Silencer Central presented U.S. Senator Mike Rounds with its U.S. Senator of the Year award, recognizing his leadership on firearm policy. Founder and CEO Brandon Maddox highlighted Rounds' sponsorship of the Modernizing Law Enforcement Notification Act and the Hearing Protection Act as key accomplishments for responsible gun owners.

Fiocchi Pro Staff members Dianna Muller and Lanny Barnes will represent Team USA at the 2026 IPSC Shotgun World Shoot in Corinth, Greece. Barnes is the defending IPSC Ladies Open World Champion from 2023, while Muller has earned multiple podium finishes at previous World Shoots, including two Ladies Standard silver medals.

Nebraska's Trout in the Classroom program, sponsored by Nebraska Trout Unlimited Chapter 710 and coordinated by Nebraska Game and Parks, has extended its application deadline to September 8 for teachers interested in raising live fish in classrooms and earning scholarships for the 2026-2027 school year.

The U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico ruled New Mexico's seven-day firearm waiting period unconstitutional in Ortega v. Grisham, brought by the National Rifle Association and Mountain States Legal Foundation in partnership with the National Shooting Sports Foundation. The court found the law violates the Second Amendment as waiting periods lack historical precedent in firearm regulation.

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) filed an opening brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in cases Viramontes v. Cook County and Grant v. Higgins, challenging assault weapons bans in Illinois and Connecticut. SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut and founder Alan M. Gottlieb argue that AR-15s and similar semi-automatic rifles are commonly possessed for lawful purposes and protected by the Second Amendment.

Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed its merits brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Viramontes v. Cook County, arguing that bans on semiautomatic rifles violate the Second Amendment. FPC President Brandon Combs stated the case could establish binding precedent eliminating unconstitutional arms bans nationwide.

SLG2, Inc. will bring its Shoot Like A Girl experience to Professional Bull Riders Thunder Days on September 4-6, 2026, at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, Missouri. Sponsored by Bass Pro Shops, the mobile range will offer firearms, archery, and outdoor product demonstrations in the Fan Zone, with certified instructors emphasizing firearm safety and responsible ownership.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will close a portion of the Beaverhead River between Clark Canyon Dam and Pipe Organ Fishing Access Site to fishing beginning September 1 due to drought conditions and reduced water flows in Clark Canyon Reservoir.

Hoot-owl fishing restrictions will be lifted on the Smith and Sun Rivers in FWP Region 4 effective Saturday, August 29, as water temperatures have moderated and met criteria for change. The restrictions, which prohibited fishing from 2 p.m. to midnight, were implemented to protect fish during warm water conditions.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department encourages Valley hunters to visit the City of Buckeye for dove season, partnering with local businesses, wildlife organizations, and private landowners. Opening week events include competitions, bingo with the National Wild Turkey Federation, and a dove cook-off hosted by Arizona Backcountry Hunters and Anglers.

Harvard F. "Harv" Ebers, 91, a bowhunting legend and founding member of Pope & Young Club, passed away August 26, 2026. Ebers set a 1959 world record for the largest caribou taken in Alaska with his hand-crafted bow and was inducted into both Pope and Young Hall of Fame and North America Bow Hunters Hall of Fame in 2021.

Federal Ammunition introduces new Texas Dove shotshell loads designed for the high-volume dove hunting market. Available in two 12-gauge configurations with quality lead payloads and high velocities, the loads are now shipping to dealers nationwide with Texas-themed packaging.

Real Avid announces the Range Ready educational content platform presented by champion shooter Doug Koenig, focusing on handgun preparation and responsible shooting practices. The series, hosted on Real Avid's YouTube channel, provides foundational guidance for recreational shooters, new firearm owners, and experienced shooters seeking improved range performance through preparation, confidence, and disciplined fundamentals.

Walk the Talk America founder Michael Sodini will deliver a keynote at the 2026 Wyoming Suicide Prevention Symposium in Cheyenne on September 15-16. ROOTS Project partners B.O.S. Lock and Regal Products will exhibit firearm safety technology solutions alongside WTTA resources including mental health screenings and therapist directories.

The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action launched its first national bus tour, the 2026 NRA's Gun Bus Battleground Tour, a two-month campaign across 13 states to energize gun owners ahead of November midterm elections. The tour includes 63 stops and features appearances by pro-Second Amendment candidates, with sponsors including Patriot Mobile, Smith & Wesson, Sig Sauer, and Winchester Ammunition.

