and infringing on rights established in New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass'n v. Bruen. Hawaii's AG, Anne E. Lopez, argues the Second Amendment doesn't grant a right to carry on others' property without consent and that the law upholds property owners' rights.

VSSA Life Member Stephe Halbrook has a piece over at The Volokh Conspiracy explaining what came up several time in the arguments.

One issue that was alluded to several times in the argument is the scope of the so-called "sensitive places" limitation on the Second Amendment's protections. Wolford is not really a "sensitive places" case—it is actually about the handful of places Hawaii did not separately declare "sensitive," since the no-carry-default rule applies only to places that the state has not made no-carry-no-matter-what. Nevertheless, it is quite probable that in dealing with the issue the Court will touch on, and possibly explain, its previous statements on the issue.

The Court's "sensitive places" dicta have been the source of some significant confusion for courts and litigants alike. In District of Columbia v. Heller, as it struck down D.C.'s handgun ban, the Court cautioned that "nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on … the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings." Later, in NYSRPA v. Bruen, the Court explained its statement in part as a way of demonstrating its historical method, writing that "although the historical record yields relatively few 18th- and 19th-century 'sensitive places' where weapons were altogether prohibited—e.g., legislative assemblies, polling places, and courthouses—we are also aware of no disputes regarding the lawfulness of such prohibitions." But Bruen cautioned, "there is no historical basis for New York to effectively declare the island of Manhattan a 'sensitive place' simply because it is crowded and protected generally by the New York City Police Department."

This list of locations (which Bruen got from the article by David B. Kopel and Joseph Greenlee, The "Sensitive Places" Doctrine, Charleston L. Rev. 2018) -- legislatures, polling places, and courts -- has led to significant disagreement among judges and litigants, even litigants on the same side of the issue. What restrictions do those three places have in common?

In his article Dangerous, but Not Unusual, Georgetown JL&PP 2024, Mark W. Smith surveyed the variety of historical "principles" that were being advanced to unite these historical laws and to analogize to modern statutes. He catalogued and criticized arguments that defined "sensitive places" as (1) places where "core government functions" are carried out, (2) places that meet a "collateral damage test" because misuse of a firearm would seem to be particularly problematic there, (3) places where "vulnerable people" congregate (more an issue for the schools that Heller mentioned than the legislative assemblies mentioned in Bruen), and (4) places where people exercise other constitutional rights. Professor Smith rejected each of these principles with good reasons -- who is not "vulnerable" to the misuse of a firearm? and why should we make those targets softer? Instead, he suggests a fifth principle that fits the evidence better: the presence of comprehensive government security in those locations.

The case could set a precedent for similar laws in other states (like California, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York) and determine if states can default to a "no-carry" rule on private property, or if they must justify such bans historically, notes SCOTUSblog.

Initial reports from the hearing indicated that the conservative majority appeared skeptical of Hawaii's law, questioning whether it imposes an undue burden on the right to public carry established in earlier precedents. A final decision is expected by the summer of 2026.

Permit to Purchase Firearm Bill Drops at General Assembly

2026-01-20T07:00:00.001-05:00

House Bill 1359, a bill creating and requiring a permit to purchase a fiream was filed yesterday at the Virginina General Assemlby. The bill would not allow anyone below the age of 21 to purchase a firearm because they are not eligible for a permit, and the bill requires fingerprinting, and firearm training certified by the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). Gun owners would be required to apply to the State Police for the permit and the state police would have 45 days to process the application. There is no delayed enactment clause in the bill to give the state police time to set up the mechanisim for approving applications, nor giving DCJS time to certify training courses that would qualify. There is also no exemption for people that have a valid concealed handgun permit from the permit to purchase requirement as currently exists with Deleware's permit to purchase requirement. Does anyone really think government agencies can create a system to handle this process in the matter of a couple of months?

Call you member of the House of Delegates now and politely let them know that you oppose this bill. Even if you think your delegate will vote for this bill anyway, they need to hear from you.

