In this issue:
- The NFA ruling: what has changed, what hasn’t, and the October 5 appeal deadline
- Massachusetts and Maryland compliance deadlines
- Garmin buys Applied Ballistics, and the questions nobody has answered yet
- Tooling up for 80,000 psi Peak Alloy cases
- A note from Marc, bench updates, and this month’s deals
It is late September 2026. We are about three-quarters of the way through the year, with the holiday season knocking on the door. Once it hits Halloween, the rest of the year seems to become a blur of candy, turkey, and a flash of red and green before we are thrust into the blinding white of New Year’s and dumped into a winter slog that we just have to get through.
The realities of owning a home are sinking in. For one, fuel oil here in the Northeast is $5.75 a gallon as of this writing, and we are looking at a $4,300 heating bill this winter. We bought a house with no wood stove, but it sits on about five acres of forest. Growing up, we burned wood for most of our heat and kept fuel oil as a backup. I personally don’t see how folks can afford to do anything different. So I have taken to Facebook Marketplace, picked up a few chainsaws, and spent the last week surveying our woodlot for deadfall and standing dead trees and dropping timber.
We still have to install a wood stove, and I may not have enough seasoned wood to make a dent in the fuel bill this winter, but we need to get the process started so we are ready for next year. Fortunately, with a strong El Niño in the forecast, the Northeast is likely to see a mild, wet winter this year.
In other news, the zero-turn mower that came with the house decided to throw a blade. No real damage: the bolt holding it on had somehow worked itself loose, and the blade simply dropped into the dirt. When I pulled the deck to look at the spindles, one had a lot of play and another felt pretty rough. With most of the mowing season behind us, I’ll rebuild the deck now and have it ready for one last cut before the frost shuts everything down.
And just in case you thought Marc and I don’t have full and rich lives outside of the internet, here’s a small token of proof that we do!
Website Updates
There are a bunch of website updates we have been working on behind the scenes, and we expect to go live with them before the end of October. Marc and I have both been working hard to build in new tools and features that make the website more of a resource for new and experienced handloaders alike. While we enjoy creating written content, the real power is in being able to provide solid reference material for folks.
We have beta testers giving us feedback, and we are working on streamlining these tools so they are easy to use. We are pretty excited by what we are hearing, and our subscribers will be the first to know when it goes live.
Note From Marc
I want to sincerely thank everyone who has donated to my GoFundMe. Your kindness and generosity are helping me replace the tools, shooting supplies, and other essential shooting-related belongings lost in the house fire. Your support means more to me than I can put into words.
If you’re able, please consider continuing to support the fundraiser or sharing it with others. Every donation, share, and encouraging word helps me take another step toward rebuilding and getting back to doing what I love.
Thank you again to everyone who has helped. I am truly grateful.
Marcus Brown
One last note from me: this is the final time we’ll mention the fundraiser, and we’ll be closing it out in October. Thank you again to everyone who donated and shared it. We really do appreciate the support.
How Do I Know a Handload Is Safe?
We have seen this question come up over and over again, so Marc put together an article discussing pressure signs and the handloading process. The goal is to help new and experienced handloaders alike build confidence that the loads they are developing are safe.
Time at the Bench
I have continued working on getting my new reloading bench ready. I am a few coats of paint away from finishing the last section of the frame. I plan to wipe down the butcher-block work surface with boiled linseed oil, and I need to put in some threaded inserts so I can securely fasten it to the frame. I am aiming to have it all put together sometime in October. Then I have a backlog of work I’ll need to get done.
MidwayUSA Birthday Savings
MidwayUSA runs a yearly Birthday Savings offer for customers who have an account with them, and I try to take advantage of it every year. The discounts are usually worth it, and this year I was able to get .458 SOCOM, .357 SIG, and some TriggerTech triggers for a great price. In all, I probably saved $500 or more with that birthday coupon.
TriggerTech Triggers
Anyone who knows Marc or me knows we are big fans of TriggerTech triggers. To be fair, I think Marc’s preference is for any of the cassette-style drop-in triggers for the AR-15, and the TriggerTech triggers fit that bill. I just wish they made a two-stage trigger for my Barrett MRAD.
MidwayUSA had a fantastic sale on them. The TriggerTech two-stage 3.5 lb duty triggers for $99 apiece were the deal of the year, at least for me.
Facebook Marketplace Safe
The gamble that is Facebook Marketplace has been good to us, to the point where I had better stop while I am ahead. I found a 36-gun Field & Stream gun safe that someone just wanted gone. With my youngest getting older, firearm storage has been in the back of my mind, so I jumped on it and beat out a bunch of other interested buyers.
There was a catch: the code wasn’t working, and there was no backup key. So that’s where I’ll need to do some work. Either the company has decent enough customer service that I can work through the issue, or I’ll hire a locksmith. Either way, I am hoping I come out ahead on this one.