The National Bowhunter Education Foundation (NBEF) sponsored the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame event honoring hunting and fishing leaders. NBEF Executive Director Marilyn Bentz, a 2005 inductee, attended the 2026 ceremonies at the John A. & Genny Morris Conservation Center in Springfield, MO.

The Houston Safari Club Foundation partnered with DEA Ranch to host its first Summer Wildlife and Ranch Management Camp in Mathis, Texas, providing high school students hands-on experience in conservation, wildlife management, and ranch operations led by DEA Ranch Manager Leo Martinez and other professionals.

EOTECH and parent company American Holoptics are donating over $8 million in pet supplies inventory to Project K-9 Hero, a nonprofit supporting retired Police K-9s and Military Working Dogs. The donation will fund building construction and expansion for the organization's 177-acre rehabilitation and rehoming facility.

The Mule Deer Foundation and Infinite Outdoors are partnering for Public Lands Month in September through the Access. Adventure. Legacy. campaign. New MDF members receive a free one-year Infinite Outdoors Access+ membership, while current members can donate $35 or more for the same benefit and prize entry.

Gamo Outdoor USA introduces the Swarm Bone Collector Maxxim SuperMax .22 caliber air rifle in collaboration with Michael Waddell, Travis "T-Bone" Turner, and Nick Mundt of the Bone Collector hunting television series. The rifle features a 10-shot auto-loading magazine system, velocities up to 1,000 fps, and an all-weather synthetic stock.

Steelhead Outdoors introduces the Gen 2 Scout Gun Cabinet, featuring patent-pending 7-point vertical beam locking technology and welded 14-gauge steel construction. The cabinet retails for $1,400 USD and is manufactured in Shakopee, Minnesota by co-founders Corey Meyer and Charlie Pehrson.

MDT has expanded its XTN lineup with the Stalker Core Buttstock, a lightweight minimalist design featuring skeletonized construction and a length of pull as low as 10.43 inches. The company also introduced XTN-XTN and XTN-Picatinny single-hinge folding adapters, along with a Stalker Cheek Riser and LOP spacers for customization, all available August 28, 2026.

Hawk reinforces National Tree Stand and Saddle Hunting Safety Awareness Month by introducing new 2026 safety products including the Elevate Pro and Elevate Lite harnesses, Helium Flex Tree Saddle, and Solace Platform, all designed to keep hunters safe and connected during elevated hunts.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will hold a State Parks and Recreation Board meeting on September 22 in Helena to consider the Logan Public Shooting Range Easement Acquisition. The board will vote on acquiring an 86-acre easement from the Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation for a formalized public shooting range near Logan. Public comment is accepted through September 14.

Bass Pro Shops announced plans for a new 100,000-square-foot destination retail location in College Station, Texas, expected to open in 2028. Founded by Johnny Morris, the store will feature immersive outdoor experiences and employ over 125 Outfitters, bringing Bass Pro Shops' Texas locations to 20.

Liberty Ammunition, a leading self-defense ammunition manufacturer, will showcase its new Pro Series at the NTOA show in Nashville, TN. CEO Gary Ramey noted the product has already been adopted by several law enforcement departments and will be demonstrated to LE SWAT teams.

Iconic Outdoor Group, parent company of Daisy Outdoor Products, Crosman Corporation, GAMO USA, and Benjamin Airguns, will exhibit at the Worldwide Show September 1-3 in Reno, Nevada. The company will showcase air rifles, BB guns, air pistols, and accessories at Booth #461, connecting with NBS member retailers.

Guns.com will showcase its new proprietary technology platform at the Worldwide Show in Reno, Nevada, September 1-3. The intelligent listing technology is designed to help local gun and pawnbrokers efficiently identify, value, and sell used firearms with automated identification and photo editing capabilities.

Steiner Optics will exhibit at the 2026 National Tactical Officers Association Conference in Nashville, showcasing professional-grade riflescopes, red dots, and tactical optics including the T1Xi red dot, MPS 2.0 micro pistol sight, and T6Xi tactical riflescope designed for law enforcement professionals.

AGM Global Vision will exhibit at the Worldwide Buying Group Show September 1–3, 2026, at Booth 517, showcasing thermal imaging, night vision, and digital optics. Nick Noyes, Austin McCord, and Scott Cook will represent AGM for product demonstrations and dealer meetings.