More Gun Control Bills Introduced in House of Delegates

2026-01-15T10:30:00.000-05:00

Now that the session has started, bills are starting to drop in bunches. At least 6 more gun control bills appeared on the Legislative Information Service (LIS) and have been posted on the VSSA Bill Tracking Form.

The latest list of new bills, courtesy of Bearingarms.com are

HB 871, which "[r]equires any person who possesses a firearm in a residence where such person knows that a minor or a person who is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm is present to store such firearm and the ammunition for such firearm in a locked container, compartment, or cabinet that is inaccessible to such minor or prohibited person," or else face a misdemeanor charge.
HB 901, which expands the state's "red flag" law to allow a "licensed professional counselor, licensed clinical social worker, licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed clinical psychologist, licensed clinical psychiatrist, licensed psychiatric nurse practitioner, psychiatric physician assistant, psychiatric clinical nurse specialist, doctor of medicine, doctor of osteopathy, certified evaluator, designee of the local community services board, immediate family or household member, intimate partner, or school administrator or a school administrator's designee of any school in which the person against whom the order is sought is currently enrolled or has been enrolled in the six months preceding the filing of such petition" to file an Extreme Risk Protection Order petition.
HB 916, which expands the requirements for a Virginia concealed carry permit to include "a handgun shooting class or course that teaches (i) efficient, effective, and responsible use of a concealed handgun for self-defense outside of the home; (ii) state laws pertaining to handguns; and (iii) proper handgun storage techniques".
HB 919, which imposes an 11% tax on the sale of all firearms and ammunition "by a dealer in firearms, firearms manufacturer, or ammunition vendor," with the proceeds going to the "Virginia Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention Fund."
HB 969, which establishes the "Virginia Gun Violence Prevention Center" with a mission of serving as "the primary resource for research, best practices, and strategies for the implementation of firearm violence intervention, community-based intervention, and group violence intervention programs designed to reduce violence in communities."
HB 1094, which imposes another 11% tax on firearms and ammunition on "the gross receipts from the sale and distribution of any firearm or ammunition by a firearms or ammunition manufacturer."

There will be more bills on the way. We're still waiting to see the Senate's version of a ban on so-called "assault firearms", as well as a possible "permit-to-purchase" that's been discussed by Democrats, even participating an a webinar hosted by the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solution on the topic.

Keep checking the VSSA Legislative Tracking page for updates. January 23rd is the last day to introduce legislation.

Five Day Waiting Period Bill Drops at General Assembly

2026-01-14T06:35:00.000-05:00

More firearm related bills dropped at the General Assembly yesterday ahead of today's opening at noon. One of those bills is HB700, which would create a five day waiting period before an individual can take possession of a firearm after they complete the background check form.

Provides that no person shall sell a firearm unless at least five days have elapsed from the time the prospective purchaser completes the written consent form to have a licensed dealer obtain criminal history record information, with exceptions enumerated in relevant law. The bill provides that any person who willfully and intentionally sells to another person or purchases from another person a firearm in violation of this prohibition is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Additionally, the bill provides that any dealer who willfully and intentionally sells, rents, trades, or transfers a firearm in violation of such prohibition is guilty of a Class 6 felony.

Be sure to check the VSSA Legislative Tracking Form for up-to-date information about this year's session.

A Cautionary Tale from Deleware on Permits to Purchase

2026-01-13T06:40:00.000-05:00

Virginia gun owners could be facing the prospect of being required to possess a permit before they can purchase a firearm in Virginia. Legislators have yet to introduce the bill but they recently paticipated in a webinar hosted by Johns Hopkins University Center for Gun Violence Solutions. In this webinar Senator Scott Surovell, Chairman of Senate Courts and Delegate Patrick Hope talk about the path forward for such a scheme in Virgnia. Last year, Delegate Hope introduced HB1424 which would have established a firearm purchaser licensing law. The bill would have required an individual to provide proof of training, be fingerprinted, pass a background check, and for approval of the license before they can purchase a firearm. The bill was referred to the Virginia Crime Commission for study. The Crime Commission presented the findings of their study which basically paved the way for the gun ban majority to move forward in this year's session of the assembly.