If anyone knows a trick for getting into one of these safes (it uses a fairly cheap electronic lock), shoot me an email and save me the hassle.
One tip if you pick up a safe, new or used: put a dehumidifier rod in it. Marc learned the hard way that a fire-resistant safe is not a moisture-proof one. A plug-in rod like the Wheeler Golden Rod dehumidifier keeps the air inside warm and dry enough to keep rust off your guns.
Industry and Legislative News
NFA Ruling: What Has Changed Since Last Month
Anyone who has dipped a toe in the water on the August 5 NFA ruling knows the whole ocean around this topic is confusing. We covered the ruling itself in BBB #23. A lot of people are now claiming the NFA is dead, which overstates reality, so let’s look at where things actually stand.
As a quick refresher: on August 5, Judge James Wesley Hendrix of the Northern District of Texas entered final judgment in Jensen v. ATF, consolidated with Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF. He held that the NFA’s registration and approval requirements for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns exceed Congress’s authority once the One Big Beautiful Bill Act zeroed out the making and transfer taxes on those items. Without a tax to collect, the taxing power no longer props up the registration scheme.
Here is what is actually established as of this writing:
- Relief is not nationwide. It covers the parties and their current and future members and customers. The organizational plaintiffs are the Silencer Shop Foundation, Gun Owners of America, Gun Owners Foundation, the Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition, FPC Action Foundation, the Texas State Rifle Association, and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, along with several companies.
- Where you live does not decide coverage; membership does. Fifteen states are also plaintiffs, but that coverage runs to the state governments, not to their residents. Living in Texas or Kansas does not make you covered, and living in Vermont does not exclude you if you are a member of a plaintiff organization. State law still applies either way.
- No notice of appeal has been filed. DOJ’s window to appeal closes October 5, 2026. Back on August 12, DOJ also chose not to ask the Fifth Circuit to put the ruling on hold.
- Kansas filed a motion on September 11 asking the court to clarify exactly who the judgment covers. It is still pending.
- ATF still has not published implementation guidance, and NSSF has formally asked for it. On September 24, ATF Director Robert Cekada told an FFL compliance event that he expects guidance “in the next couple of weeks,” and that FFLs transferring suppressors on a Form 4473 will not be cited. He also noted that DOJ and the White House have a say in the final product.
- CBS News reported on September 17, citing “sources with knowledge of the matter,” that President Trump personally decided against an appeal and that DOJ intends to tell Congress it will not appeal. As of this writing, nothing has corroborated that report. There has been no filing, no on-record DOJ statement, and no formal notice to Congress. DOJ’s last on-record position, on August 13, was that it was “currently assessing the impact of the court’s ruling.”
Even if October 5 passes without an appeal, that does not turn member-and-customer relief into nationwide relief. It just means this judgment stands as written. The clarification motion could still narrow or widen who is covered.
So for the vast majority of us, wait and see is the right approach. Personally, I would love to see this reach the whole country. However, I suspect it could have unintended consequences. In states where suppressor ownership is currently legal, we could see a concerted push to ban them. I live in Vermont, and I am particularly concerned about that.
Massachusetts Deadlines
If you live in the state south of me, you will want to pay close attention to the dates. Massachusetts passed a series of laws that take effect over the next couple of months, and there is already confusion about the deadline. You will see October 2 floating around online, but the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s guidance says individuals do not have to comply with the registration and serialization requirements until October 28, 2026. Confirm with the state before you rely on either date.
The first requirement is serialization. Firearms without a serial number, including frames, receivers, 80% lowers, and 3D-printed frames, must be engraved with a state-issued serial number at least .003 in. deep and at least 1/16 in. tall. This targets homebuilt firearms, whether they were made from an 80% kit, printed on a 3D printer, or built from scrap metal. Firearms made before October 22, 1968 are exempt from serialization, so at least nobody is being told to engrave grandpa’s old shotgun.
The second is registration. Firearms have to be registered through the MIRCS portal, and the law makes no exception based on when you acquired a firearm or how long you have owned it. It covers handguns, rifles, shotguns, frames, and receivers. True antiques may be exempt, but check before you assume. Penalties escalate from a fine of up to $1,000 on a first offense to state prison on a third. Somehow this reduces crime.
Maryland Deadlines
Maryland has four new firearms laws taking effect October 1. The one getting the most attention bans the manufacture, sale, purchase, or transfer of so-called “machine gun convertible” pistols beginning January 1, 2027, with the State Police required to maintain a list of prohibited models. It is already a federal felony to make that kind of conversion, yet here we are. This is a battle of human ingenuity against the state legislature, and if we aren’t careful, some “Guntuber” is going to take it as a challenge, and the Maryland State Police will end up with a very short list of single-shot pistols approved for sale.
