The Weekly Reload Podcast

Reload Reporter Julie Miller and I look at the biggest donation Everytown's Super PAC has ever received. Unsurprisingly, it came from billionaire Michael Bloomberg. The $22 million drop put Everytown into record fundraising territory. But we also looked at how polling indicates guns aren't dominating these midterms and another billionaire is putting far more money into the election. Then we discuss a new ruling striking down New York's first-of-its-kind body armor ban.

Links:
-https://thereload.com/bloomberg-pours-tens-of-millions-into-everytown-as-it-announces-another-3-million-midterm-ad-buy/
-https://thereload.com/analysis-everytown-blows-past-previous-midterm-fundraising-record-gun-rights-rivals-member-exclusive/
-https://thereload.com/home-stretch-polling-suggests-gun-policy-a-low-priority-headed-into-election-day/
-https://thereload.com/federal-judge-strikes-down-new-york-ban-on-civilian-body-armor-sales/

Special Guest...

This week, we're previewing how gun politics may impact the upcoming midterm elections.

To do that, we have Semafor's Burgess Everett back on the show. He serves as the publication's congressional bureau chief. And he's one of the most knowledgeable political reporters out there.

He also broke news of the most recent Giffords $10 million ad buy. He said they're going after vulnerable Republicans, but not necessarily all of them. Everett said the group plans not to attack some of the remaining Republicans who backed the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, like Maine Senator Susan Collins.

I detail Florida's decision on how it plans to enforce, or not enforce, its National Firearms Act (NFA) mirror law. Then I discuss the National Rifle Association's new ad in the Texas Senate race. And I discribe how a new filing from the Department of Justice in a different gun-rights case says about its thoughts on the scope of the NFA injunction.

Links:
-https://thereload.com/florida-announces-residents-dont-need-atf-approval-for-silencers-short-barrel-shotguns/
-https://thereload.com/analysis-dojs-attempt-to-moot-under-21-handgun-case-implicates-nfa-injunction-member-exclusive/
-https://thereload.com/podcast-atf-director-chief-counsel-explain-new-guidance-on-silencers-sbrs-member-early-access/

This week, we have the first interview with ATF Director Robert Cekada and Chief Counsel Robert Leider on their new guidance for how the agency will now handle the National Firearms Act (NFA).

Director Cekada and Chief Counsel Leider laid out what the process will look like for legally buying, selling, and making things like silencers, short-barrel shotguns and rifles (SBR), and Any Other Weapons (AOWs) in the wake of Silencer Shop v. ATF. They said the ATF will treat all law-abiding Americans the same under the new guidance and won't enforce the enjoined sections of the...

Reload Reporter Julie Miller and I dig into the latest Federal Election Commission filings that indicate the gun money race has gotten out of hand. Then we talk about how 1.1 million silencers have been sold in 2026. And we cover the Department of Justice throwing in the towel on handgun sales to adults under 21.

Links:
-https://thereload.com/gun-control-groups-dominate-midterm-fundraising-spending/
-https://thereload.com/silencers-sales-soar-past-1-1-million-in-2026/
-https://thereload.com/doj-moves-to-moot-under-21-pistol-sales-challenge-after-agreeing-with-gun-rights-plaintiffs/

Special Guest: Julie Miller.

This week, we're discussing the growing phenomenon of female gun ownership.

To dive into the demographic change and its fascinating implications, we have two academics who were involved in a new edition of the magazine Vital City that focused on women and guns. Kerri Raissian, Executive Director of Yale’s Firearm Injury Prevention Team, co-edited the wide-ranging edition. University of Kansas professor Margaret Kelley, author of A Gun of Her Own: The Everyday Lives of Women Who Shoot, wrote what I think is one of the magazine's best pieces.

They both join the show to ex...

Reload Reporter Julie Miller and I cover the first injunction issued against a "Glock ban," which came in a Connecticut case. Then we look at growing opposition to Flock cameras among gun owners. And we discuss my critique of a New York Times report on AR-15s, which Julie provides some insider insight into since she worked there at the beginning of her career.

