Political Involvement
Updated Oct 14, 2026
T.REX ARMS has always been a Second Amendment company, but we do more than just equipment and education. In 2018 we sent one of our team members to lobby for a tax bill, and we've been fighting for more firearm freedom in the Tennessee Legislature ever since. In January of 2026 we also raised money for GOA's legal challenge of the NFA, and we are just getting started.
This is all thanks to our customers, who have funded this effort by buying our equipment and sharing our education. We are tremendously grateful for these successes that you have made possible.
$355,435 Spent on direct political action since 2018 Show breakdownHide breakdown
This spending does not include our educational videos or newsletters; just our direct lobbyist pay and contributions to the cost of lawsuits against unconstitutional laws.
Major Wins
2026 NFA Lawsuit Read moreClose
As soon as the Big Beautiful Bill was signed — bringing the cost of the NFA tax stamp down to $0 on January 1, 2026 — Gun Owners of America filed suit against the ATF, arguing that a $0 tax is unconstitutional, and that a 10-year federal felony prison sentence for failing to pay a $0 tax is equally unconstitutional. T.REX ARMS raised $35,000 for the effort. On August 5, 2026, the court ruled the NFA registration requirements unconstitutional for these items, the DOJ declined to appeal, and on October 9 the ATF stopped enforcing NFA registration for SBRs, SBSs, suppressors, and AOWs nationwide. We will continue to fight what remains of this unconstitutional law however we can.
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2026 Renter Protection Read moreClose
Signed by Governor Lee on March 26, 2026, this law prevents Tennessee landlords from using lease requirements to disarm their tenants. This is a T.REX ARMS bill that makes a small change with big implications. At a time when more and more Tennesseans are being forced to rent, and housing is being controlled by fewer and fewer big corporations, this law will be an increasingly important way to protect the rights of Tennesseans, and an important blueprint for other states.
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2023 Red Flag Laws Defeated Read moreClose
Following the horrific Covenant School shooting on March 27, 2023, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee called a special session and demanded that the Tennessee Legislature pass a well-meaning but tyrannical Red Flag law. Opportunistic Democrats pounced on the chance to file even more tyrannical Red Flag bills. T.REX ARMS lobbied very heavily against the entire effort, and after a full-court press — and tens of thousands of emails from T.REX subscribers — all the proposed Red Flag legislation was voted down. The next session we followed this up with a bill banning Red Flag laws from being passed by local jurisdictions.
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2022 SBRs Legalized Read moreClose
Another simple bill, removing short-barreled rifles and shotguns from Tennessee's prohibited-weapon list. While this seemed like a basic code cleanup with no immediate practical effect, we wrote it and pushed it in preparation for challenges to the NFA, one of which would come in 2025.
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2021 Permitless Carry Read moreClose
Constitutional Carry bills were passing all over America, and when the Governor decided to jump on the bandwagon with a Permitless Carry bill, T.REX ARMS pushed it heavily. We were able to get some of our changes in place, but there is still more cleanup to be done — and a lot more restrictions to remove — to make Tennessee a true Constitutional Carry state. We remain committed to improving all firearm laws to achieve this goal.
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2019 Ammo Tax Killed Read moreClose
This law eliminated Tennessee's special privilege tax on ammunition. Prior to this law, every box of ammunition was subject to a $0.10 state tax, and every ammunition seller had to physically apply the tax stamp to each box. This was the first bill that T.REX ARMS wrote and lobbied for. Removing this tax was a savings for Tennessee ammo customers, a significant time-saving for Tennessee's gun industry, and a reiteration that firearms are not a special taxable privilege.
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Gun Advocacy Groups We Support
Gun Owners of America
No-compromise gun lobby. Active in federal and state litigation and legislation nationwide.
Second Amendment Foundation
Legal action, education, and publishing focused on the right to keep and bear arms.
National Foundation for Gun Rights
National grassroots gun rights organization focused on no-compromise legislative and legal action.
Virginia Citizens Defense League
Virginia's premier grassroots gun rights organization. Lobby days, alerts, and legal action.