The State of Deleware recently passed a "Permit to Purchase" law to purchase a handgun (we don't yet know if Virgnia's would just be for handguns of for all firearms) that took affect in November. Bearingarms.com reported yesterday that their system does not appear to be ready for primetime.

The state police say the agency is taking an average of three days to process permit-to-purchase applications, well below the 30 days its given under the permit-to-purchase law. That's good, but the system still isn't operating like it's supposed to, despite the fact that Delaware had 18 months to get the new system up and running before the law took effect.

The Crime Commission told legislators that if Virginia enacted such a law, it would require a delayed effective date to give the state police time to set up the system. That is likely to create a surge in buying ahead of the effective date of the new law.

But after the law took affect in Deleware, some FFLs have seen a marked decline in sales:

If the state police have been able to deal with FFLs having to call in and verify that purchasers can legally get a gun without too many delays, it's only because the volume of sales had declined dramatically since the law took effect. Delaware Spotlight spoke to one gun store owner who said handgun sales have dropped by 60% to 65% since November, during what is typically some of the busiest months of the year for gun stores.
That aligns with the 66% in Delaware from November to December 2025 recorded by the anti-gun website The Trace, and stands in stark contast to what happened nationally in those months. The National Shooting Sports Foundation reports there were 1,408,230 background checks performed on firearm transfers in November 2025, and that number ticked up to 1,587,049 in December.
Even if Delaware's permit-to-purchase scheme was operating flawlessly, sales would still be down significantly. In order to buy a handgun in Delaware these days, a purchaser must first go through an eight-hour firearms training course which includes firing 100 rounds at a range. Between the cost of the training and the $85 fingerprinting fee, buying a handgun in the state now costs about $200 to $300 dollars more than it did this time last year.

That is the real purpose of schemes like the permit to purchase - increasing the cost and burden of buying a firearm so that less are sold. Hopefully, the legislature will at least exempt people with a concealed handgun permit from having to aquire permit to purchase, but that has not been the case with other laws passed by Virginia's gun ban majority.

All Gun Owners Need to Attend Lobby Day January 19th

2026-01-12T13:55:00.004-05:00

The 2026 Session of the General Assembly will convene on Wednesday, January 14, and the gun ban lobby has a trifecta in state government to do their bidding this year. We have already seen a bill dropped that will ban the most commonly owned firearms, impose a $500 tax on suppressors, and a bill that creates a code of “responsible conduct” for members of the firearm industry, including manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. The bills require these businesses to establish and implement vague and subjective “reasonable controls” over the manufacture, sale, distribution, use, and marketing of firearm-related products. This is only the beginning. We expect between now and January 23rd, the last day to introduce legislation, that we will see at least 30 gun control bills. Not introduced as of today, but expected, is a bill that will create a permitting scheme that will be required before you can purchase a firearm. This scheme will include the requirement to be fingerprinted as well as complete costly training that will likely require a live fire component before you can purchase a firearm, even if you have owned firearms for years.

VSSA, along with the NRA, is encouraging all gun owners to attend this year's VCDL Lobbying Day at the Virginia General Assembly on January 19th, 2026 in Richmond. NRA-ILA Executive Director, John Commerford, will be speaking at the event. Please show your support for the Second Amendment and for your rights as a Virginia gun owner. This is your right – no, a DUTY – as a citizen of the United States AND as a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia who believes in the Right of the People to Keep and Bear Arms. Here's what you need to do:

If you can, ATTEND Lobby Day on Monday, January 19th. It’s a Federal holiday, so you may not have to work that day. Also, street parking in downtown Richmond is free on public holidays. The Virginia Citizens Defense League’s (VCDL’s) Lobby Day website at https://www.vcdl.org/LobbyDay has all the information you will need to make a visit to Richmond. A detailed schedule of events can be found here.
Physical presence is SO important in persuading legislators to see your point-of-view, or at least understand what they’re getting themselves into.
If you don’t want to drive to Richmond, you may be able to sign up to ride buses chartered by VCDL to take you there, depending on where you live. VCDL’s Lobby Day bus site at https://www.vcdl.org/LobbyDayBus has all the information on getting a seat on the bus. (DEADLINE: Wednesday, January 14th)
At the very least, as a citizen and a resident of this Commonwealth, you owe it to yourself to stay informed on the pending legislation affecting our 2A rights AND to contact your legislators in Richmond on how you feel regarding those bills. The 2026 VSSA Legislative Tracking Tool (https://www.myvssa.org/legislation) is up and running – here you can find the status of pending 2A-related bills during this year’s session.
If you’re not sure who your legislators are, use the “Who’s My Legislator?” tool (https://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/) to find out. (You will have a Delegate (House) and a Senator representing you in their respective bodies.)

In 2020, tens of thousands of gun owners and supporters of the Second Amendment arrived on a chilly Monday morning in January 2020 to show the Governor and the General Assembly that the rights guaranteed under the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and Article 1, Section 13 of the Constitution of Virginia were important to them. Despite several onerous bills being passed into law, the so-called “assault weapon ban” died in Senate committee that year, thanks in no small part to the work of the tens of thousands who showed up on Lobby Day to make their voices heard.

Today we find ourselves in an even worse situation – as mentioned above, many gun-control bills have been proposed that would further restrict the hard-fought and -won rights of Virginians, for example:

A ban on so-called “assault rifles” and magazines holding more than 10 rounds;
A special tax of $500 on the sale of suppressors (even though the Federal transfer tax has been eliminated);
Revoking the recognition of out-of-state concealed handgun licenses from many States (which will inevitably result in Virginia handgun licenses not being recognized in those States);
Restrictions on your ability to keep a firearm in your vehicle for self-defense.

In addition, the Virginia State Crime Commission recently reported their findings on the feasibility of implementing a “permit-to-purchase” system for Virginians who want to purchase a firearm (similar to laws in States such as Illinois and New Jersey) – a bill is expected to be introduced soon in the General Assembly to impose such a program on Virginians.

Finally, while Gov. Youngkin vetoed many bills restricting your Second Amendment rights, he is leaving office on Saturday, January 17th. The incoming Governor got her start as an advocate for gun control with Moms Demand Action and has promised to sign any gun-control legislation presented to her.

THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW! Don’t expect the courts to stop these bills – it has been over three (3) years since the Supreme Court issued the Bruen decision. Since then, many cases seeking relief as a result of that decision have made their way through the judicial system, with no resolution in sight.

VSSA's lobbying team is ready to advocate for your rights at the General Assembly. But we need you to let your voice be heard too. Be sure to check the VSSA blog, the VSSA website, and if you have an X (formerly known as Twitter) account, be sure to follow @VSSA for updates.

First Gun Ban Bill Drops

2026-01-08T12:25:00.000-05:00

Delegate Helmer has filed the first bill to ban modern sporting rifles, also erronously referred to as "assault weapons. If this bill becomes law, law-abiding Virginians who already own an AR-15 or other semi-automatic rifles covered by the bill would not become criminals simply for possessing them. There is no blanket possession ban for current adult owners.

What HB 217 does do is:

Ban the future sale, purchase, manufacture, importation, or transfer of defined “assault firearms” after the law takes effect.
Grandfather current owners by omission — meaning continued possession by adults 21+ remains lawful under the introduced text.
Impose criminal penalties only for new transactions, not past lawful ownership.

There is no pistol magazine capacity ban in this bill. It is likely other versions will be filed, but this is the first look at what Democrats will do in 2026 related to semi automatic rifles.