Links:
-https://thereload.com/federal-judge-temporarily-blocks-connecticut-glock-ban/
-https://thereload.com/analysis-why-connecticuts-glock-ban-was-blocked-after-californias-wasnt-member-exclusive/
-https://thereload.com/gun-advocates-raise-alarm-over-flock-cameras/
-https://thereload.com/analysis-new-york-times-gun-reporting-mistakes-indicative-of-industry-issue-member-exclusive/

Special Guest: Julie Miller.

This week, we're looking at a Fourth Amendment case out of New Hampshire.

To do that, we have the Second Amendment Foundation's (SAF) Bill Sack with us to describe how his group secured a settlement with Hillsboro-Deering High School over the search of a student's car. He said school officials decided to search then-18-year-old Jack Harrington’s car for a gun despite not having permission or a good reason to believe there was one inside.

Sack said the officials concluded Harrington might have a gun because he'd told a friend on the baseball team ab...

In a shortened and early update, I detail the Ninth Circuit's decision to uphold novel Hawaiian gun-buying restrictions by using a "carve-out" it identified in the Supreme Court's Bruen decision. Then I explain the latest poll to look at what Americans think the Supreme Court should do in its upcoming AR-15 case. I also discuss an interesting argument that the Court should look at Revolutionary-Era privateers for answers on that case. And I cover the Department of Justice's new opinion on handgun sales to 18-to-20-year-olds.

Links:
-https://thereload.com/full-ninth-circuit-reverses-course-on-hawaii-handgun-purchase-limits-upholds-restrictions/
-https://thereload.com/poll-americans-split-on-what-scotus-should-do-in-ar-15...

This week, we're talking to the man at the center of a brand new legal fight in the gun world.

The Firearms Blog TV founder, James Reeves, was subpoenaed in an Everytown-backed lawsuit seeking to hold Smith and Wesson liable for the Highland Park mass shooting. The plaintiffs are trying to prove the gun company's marketing contributed to the shooting, which is a hard lift but not a new tactic. What is new is how they're trying to do it.

That's where Reeves comes in. Reeves doesn't work for Smith and Wesson. He is a...

Reload Reporter Julie Miller and I cover a new ruling out of Montgomery County, Maryland, that blocks a gun ban at places of worship. We also discuss Washington, DC attempting to intervene in the legal fight between the NRA and its foundation on the side of the foundation. Then we look at the Department of Justice's new gun-carry permitting lawsuit against San Jose, California. And I detail how my charity range day for Homes for Our Troops went this year!

Links:
-https://thereload.com/synagogue-wins-case-against-maryland-countys-gun-restrictions/
-https://thereload.com/dc-asks-to-join-nra-foundation-fight-on-the-side-of-the-foundation/
-https://thereload.com/analysis-doj-doubles-down-on-gun-carry-lawsuits-member-exclusive/

This week, we're taking a look at the briefs backing the plaintiffs in Viramontes v. Cook County.

Bearing Arms editor Cam Edwards joins the show to share what he thinks are the most important and the most interesting amicus briefs in the case. He noted that a ton of briefs were submitted, including briefs from all kinds of groups outside your typical gun groups. He said some briefs focus on how the Supreme Court could answer not just whether AR-15 bans are unconstitutional, but also whether magazine bans or other hardware bans are unconstitutional.

Cam...

Reload Reporter Shiv Parihar and I cover his recent trip to Kyiv in order to document what's happening with gun rights in Ukraine. He details how the push to liberalize the former Soviet nation's gun restrictions has stalled, and the divide on the ground over what should be allowed. We also discuss a Third Circuit panel's decision to revive a National Shooting Sports Foundation lawsuit against a New Jersey law that makes it easier to sue gun businesses. And we touch on some of the pro-gun briefs in the Supreme Court's AR-15 ban case.

Links
-https...