Tennessee Firearms Association
Tennessee-focused grassroots organization tracking state legislation and legal challenges.
Political Video Library
View Playlist →
How and Why to DELETE the ATF's Illegal Firearm Registry
Oct 6, 2026
Republicans are Hiding Their True Positions on Firearm Freedom
Jul 10, 2026
Everything You are NOT Supposed to Know about the Second Amendment
Jul 4, 2026
Why the Left is Waging War on 3D Printers
Mar 6, 2026
Everything You're NOT Supposed to Know about Short Barreled Rifles
Jan 12, 2026
Grading Pam Bondi's DOJ Performance in 2025
Nov 21, 2025
Why You Might Need to Join Your State-Level Gun Rights Organization
Sep 19, 2025
This Week Should Inspire You to Greater Courage, Not Fear
Sep 12, 2025
What The New NFA Taxes Mean for You, and What Will Happen Next
Jul 11, 2025
Recent ATF Cases You Weren't Supposed to See
Jun 6, 2025
What Happened with SBRs and Suppressors while I Was in DC
May 16, 2025
Why Pistol Braces, Forced Reset Triggers, and Ghost Guns Aren't Loopholes
May 2, 2025
What Sparked the Lexington and Concord Battles, and Why it Matters Today
Apr 18, 2025
Why State-Level Political Action Matters More Than Ever
Apr 4, 2025
Trump's First Moves to Protect the Firearm Rights of American Citizens
Feb 21, 2025
History of the ATF 4: Learning all the Wrong Lessons
Jan 17, 2025
History of the ATF 3: Doubling Down on Disaster
Jan 10, 2025
History of the ATF 2: Ruby Ridge and Waco
Jan 3, 2025
History of the ATF 1: How Prohibition Built the Bureau
Dec 27, 2024
The ATF's Weaponized Ambiguity is Under Fire
Aug 30, 2024
2024 Gun Politics: Zombie Guns and Red Flag Loopholes
Apr 6, 2024
Tennessee's Major Gun Freedom Victory
Sep 9, 2023
Everything Wrong with Red Flag Laws
Aug 1, 2023
Where Is Gun Freedom Legislation In 2023?
Mar 17, 2023
Why Everyone Needs An AR-15
Sep 17, 2022
How to Pass Pro-2A Legislation
Apr 7, 2022
How Tennessee Can Get Constitutional Carry
Mar 17, 2020
How to Kill a Tax
Jul 27, 2019
Everything You're NOT Supposed to Know About Suppressors
Jul 13, 2019
Do We Need 3D-Printed Gun Legislation?
Aug 15, 2018
I Support the Second Amendment, but...
Mar 1, 2018
Is The NRA Compromising?
Oct 7, 2017
Timeline of Second Amendment Events
The significant Second Amendment events of each year, with national / federal developments on the left and Tennessee-specific events on the right. Every entry links to a source and is tagged with its category and its outcome for firearm freedom.
WinLossPendingNeutral / Mixed
2026 7 wins1 loss2 pending
National / Federal
On October 9, 2026, following the Silencer Shop Foundation ruling, the ATF announced it would no longer enforce NFA approval, registration, or tax-stamp requirements for short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, suppressors, and AOWs for anyone, not just the plaintiffs. Form 4473 background checks still apply, machine guns and destructive devices remain fully regulated, and this is enforcement discretion that a future administration could reverse.
As soon as the Big Beautiful Bill was signed — bringing the cost of the NFA tax stamp down to $0 on January 1, 2026 — Gun Owners of America filed suit against the ATF, arguing that a $0 tax is unconstitutional, and that a 10-year federal felony prison sentence for failing to pay a $0 tax is equally unconstitutional. T.REX ARMS raised $35,000 for the effort. On August 5, 2026, the court in Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF ruled the NFA registration, approval, and tax-stamp requirements unconstitutional for these items, and the DOJ declined to appeal.
On June 25, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that Hawaii's default ban on carrying firearms onto private property open to the public, unless the owner expressly consents, is unconstitutional.