The one with more immediate teeth for dealers is a new reporting rule. Starting October 1, Maryland dealers must notify the State Police within 24 hours of discovering a burglary, theft, or robbery involving firearms or ammunition, or a failure of their required security equipment.
Two Numbers Pointing in Different Directions
The August NICS numbers came out, and the line tied to NFA Form 1 and Form 4 processing jumped from 61,594 checks in August 2025 to 185,744 in August 2026, roughly triple. Total FBI checks were up 16.5%, and the NSSF-adjusted figure was up 2.2%. Background checks are not sales numbers, but while the courts argue about NFA registration, the registration pipeline itself tripled year over year.
At the same time, the business side is not all sunshine. White Oak Armory filed for Chapter 11 on August 24, and Mead Industries followed on September 2. Reported unit sales were down 4.1% in 2025 and down again in the first half of 2026, with rifles hit hardest.
These are two different instruments measuring two different things, and I am not going to pretend either one tells you “the” state of the market. It does look a lot like the post-boom hangover we talked about with the 2011 market last month, with the NFA items as the one corner running hot.
Court Dates to Watch
The Supreme Court will hear the AR-15 ban challenges, Viramontes and Grant, on December 2. DOJ and 27 states filed briefs supporting the challengers. We will have a lot more to say about that one as the date gets closer.
Garmin Purchases Applied Ballistics
On September 16, Garmin announced it had acquired Applied Ballistics, the company Bryan Litz founded in 2009 after his time as chief ballistician at Berger. That includes the AB solver, the custom drag-curve library, and the Quantum app. Terms were not disclosed.
The two companies are not strangers. Garmin has been using Applied Ballistics in its products since the Foretrex 701 Ballistic Edition in 2017, and more recently tied the Xero C2 chronograph into the AB ecosystem. Garmin’s co-COO called Applied Ballistics “a natural complement to Garmin’s outdoor and tactical product portfolio.”
What interests me is what hasn’t been said. As of this writing, there has been no public statement on two questions that matter to anyone who owns a ballistic solver:
- What Bryan Litz’s role will be going forward.
- Whether Kestrel, SIG, Leica, Vectronix, and the other companies that license the AB solver and drag library will keep that access.
Garmin has not announced a Garmin-only policy. It also hasn’t promised not to adopt one.
The AB drag library is one of the few independent, measured external-ballistics datasets in the industry. The custom drag curves came from actual radar and live-fire testing rather than a single ballistic coefficient off a box. That data now sits inside a hardware company that sells devices competing with the very companies licensing it. Maybe nothing changes. Garmin has been a good partner to Applied Ballistics for almost a decade, and there is money to be made licensing the solver. But if you are shopping for a Kestrel or a rangefinder right now because of AB integration, I would buy it for what it does today, not for a promise of future support.
We will be watching this one closely.
New Guns and Gear
Tooling Up for 80,000 psi Cases
Federal’s Peak Alloy steel cases are starting to get their own tooling. Lee Precision now lists a 6.5 Creedmoor Peak Alloy micrometer full-length sizing die set for $84, and Forster has reworked its 7mm Backcountry seating die to handle higher seating pressure. Forster also says you need a larger expander ball to get normal neck tension. Area 419, RCBS, and Short Action Customs are reportedly working on Peak Alloy dies as well.
The interesting part is in the fine print. Lee’s own instructions say steel cases “require substantial effort to full length resize.” During Forster’s testing, a technician broke a Co-Ax wood stand. Meanwhile, SAAMI has formed a working group on the case technology but still has not taken a position on interchangeability or on running these pressures through existing rifles and suppressors.
So an entire tooling ecosystem is being built around a case material whose sizing force, case life, and bolt-thrust behavior nobody has put a published number on. That is exactly the kind of question we like to dig into, and I suspect it will end up on my bench at some point.
Vihtavuori .277 SIG Fury Data
On September 14, Vihtavuori published .277 SIG Fury reloading data covering 12 bullets and 9 powders, with loads for commercial brass capped at 65,000 psi. With all of the 80,000 psi talk going around, it is a good reminder that published data is built around the case you actually have in your hand. Vihtavuori also expanded its N100, N300, and N500 series data at the end of August, adding bullets from Barnes, Berry’s, Hornady, and Sierra.
Deals to be Had
Brownells is running a precision reloading sale with $0 hazmat fees on powder and primers. It includes up to 22% off Sierra bullets; up to 18% off Berger, Barnes, and Starline brass; up to 10% off RCBS and Redding dies and presses; and $40 off the Frankford Arsenal Intellidropper 2.0. If you have been putting off a component order, not paying the hazmat fee makes a real difference.
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If you have questions, comments, or ideas, we’d love to hear from you.
Jay – jay@theballisticassistant.com
Marc – Marc@theballisticassistant.com