This week, we're taking a deep dive into a novel college class on the sociology of guns.

Wake Forrest University professor David Yamane joins the show to describe his groundbreaking class on guns in America. He just finished the range day portion of his latest course and agreed to describe how he teaches the course, his goals, and how his students react.

Yamane explained that most academic research on guns focuses on either the constitutional law questions or the aberrant and criminal misuse of guns. His course instead focuses on how most Americans use guns...

Reload Reporter Julie Miller and I discuss the new release of the National Firearms Survey, which polled more than 50,000 Americans about gun ownership and defensive use. The survey reveals women and minorities increasingly own guns and estimates how many of those guns are AR-15s. We also cover the Ninth Circuit upholding a California gun store surveillence requirement, and a federal judge upholding Hawaii's under-21 gun ban.

Links:
https://thereload.com/survey-more-women-and-minorities-own-guns-than-ever-40-million-ar-15s-now-in-american-hands/
https://thereload.com/analysis-how-defense-gun-uses-stack-up-in-the-latest-major-survey-member-exclusive/
https://thereload.com/federal-judge-upholds-hawaiis-under-21-gun-ban/
https://thereload.com/ninth-circuit-upholds-state-surveillance-mandate-at-california-gun-stores/
https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-pardons-mel-gibson-c82...

This week, news broke that an extortion group claimed it broke into the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

To explain what we know and what may be coming, we have the reporter who broke the story. Stefanie Schappert of Cybernews joins the show to describe how she discovered the hack and what the ATF has said about it.

Schappert said a Russian-language hacker group posted news of the hack on a "victim blog," but didn't post any evidence. She noted that the ATF confirmed it had been hacked but didn't say who...

Reload reporter Julie Miller and I cover an update to a story we first broke back in 2022. The CDC reinstated an estimate on the number of defensive gun uses after backlash. We also talk about Michigan's Democratic Senate nominee seeming to double down on a proposal to replace the Second Amendment, and a federal ruling upholding Massachusetts' under-21 gun restrictions. Plus, YouTuber JaredAF joins the show to talk about marksmanship and bullseye shooting.

Links
https://thereload.com/cdc-restores-gun-defensive-use-estimates-to-website-years-after-removing-them-under-political-pressure/
https://thereload.com/michigan-senate-democratic-nominee-declines-to-disavow-proposal-to-replace-gun-rights/
https://thereload.com/analysis-what-happens-if-swing-state-democrats-dont-moderate-on-guns-and-still-win-member-exclusive/
https://thereload.com/federal-judge-upholds-massachusetts-under-21-semi-auto-sales-ban/
https...

This week, the FBI released its latest crime data report, and the news was good.

Murder fell faster than at any point in history, and it hit an all-time low last year. To explain the details of what's in the agency's report, we have one of the most prominent crime data analysts in the country: Jeff Asher.

Asher runs AH Datalytics and tracks real-time crime data. He has been predicting since last year the FBI's numbers would come in pretty much exactly where they did. Still, he said it's impossible to understate the recent trend...

Reporter Julie Miller and I cover an exclusive interview with a startup founder who says he's developed software to block 3D printers from producing gun parts. We also discuss the DOJ's new gun-rights restoration rule. And we preview the FBI's latest crime data report. Plus, we hear from Reload Member Rob in our latest member segment!

Links:
https://thereload.com/exclusive-new-company-says-its-developed-gun-part-blocker-for-3d-printers/
https://thereload.com/startup-founder-describes-how-his-gun-filter-for-3d-printers-works-enthusiasts-explain-why-it-might-not-member-exclusive/
https://thereload.com/doj-finalizes-gun-rights-restoration-process/
https://thereload.com/fbi-murder-rate-hits-all-time-low/
https://www.firearmtrainerpodcast.com/

This week, we're diving back into the injunction against enforcement of wide swaths of the National Firearms Act (NFA).