On June 18, 2026, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that prosecuting a marijuana user under 18 U.S.C. §922(g)(3) for possessing a handgun violated the Second Amendment. The ruling is narrow, but it places another limit on categorical disarmament.
On April 29, 2026, DOJ and ATF announced a package of 34 final and proposed rule revisions aimed at reducing regulatory burdens on gun owners and dealers. The proposals include joint spousal Form 4 registration and removing the CLEO notification requirement for NFA applications. Most of the package still has to go through public comment before it takes effect.
The DOJ has issued a motion to dismiss this lawsuit, signaling that it will no longer defend or enforce the 2024 "Engaged in Business" Rule. This is a significant reversal in ATF policy overall, but also a departure from DOJ policies under Bondi.
Despite President Trump signing early 2A-protection executive orders and promising reforms, his Attorney General did little to stop the DOJ from upholding Biden-era policies. The Department continued to prosecute firearm owners for minor infractions of expanded rule definitions and even refused to follow the directives of Supreme Court rulings. On April 2, 2026, Bondi was removed from office, replaced initially by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. Blanche was confirmed as Attorney General on August 8, 2026, and the DOJ has since begun retreating from those positions — including declining to appeal the NFA ruling.
Tennessee
The State appealed the 2025 Hughes v. Lee ruling, and the Tennessee Court of Appeals heard oral argument on June 23, 2026. No decision has been issued yet.
Repealed TN Code Ann. § 1-3-121, which had allowed citizens to challenge the constitutionality of state statutes via declaratory judgment before being arrested or harmed. It passed both chambers and was signed by Governor Lee on April 23, 2026 (Public Chapter 664). This undermines the ability to mount pre-enforcement Second Amendment challenges or to appeal unconstitutional laws before being personally injured by them. There is much speculation that this bill was pushed by the GOP to prevent another Hughes v. Lee.
Signed by Governor Lee on March 26, 2026, this law prevents Tennessee landlords — whether small property owners or large corporate entities — from using lease terms to disarm renters. Tenants may possess, carry, transport, and store firearms in their rental dwellings, with common-sense exceptions for concealment in common areas. This is another T.REX ARMS bill — a small change with big implications for future freedoms.
2025 7 wins1 loss
National / Federal
Signed July 4, 2025 and effective January 1, 2026, this bill removed the $200 federal tax stamp for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and any-other-weapons. Registration and approval requirements stayed in place. While it only took a small bite out of the NFA, it was the largest step toward firearms deregulation by Congress since 1986.
On June 5, 2025, the Supreme Court unanimously blocked Mexico's lawsuit against U.S. gun manufacturers under the PLCAA. The ruling reinforced the scope of federal liability protection for manufacturers and sellers against downstream-crime suits.
SCOTUS upheld ATF authority to regulate at least some unfinished frames, receivers, and gun kits under existing federal statutes. This preserved the core of the federal "ghost gun" rule after a major statutory challenge.
On April 7, 2025, DOJ and ATF repealed their "zero tolerance" policy and announced a review of major firearms rules — including stabilizing braces and the "engaged in the business" definition. A public shift away from the prior administration's dealer-revocation posture, and a small but notable step away from Biden-era policies in an otherwise unchanging DOJ direction.
On May 16, 2025, DOJ settled the forced-reset-trigger (FRT) litigation — agreeing not to classify eligible FRTs as machine guns and to return seized triggers to their owners. Unfortunately, this is not a decisive court win, nor does it clarify the entire category.
Tennessee
The State was sued over some of the many inconsistent restrictions still in place after the 2021 Permitless Carry law. On August 22, 2025, a three-judge Tennessee panel unanimously ruled against the state's park-carry restrictions and the broad "intent to go armed" prohibition that still litters Tennessee's criminal code. This is one of the most consequential post-Bruen Tennessee rulings, but was immediately appealed by the Governor's office.
Lowered the minimum age for an enhanced handgun carry permit from 21 to 18, while also addressing DUI-related eligibility language. This bill was a direct result of the ruling in Beeler v. Long, but it expanded permit eligibility for young adults even beyond the earlier under-21 litigation context.