General Assembly Bill Introduced to Impose $500 Tax on Suppressors

2026-01-08T09:34:00.002-05:00

The gun ban majority has introduced a bill in the House of Delegates to impose a $500 tax on the sale of suppressors in Virginia. House Bill 207 reads:

§ 58.1-664. Firearm suppressor tax.
A. In addition to all other taxes and fees of every kind now imposed by law, beginning on July 1, 2026, an excise tax is hereby imposed upon dealers in firearms at the rate of $500 per retail sale in the Commonwealth of any firearm suppressor. No discount under § 58.1-622 shall be allowed for the fee imposed under this chapter.
B. The tax imposed by this chapter shall not apply to the retail sale of any firearm suppressor to any federal, state, or local agency or to a law-enforcement officer for use in the normal course of his employment.
C. The Department shall distribute the proceeds received from the tax imposed by this chapter to the general fund.

This is 150% higher than the now repealed federal NFA tax that had been imposed on suppressors and is clearly intended to discourage the purchase of the firearm accessory.

While some gun control has been introduced ahead of the start of the session, this is the first of the really bad bills that are expected to be introduced this session. The Democrats have held off on the gun ban and licensing schemes they plan to implement hoping to lull gun owners into a sense of complacency ahead of the annual VCDL Lobby Day on January 19. VSSA is encouraging all gun owners to attend Lobby Day and make your voice heard.

2025 Annual Raffle Winners

2025-09-29T14:46:00.005-04:00

The drawing for the 2025 Annual Member Raffle was held on Saturday durin the Annual Meeting. The winners are as follows:

1st Prize: EAA MC P35 OPS 9mm with a 15 round magazine - James M. of Broadway, VA

2nd Prize: $200 Cabela's Gift Card - Joe P. of King George, VA

3rd Prize: $100 Cash: Greg L. of Alexandria, VA

Thanks to all members who supported this year's raffle.

Save the Date: NRA Virtual Virginia Election Meeting

2025-09-12T15:03:00.006-04:00

NRA-ILA will host a virtual election meeting on Tuesday, September 23^rd, at 7:00 p.m. This important virtual meeting will cover:

Volunteer Opportunities – Learn how you can get involved and make a difference in our election efforts right here in Virginia.
Our Candidate Endorsement Process – Understand how the NRA evaluates and supports candidates who stand strong for our Second Amendment rights.

You can have a real impact this election season. Whether you're a seasoned volunteer or just looking to get started, this meeting is the perfect place to plug in. To register, click here.

2A Groups, State AGs Ask Scotus to Take Magazine Ban Case

2025-09-10T07:55:00.001-04:00

Cam Edwards over at BearingArms.com has the story.

More than half of the attorneys general in the United States are adding their support to a lawsuit challenging Washington State's ban on "large capacity" magazines that can hold more than ten rounds, as well as the National Rifle Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation and the National Association for Gun Rights.
Four separate amicus briefs from the various organizations and individuals have been filed with the Supreme Court ahead of the justices' consideration of Gator's Custom Guns, Inc. v. State of Washington, which is on appeal from the Washington Supreme Court. Earlier this year a majority of state Supreme Court justices ruled in favor of the state's ban on commonly-owned magazines that can hold more than ten rounds, holding that they're not even arms protected by the text of the Second Amendment. As the plaintiffs pointed out in their cert petition, the court's position would allow the state of Washington to ban detachable magazines altogether, rendering almost every semi-automatic handgun a single shot pistol at best.
While all four of the amicus briefs hit on the idea that magazines are, in fact, bearable "arms" protected by the Second Amendment and that SCOTUS should grant cert in order to put a circuit court split on the issue to rest (with a ruling favorable to the plaintiffs, of course), they each come with a different approach.

For Virginians, it is really important that the court take this case because a standard capacity magazine ban will be just one of the things the gun ban Demorcrats in the General Assembly will pass if they win this year's House and Governor's elections. Let's hope the Court takes this case.

Can Trump's DOJ Ban Gun Ownership for Trans Individuals.