That's because, in a bit of a surprise move, the Department of Justice (DOJ) declined to appeal the injunction before the stay on it expired. That led to a symbolic sale of an unregistered silencer between several of the named plaintiffs in the case early Thursday morning. But it has also created a lot of new questions about exactly who and what is covered by the injunction.

To try and bring some clarity to the issue...

Reload Founder Stephen Gutowski covers the first legal unregistered silencer sale in nearly 100 years. Then he discusses newly-unearthed videos of Abdul El-Sayed, the Michigan Democratic senate candidate, where he proposes replacing the Second Amendment. He also explains a new federal court ruling on whether the Second Amendment protects unauthorized gun exports. Plus, he looks at reports on a settlement between DOJ and the LA County Sheriff's Office as well as a new DOJ opinion on the Post Office gun ban.

Links:
https://thereload.com/gun-group-republican-candidate-transfer-unregistered-silencer-as-doj-misses-appeal-deadline/
https://thereload.com/analysis-who-and-what-is-covered-by-the-nfa-injunction-member-exclusive/
https://thereload.com/michigans-democratic-senate-candidate-floated-replacing-the-second-amendment/
...

This week, we're taking a close look at a federal judge's decision to strike down a wide swath of National Firearms Act (NFA) regulations.

To do that, we have one of the plaintiffs in the case. Travis White is the President of the Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition (FRAC), which filed suit against the NFA the same day the federal government officially slashed a number of NFA taxes to $0. He said that's what made the NFA vulnerable to a challenge, at least the provisions that regulate silencers, short-barrel rifles and shotguns, and what the law calls "any other...

Reload Founder Stephen Gutowski details the latest on gun sales spiking in Colorado ahead of the state's new permit-to-purchase law going into effect. He also explains the Department of Justice's new case against Montgomery County, Maryland's broad "gun-free zone" restrictions and a dueling set of rulings on foster parents and gun storage requirements. Then he interviews David from The Humble Marksman on why he believes the industry's latest handgun trend may be running out of steam and what might come next.

Sources:
https://thereload.com/colorado-gun-sales-spike-250-percent-ahead-of-ar-15-restrictions-as-virginias-surge-fades/
https://thereload.com/doj-sues-maryland-county-over-expansive-gun-free-zones/
https://thereload...

We've looked at the Supreme Court's upcoming Second Amendment case against AR-15 bans with the lawyer who helped craft the Court's view of gun rights and with a professor who is a prominent critic of that view from the left. This week, we're doing the same with a pro-gun critic of the Court's test.

That critic is Cato Institute scholar and George Mason University law professor Ilya Somin. Ever since the Supreme Court handed down a new Second Amendment test in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, most gun-rights advocates have been happy with...

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I discuss a sweeping new ruling out of Connecticut, where a federal judge upheld the state's handgun restrictions for 18-20-year-olds shortly after the Supreme Court declined to address the issue. We also cover a new stay order in the state litigation against Virginia's AR-15 ban which will keep the ban blocked until the Supreme Court hands down its "assault weapon" ban decision.

Stories:
-https://thereload.com/district-judge-upholds-federal-connecticut-under-21-handgun-restrictions/
-https://thereload.com/new-orders-keep-virginia-ar-15-sales-ban-on-hold-until-scotus-ruling/
-https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/07/27/virginia-assault-weapons-ban-could-have-spiked-gun-sales/

This week, AR-15s returned to the shelves of gun stores in the Old Dominion.

Despite being removed about three weeks ago amid a murky legal situation, the popular rifles are back on sale after gun-rights activists secured a statewide injunction against the state's "assault firearms" ban. So, we have one of those activists on the show this week to update us on the legal situation. That is Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) president Philip Van Cleave.

Van Cleave said VCDL, the other gun-rights groups, and the gun industry's trade group all agree that AR-15...

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I cover a new ruling out of the First Circuit Court of Appeals upholding Massachusetts' ban on AR-15s and similar rifles. Meanwhile, we discuss the fact that the same weapons are now back on sale in Virginia after a state court injunction against the Commonwealth's similar ban took effect.