Broadened "qualified products," narrowed some negligence theories, and expanded standing and remedies in preemption-related challenges. Materially strengthened Tennessee's protections for arms sellers and manufacturers while tightening local-government exposure.
2024 4 wins2 losses
National / Federal
On June 14, 2024, SCOTUS took the case and overturned the 2018 Bump Stock Ban, clarifying that the ATF could not stretch the statutory definition of "machinegun" to cover mere plastic bump stocks.
This SCOTUS ruling upheld 18 U.S.C. §922(g)(8), the federal ban on gun possession by people under certain domestic-violence restraining orders. The Court clarified that Bruen allows temporary disarmament of those posing credible threats, based on historical analogues.
Louisiana (28th) and South Carolina (29th) adopted permitless carry, bringing the national total to 29 permitless-carry states.
Signed April 10, 2024, this rule implemented the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act by replacing the old "livelihood and profit" test with a much broader "predominantly earn a profit" standard. In practice, it would force many private sellers — even occasional ones — to become FFLs and run background checks on sales or face serious jail time. A federal district court in Texas issued a preliminary injunction on May 19, 2024 blocking enforcement, and the rule remained in active litigation until 2026.
Tennessee
A new law that preempts the entire field of legislation regarding extreme risk protection orders, preventing local jurisdictions from making their own disarmament. Governor Lee signed the bill in hopes that he could still pass a state-wide Red Flag law in the future.
Authorized certain faculty or staff to carry concealed handguns on school grounds, subject to approval, training, fingerprints, and psychological/psychiatric evaluation requirements. A major statewide expansion from the earlier county-limited armed-school-staff , and a better way to protect students than the failed Red Flag proposals of 2023.
Requires local education agencies and public charter schools, beginning with the 2025--2026 school year, to provide age-appropriate firearm safety instruction. More of a policy-normalization and safety-training change than a carry-rights change, but still a notable firearms-law event.
2023 6 wins2 losses
National / Federal
The ATF announced that it had reclassified most braced pistols as short-barreled rifles (SBRs) under the NFA. This reclassification had the potential to retroactively make millions of gun owners felons for purchasing items the ATF had previously expressly permitted.
The Fifth Circuit invalidated the ATF's bump-stock rule at the appellate level, directly challenging the ATF's authority to reinterpret criminal statutory terms by regulation. The ATF appealed the case to the Supreme Court, which would hear it the following year.
Florida and Nebraska adopted permitless carry. Florida's adoption was especially significant because of the state's size and its previously very restrictive carry-license model.
In August 2023, the Fifth Circuit ruled that the ATF's pistol-brace rule was likely unlawful, finding that the agency had crossed the line from implementing federal law into legislating by imposing a vague new test without proper notice and comment. The decision set up the eventual vacatur of the rule and paired with Cargill to push back hard against ATF overreach by regulation.
Democrat states moved aggressively after Bruen. Illinois passed the Protect Illinois Communities Act (signed January 10, 2023), banning a long list of semi-automatic rifles and standard-capacity magazines. Washington enacted HB 1240 (April 2023) with nearly identical language. Michigan passed a package of universal background checks, Red Flag, and safe-storage laws, and Colorado tightened its waiting-period and age-restriction regime. These state-level bans are the dominant battlegrounds of ongoing post-Bruen litigation.
Tennessee
Following the horrific Covenant School shooting on March 27, 2023, Governor Bill Lee called a special session and demanded that the Tennessee Legislature pass a well-meaning but tyrannical Red Flag law. Opportunistic Democrats pounced on the chance to file even more tyrannical Red Flag bills. T.REX ARMS lobbied very heavily against the entire effort, and after a full-court press — and tens of thousands of emails from T.REX subscribers — all the proposed Red Flag legislation was voted down.
A federal district court ordered Tennessee to stop enforcing age-based carry restrictions against otherwise-qualified 18-to-20-year-olds. This was a major Tennessee development after Bruen, though best described as an agreed order rather than a full merits opinion after contested adjudication.