2025-09-08T06:30:00.004-04:00

On Thursday, this Daily Wire article reported that the U.S. Department of Justice was looking at banning the right to own firearms for transgender people. This is an apparent reaction to the latest school shooting, where the attacker identified as transgender.

The DOJ’s discussions center on the fact that those who identify as transgender suffer from gender dysphoria, a mental disorder, the DOJ source familiar with the conversations shared with The Daily Wire. Gender dysphoria describes the sense of unease that a man or woman may feel if he or she thinks that their biological sex is mismatched with their so-called gender identity.

Podcaster Ben Shapiro briefly touched on this during his Friday program.

I'm not a lawyer but it is my understanding that the only way the government can take away the gun rights of someone with a mental health issue is if they are adjudicated mentally ill or have been involuntarily confined to a mental facility. Gender dysphoria is a mental illness. It is a condition defined as significant psychological distress arising from a mismatch between what a person believes their sex is and their biological sex. Most children with gender dysphoria do not continue to experience the condition into adulthood.

Shapiro mentioned red flag laws in his comments. Most in the pro-rights community are opposed to red flag laws because of the way they are crafted. They take away an individual's rights without due process.

Preventing school shootings is a difficult task. I don't know that taking away the rights of individuals because they have a condition that in many cases goes away with proper treatment (which is not "gender affirming care" as it is euphimistically known to the left) is the correct response to the latest school shooting.

Election 2025: Californication of Virginia is on the Ballot

2025-06-11T06:40:00.007-04:00

The last time the Democrats gained complete control of Virginia government, the Commonwealth took a sharp turn toward policies already in place in California. Even when they did not have complete control last year and this year, they introduced legislation, especially gun legislation, that gave a glimpse of what they will do if they get full control again by way of the 2025 statewide and General Assembly election. Look at what is happening now in Los Angeles and you see what years of lax enforcement of criminal laws and sanctuary city legislation will do to a state. As radio host Erick Erickson said yesterday"

What’s going on in Los Angeles is what happens when progressive governance collides with reality. The city is overrun with violent protests, organized theft, homelessness, and gang activity. Years of lax enforcement, defunding the police, and permissive prosecution have created a powder keg—and now the federal government has to step in.

If gun owners don't take action this year, and make sure that we elect either a pro-rights majority in the House of Delegates, or at defeat Abigail Spanberger's run for governor Virginia will continue the lurch toward Californication that began in 2020. And if you need a reminder of what gun restrictions will become law, take a look at this list:

Age restrictions for certain firearm transfers.
Restrictions on young adults between 18 and 21 from being able to purchase certain semi-automatic rifles, pistols, and shotguns.
Bans on the centuries-old practice of individuals building lawful firearms for personal use without government interference by prohibiting the manufacture of firearms without serial numbers. Transfer and possession of an unserialized or plastic firearm would be prohibited. This legislation would also penalize individuals who lawfully purchased unfinished frames and receivers before the bill’s effective date.
Mandatory, five-day waiting period before a law-abiding citizen may take possession of a legally purchased firearm.
Expansion of "gun-free" zones where law-abiding persons would be prohibited from lawfully carrying.
Mandatory firearm storage laws.
Allowing frivolous lawsuits against the firearms industry by eroding the protections afforded to them via federal law.
Expansion of prohibiting categories for certain misdemeanor crimes.
Bans on certain semi-automatic firearms including many semi-automatic rifles, pistols and shotguns and arbitrarily limits on magazine capacities.
Ending concealed handgun recognition and reciprocity agreements.
Prohiting people from storing, placing, or leaving a handgun in their parked vehicle.

That's a long list but it is a list of bills that passed over the last two years, and vetoed by Governor Youngkin. Gun owners need to get involved not. Contact Andrew Brown with NRA-ILA to see what you can do to get involved in this year's election.