Stories:
-https://thereload.com/first-circuit-upholds-massachusetts-assault-weapons-ban/
-https://thereload.com/ar-15s-return-to-virginia-shelves-as-injunction-takes-effect/
-https://thereload.com/maine-democrat-set-to-replace-platner-moves-party-left-on-guns-in-key-senate-race/
-https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/22/style/gun-club-los-angeles.html

This week, we're looking back at the Supreme Court case that established the "common use" standard likely to play a major role in its new AR-15 case.

That case is 1939's US v. Miller, and we have a guest with brand-new information that unsettles the official story of its namesake. Tulane law professor Brian Frye wrote the definitive account of Miller back in 2008, which ended up heavily influencing the Supreme Court's opinion in 2009's DC v. Heller. But, nearly 20 years later, he says the police and newspaper accounts about Jack Miller's life are now in dispute.

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I discuss a federal judge's recent rejection of the Justice Department's request for a TRO against California's ban on Glocks and other handguns deemed too easily convertible into illegal machineguns. We also cover a recent Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling upholding a criminal conviction for violating the federal gun ban for marijuana users despite the Supreme Court's recent ruling in Hemani.

Story links:
-https://thereload.com/judge-denies-doj-request-to-immediately-block-californias-glock-ban/
-https://thereload.com/analysis-do-the-dojs-second-amendment-lawsuits-have-a-fatal-flaw-member-exclusive/
-https://thereload.com/appeals-court-upholds-weed-and-guns-conviction-despite-recent-supreme-court-ruling/
-https://thereload.com/house-passes-bill-barring-gun-retail-tracking-codes/
-https://www.aol.com/articles/feds-drop-fight-keep-gun-214255000.html<...

This week, we're looking at how the lower courts have handled AR-15 ban challenges in light of the Supreme Court's latest Second Amendment case.

To explain the consensus that's developed across the appellate courts and provide a different perspective, we have Georgia State University Law Professor Andrew Willinger on the show. Willinger is the former executive director of the Duke University Firearms Law Center, and he teaches a class on the Second Amendment. He's also been critical of the Court's Second Amendment standard and its application at times.

He noted that every appellate court to...

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I discuss the latest injunction issued by a state court judge against Virginia's "assault firearms" ban which would block its enforcement across the entire commonwealth. We also cover resurfaced video of Texas Senate candidate James Talarico (D.) voicing support for an "assault weapon" and "high capacity" magazine ban.

Stories:
-https://thereload.com/virginia-ar-15-ban-to-be-blocked-statewide-dealers-begin-preparing-new-sales/
-https://thereload.com/texass-talarico-backed-ar-15-ammo-mag-ban-in-2020-meet-and-greet/
-https://thereload.com/seventh-circuit-questions-mental-health-gun-ban/
-https://chicago.suntimes.com/us-supreme-court/2026/07/09/assault-weapon-illinois-cook-county-supreme-court
-https://bearingarms.com/camedwards/2026/07/08/atf-director-pushes-back-on-maddows-attack-on-agency-n1233114

The Supreme Court has taken up a Second Amendment challenge to a pair of AR-15 sales bans. It's one of the most consequential in the Court's history of gun cases.

To discuss it, we have someone who has been around for that entire history and played a major role in shaping the Court's Second Amendment jurisprudence. Lawyer Stephen Halbrook joins the show to explain that history and provide insight into how it will likely rule in the AR case.

Halbrook said the legal landscape was very different when he first started studying the issue. At...

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I discuss the US Supreme Court finally agreeing to review the constitutionality of bans on AR-15s and similar rifles next term. We also provide a status update on Virginia's new ban on those same weapons, which officially went into effect despite multiple court injunctions. Plus, we hear from a Reload Member with a fascinating background!