Despite Permitless Carry becoming law in 2021, there was still lots of bad code preventing carry without a license. For example, otherwise-allowed persons were prohibited from carrying a handgun while hunting under specified circumstances. This bill removed a licensing-dependent restriction in a specific but real-world use context.
2022 4 wins4 losses
National / Federal
Several states immediately challenged the Bruen ruling with creative new obstacles. Oregon's Ballot Measure 114 instituted a myriad of restrictions and requirements that had to be met before citizens could purchase firearms, some of them logistically impossible. It also banned the possession of magazines unless they had fantastic new features, some of them physically impossible. Isaac Botkin testified against these restrictions in a legal challenge to these laws that was upheld... temporarily.
This is the most significant reversal on this page. While the ruling only specifically invalidated New York's extremely restrictive "proper cause" carry rules, the ramifications of this precedent touch nearly all gun-control legislation. The ruling replaced pragmatic means-end scrutiny with the "text, history, and tradition" framework that now dominates Second Amendment litigation. Few infringements on the right to keep and bear arms can withstand the historical test, and a wave of lawsuits against state and federal laws ensued.
After Bruen, the Supreme Court granted, vacated, and remanded multiple firearms cases for reconsideration under the new standard. That immediately destabilized a large body of lower-court Second Amendment precedent.
The ATF expanded its control over homebuilt firearms, requiring serialization and background checks for unfinished frames/receivers and declaring what had not been firearms to now be firearms.
One of the first large-scale gun-control bills passed at the federal level in years. Following the Uvalde, TX, and Buffalo, NY shootings, this bill included provisions to enhance background checks for gun buyers under 21, provide funding for mental-health services and school-safety measures, and large financial grants to incentivize more states to adopt Red Flag laws.
Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, and Ohio adopted permitless carry. The state-level trend continued, standing in stark contrast to federal sentiments.
Tennessee
Another bill written and pushed by T.REX ARMS, removing short-barreled rifles and shotguns from Tennessee's prohibited-weapon list. While this seemed like a simple code cleanup with no immediate practical effect, it was preparation for challenges to the NFA, one of which would come in 2025.
Would have lowered the minimum age for permitless and permitted handgun carry from 21 to 18. It passed the House 64–28 but died in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
2021 4 wins1 loss
National / Federal
The ATF adopted a far stricter posture toward certain FFL violations, up to and including small typographic mistakes made by firearms purchasers (not dealers). A major shift in federal dealer-enforcement policy that resulted in more FFL revocations than at any time in ATF history.
A unanimous 9–0 Supreme Court rejected extending the "community caretaking" exception into the home. While not purely a gun-rights case, it materially limited warrantless home entries and firearm seizures, setting a precedent against Red Flag--style warrantless gun seizures.
Iowa, Montana, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming passed Constitutional Carry and Permitless Carry laws. This was the largest single-year expansion of permitless carry so far.
Tennessee
Declares any federal law, treaty, executive order, rule, or regulation found by the U.S. or Tennessee Supreme Court to violate the Second Amendment or Article I, Section 26 of the Tennessee Constitution to be null, void, and unenforceable in the state. Prohibits the state and its political subdivisions from using public resources to enforce, administer, or cooperate with any such federal action. Officials who violate the prohibition are subject to ouster. We tried to make federal agents subject to penalty, but it didn't fly.
The Governor's Permitless Carry bill was still alive in 2021, and T.REX ARMS pushed this bill heavily. We were able to get some of our changes in place, but there is still more cleanup to be done — and a lot more restrictions to remove — to make Tennessee a true constitutional-carry state.
2020 1 loss
National / Federal
A raft of pandemic-driven decisions on free travel and other liberties. Some jurisdictions closed gun stores; others recognized them as essential businesses. Federal guidance eventually classified firearms retailers and ranges as part of the essential critical infrastructure workforce.
After Democrats took the Virginia trifecta in 2019, Governor Ralph Northam signed a sweeping gun-control package on April 10, 2020. The bills enacted universal background checks (SB 70 / HB 2), reinstated the one-handgun-a-month limit (SB 69 / HB 812), created an Extreme Risk Protective Order / Red Flag regime (SB 240 / HB 674), and required reporting of lost or stolen firearms (HB 9). The package became the template other blue states would follow through the mid-2020s.