What the 9-0 SCOTUS Decision in S&W v. Mexico Means for Assault Weapons Bans

2025-06-09T09:25:00.025-04:00

Last week, gun owners had a mixed week at the U.S. Supreme Court with the court denying cert in Snope vs Brown, the Maryland "assault weapons" ban case as well as Ocean State Tactical vs. Rhode Island, a challenge to the state's standard capacity magazine ban, but issuing a unanimous decision shooting down Mexico's lawsuit against U.S. firearms manufacturers. Mark Smith, a constitutional attorney who hosts the 4 Boxes Diner Podcast on YouTube Tube broke down the decision and the implications it has for a positive ruling in the future related to so called assault weapons bans. Smith notes that this opinion was written by one of the most liberal justices on the Court so it is a big deal that it ws unanimous and there is some nuggets that are good for gun owners looking for a positive ruling on so called "assault weapons".

Merging ATF with DEA is a Really Bad Idea

2025-06-05T06:09:00.002-04:00

In the budget outline that President Trump submitted to congress last week, one of the "government efficiency" proposals presented was to merge ATF with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). During his Gun Talk Radio program on Sunday, Tom Gresham said during the third hour of the program that is a "horrific idea".

A horrific idea horrible idea. The DEA is famous for violation of civil rights, of individual constitutional rights. They're all about asset forfeiture breaking in taking your stuff baby shooting you in the process. We need SIMP to get rid of the ATF gone.
You don't need to fold it into anything else, and certainly not the DEA. So I'm hoping that the White House gets enough feedback just says this is a terrible idea, and we, as gun owners who helped you get elected, do not want this. We don't want to be dealing with the DEA on firearms related issues.

On yesterday's Bearingarms.com's Cam and Company, senior vice president and general counsel Larry Keane for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) told Cam Edwards that NSSF is strongly opposed to merging the two agencies.

NRA-ILA Weighs in On SCOTUS Denial of Cert in Maryland AWB Case

2025-06-04T06:01:00.005-04:00

On yesterday's Bearingarms.com Cam and Company, NRA-ILA Executive Director John Commerford joined Cam for a wide ranging conversation that hits on the Supreme Court's denial of cert in the Snope case challenging the Maryland "assault weapons" ban, as well as the latest on suppressor deregulation in the budget reconciliation bill. The decision to not take up the Snope case has very important implications for Virginia gun owners because the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, of which both Maryland and Virginia are a part, said that the ban was constitutional. That opens the door for such a ban to become law in Virignia if Abigail Spanberger is elected Governor and the Democrats keep their majority in the House of Delegates this year.

Shotguns for Self Defense

2025-06-03T07:54:00.000-04:00

On Sunday's Gun Talk Radio, host Tom Gresham spoke with Ken Campbell from Gunsite Academy. Ken detailed what makes shotguns so effective and how to use them.

The New Marlin Model 95 Dark Series

2025-05-14T11:15:00.003-04:00

When Remington purchased Marlin in 2007, the quality of the Marlin brand suffered greatly. When Remington filed for bankruptcy and went out of business in 2020, Ruger purchased the Marlin brand. Ruger has slowly been rolling out Marlin firearms and the quality has really taken a step up toward what Marlin was producing before it went out of business. In this video, Greg Kinman, known online as Hickok45, reviewed the new "tactical" Marlin Model 95 Dark Series in .45-70.

Democrat AG Candidate Ad Touts How She Took on the NRA

2025-05-13T10:51:00.003-04:00

Henrico Commonwealth Attorney and Democrat Candidate for Attorney General Shannon Taylor has launched her first primary ad touting how she will take on President Trump and Elon Musk, and how she has taken on the NRA as Commonwealth Attorney. She is running against Jay Jones for the Democratic nomination for attorney general. We can expect to hear some of her themes from Gubanatorial Candidate Abigail Spanberger in the general election. It is clear from this ad that gun owners will also be in the sites of Taylor if she becomes Attorney General.

The ad will be running in Richmond, Roanoke and Charlottesville media markets.