Stories:
-https://thereload.com/supreme-court-to-decide-constitutionality-of-ar-15-bans/
-https://thereload.com/experts-expect-supreme-court-to-strike-down-ar-15-bans/
-https://thereload.com/virginia-assault-firearms-ban-takes-effect-amid-murky-legal-situation-soaring-gun-sales/

This week, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) struck down Hawaii's broadest gun-carry restriction.

To discuss the outcome of the case, we have the lawyer who won it on the show. Wolford v. Lopez was Alan Beck's first case at SCOTUS, and it turned into his first win. He said he was very happy with where the Court came down and sees it opening several new avenues for Second Amendment challenges.

Beck said the majority sided with his view of Hawaii's requirement that anyone carrying a gun get explicit permission to enter publicly...

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I cover the Supreme Court's new ruling in Wolford v. Lopez, where the Court held that Hawaii may not legally ban licensed gun carry on publicly accessible private property by default. We also discuss the new injunction issued by a Virginia judge against the state's AR-15 ban just days before it was set to take effect. 

Stories:
-https://thereload.com/supreme-court-strikes-down-hawaii-vampire-rule/
-https://thereload.com/state-judge-blocks-virginia-assault-firearm-sales-ban/
-https://thereload.com/doj-sets-sights-on-california-glock-ban-handgun-roster/
-https://thereload.com/federal-judge-allows-nra-to-continue-trademark-suit-against-its-foundation/

This week, we're taking a look at the state of the National Rifle Association (NRA) as it faces what may be its biggest challenge yet.

The NRA has survived 150 years, a corruption lawsuit, and a bankruptcy filing. But it is now staring down a potential crackup with the group's foundation attempting to split off. Ohio State University accounting professor Brian Mittendorf joins the show to explain just how much of a threat to the group's financial stability.

Mittendorf said the battle between the foundation and the NRA membership organization, which recently escalated when the foundation's...

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I break down the US Supreme Court's first major Second Amendment decision of the year in US v. Hemani, where the justices unanimously upheld the gun rights of a regular marijuana user. We also discuss the Court's rejection of several additional gun cases and cover the latest litigation against Virginia's "assault firearm" ban.

Stories:
-https://thereload.com/supreme-court-unanimously-rules-in-favor-of-pot-smoking-gun-owner/
-https://thereload.com/scotus-declines-two-second-amendment-challenges-against-new-york-relists-25-other-gun-case/

This week, we're talking about a new legal agreement that would end Florida's waiting periods on gun purchases.

To discuss the ins and outs of the agreement, we have the gun-rights lawyer who negotiated it on the show. That's Matt Larosiere. He filed a Second Amendment suit against the law alongside Mountain States and the National Rifle Association.

Larosiere said Florida's waiting periods, which can range up to five days in parts of the state and apply to all kinds of gun sales, are unconstitutional. He argued there is nothing in the historical record that...

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I discuss a new filing from Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones in defense of the state's new "assault firearm" ban, where he claimed the Virginia state constitution does not protect an individual right to bear arms. We also cover the DOJ's latest Second Amendment investigation into the city of Philadelphia's pattern of subjective gun-permit revocations.

Stories
-https://thereload.com/analysis-how-virginia-is-defending-its-new-ar-15-ban-in-court-member-exclusive/
-https://thereload.com/doj-opens-second-amendment-investigation-into-philadelphia-police/
-https://thereload.com/supreme-court-turns-down-doj-appeal-in-non-violent-felon-gun-case/
-https://thereload.com/texas-senate-candidate-talarico-says-hed-break-with-democrats-on-guns-offers-no-specifics/

This week, we're looking at a sorely undercovered national story: the murder rate is declining at an incredible rate. At the same time, the suicide rate is headed the other way. 

To explore why that divergence has happened, we've got Pew Research Center's John Gramlich on the show to discuss the details. He wrote a piece looking at the most recent FBI and CDC data on gun murder and suicide. He said the results are remarkable.

The murder rate is plummeting. It's back to pre-pandemic levels and shows no sign of leveling off. Gramlich said t...