Tennessee
Early in the year, Governor Bill Lee wanted to jump on the Constitutional Carry bandwagon, even though his proposed language was merely permitless carry. He pushed his bill until the Tennessee session was disrupted by the COVID-19 lockdowns, and then he invoked his emergency powers to focus on other areas.
2019 2 wins1 loss
National / Federal
Kentucky, Oklahoma, and South Dakota adopted Constitutional Carry. The shift was no longer isolated and had become a sustained trend.
Passed by Nevada, Oregon, Colorado, New Jersey, New York, and others. States that already had them continued to tweak the procedural controls, but the overall trend presumes that gun ownership is inherently suspect — shifting the burden onto the accused to prove that they should not be disarmed.
Tennessee
This law eliminated Tennessee's special privilege tax on ammunition. Prior to this law, every box of ammunition was subject to a $0.10 state tax, and every ammunition seller had to physically apply the tax stamp to each box. This was the first bill that T.REX ARMS wrote and lobbied for. Removing this tax was a savings for Tennessee ammo customers, a significant time-saving for Tennessee's gun industry, and a reiteration that firearms are not a special taxable privilege.
Created the concealed handgun carry permit and redesignated the prior permit as the enhanced handgun carry permit. Restructured Tennessee's licensing system and set the stage for later deregulatory changes.
2018 3 losses
National / Federal
After the Las Vegas mass shooting, and under direct order from the Trump Administration, the ATF reinterpreted "machinegun" to include bump stocks. This became one of the decade's biggest firearms-rule fights.
Required states to import a lot more of their records into the National Instant Criminal Background Check database. This included criminal records, but also misdemeanors, investigations, and even mental-health diagnoses to flag more background checks.
After the Parkland shooting, there was a concerted effort to enact Emergency Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) that would allow gun owners to be pre-emptively disarmed — before they had committed any crimes. Different states require different levels of evidence before a person can be considered a threat, but the worst allow firearm seizure on very flimsy grounds, far below the level of suspicion that would permit any other type of property seizure. Vermont, Washington, Illinois, Massachusetts, Florida, and other states quickly adopted these new laws.
Tennessee
Changes to criminal records, school SRO funding programs, and tiny tweaks to castle doctrine.
2017 2 wins1 loss
National / Federal
Congress used the Congressional Review Act to overturn the Social Security Administration's NICS-related rule, rolling back an executive-branch expansion of firearm-disability reporting.
Missouri, New Hampshire, and North Dakota adopted Constitutional Carry, pushing the trend into the Midwest and the Northeast.
Tennessee
Contained limited provisions that tangentially affected firearms possession penalties and definitions.
Open carry without a permit. Introduced but did not pass.
2016 4 wins
National / Federal
Vacated a Massachusetts ruling that had excluded stun guns from Second Amendment protection. The ruling reiterated that the Second Amendment is not limited to weapons that were in use during the time of the Founding Fathers.
In 2016, DOJ and ATF continued to prioritize prosecution guidance and interagency efforts targeting straw purchases and firearms trafficking.
Idaho and West Virginia, perhaps unsurprisingly, passed Constitutional Carry laws, adding momentum to the trend.
Tennessee
Added a small exemption allowing certain full-time higher-education employees with permits to carry on property owned, operated, or used by the employing institution.
Authorized local boards in Pickett and Wayne Counties to let selected school employees carry concealed handguns on school grounds, subject to requirements.
2015 1 win3 losses
National / Federal
Following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012 and other high-profile incidents, President Obama announced a series of executive actions which expanded background checks and increased enforcement of existing gun laws.
California passed several gun-control measures, including requiring background checks for ammunition purchases and a ban on certain types of ammunition.
Kansas, Maine, and Mississippi adopted Constitutional and permitless carry — the start of a wave of state-level carry-freedom expansion.
Tennessee
Introduced but did not pass.
Data compiled from public court records, legislative tracking databases, and official government sources. Updated periodically.