Walther Arms will exhibit at the 2026 Worldwide Fall Show September 1–3 in Reno, Nevada, where independent retailers can meet the team, review the current product lineup, and discuss upcoming products and programs with Walther sales representatives.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on agenda items for the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting on October 15 at the Montana Heritage Center in Helena. Topics include grizzly bear relocation sites, fee schedules, 2027-2028 fishing regulations, and motorized watercraft closures. Public comment deadline is September 24.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Michigan State University's Department of Community Sustainability are seeking five Michigan communities for their fifth-year trail-planning partnership. MSU students in the Trail Building, Law and Policy course, instructed by Bob Wilson, will work with community leaders to develop trail plans while gaining real-world experience.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will host a free bear safety workshop on September 3 in Bozeman, offering hands-on practice with inert bear spray, lectures on bear biology, and displays including grizzly and black bear mounts. The event is family-friendly and will include a simulated charging bear demonstration.

Barry G. Smith of Germantown, Tennessee discovered a stunning 2.29-carat canary yellow diamond at Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park. Named the Sage Juniper Diamond after his granddaughters, it is the third-largest diamond found at the park this year. Facility Supervisor Ralph Hall noted its resemblance to the Pearadin Schumacher American Dream Diamond.

Alabama State Parks opened a 4.4-mile extension of the Fort Morgan Trail at Gulf State Park, bringing the total trail length to approximately 10.5 miles. The $5.6 million project, funded by the federal RESTORE Act, includes 12 bridges and a new bathhouse, connecting visitors to the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail system's 28-mile network.

Dave Caserio, a local writer and educator, is leading a writing workshop at Pictograph Cave State Park on September 19 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Participants will use observations of the natural world and the area's historical, cultural, and geological background to create works in any writing genre.

Wild TV welcomes back Rockyzone Outdoors Season 2, featuring host Luca Biafore exploring Ontario lakes with do-it-yourself outdoor tips and accessible education. The show airs on Wild TV and Wild TV+, blending education, strategies, and respect for nature.

Wild TV is launching a new season of Beyond the Blind Hunts, hosted by Justin Lilley and Ruth Spence. The field-to-table hunting show filmed in Manitoba features authentic Canadian hunting stories, recipes, and outdoor experiences available on Wild TV and Wild TV+.

The High Road with Keith Warren releases a new episode featuring hunts at Venator USA's Oklahoma camp for monster elk and red stag. Keith Warren and sponsor Brad Pryor from Rafter P Construction, along with co-host Johnny Piazza, pursue giant game during a three-day hunt showcasing Venator USA's world-class hunting experience.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission reports that wetland water conditions in the Rainwater Basin are better than last year but remain variable across the state. Dense annual plant stands will provide good waterfowl food, though hunters should scout ahead. Wetland pumping is planned before teal season opens September 5-13.

You can probably imagine — or maybe you can’t — the turmoil that’s gone on in the suppressor business over the last decade. From the Hearing Protection Act having a real chance at passage — and then being yanked — to the incredible shrinking eForm 4 wait times, to zapping the $200 NFA penalty transfer tax and now, most recently, the Jensen v. ATF ruling in a Texas Federal District Court…if you think it’s been hard to keep track of the current states of play, put yourself in the place of someone whose business is making suppressors and other NFA items.

For someone in the can business, navigating those shifting realities must have felt something like that cheese rolling thing our mildly impaired cousins back in the old country still do for some reason.

In additions to the names you know, what seems like dozens of new entrants have decided that the shifting ground and increased demand present a good opportunity and have jumped into the business over the last 12 to 18 months. That includes companies you never expected to see making silencers and others that make you think adding them to their lineup probably makes sense. Maybe.

But when you’re the industry leader, you have all of the challenges that come with the changeable business and regulatory environment along with the advantages of size, name recognition, and well-established brand equity to help you maneuver…all while doing everything you can think of to stay on top.

SilencerCo has been around for 18 years now. They started out like most new can makers, turning out a rimfire suppressor called the Sparrow. Since that time, the Salt Lake City (well, West Valley City, to be precise) company has grown exponentially to become the 800-pound gorilla in the suppressor biz.

I toured SilencerCo back in 2019 and I was there again a week ago. The business may be in the same location, but seven years later, it’s hard to recognize it as the same operation. That’s how much it’s grown in the intervening time. The company has since added a couple of satellite facilities in the Salt Lake area as well.

The suppressor business as a whole has changed more than a little bit since SilencerCo turned out their first Sparrow back in 2008. Back then, there were about 11,000 Form 4s processed a year. For the whole country. In 2026, ATF has churned through over a million (mostly eForm 4s) approvals just in the first half of the year.

So the market has not only grown and evolved in terms of what kinds of products are selling (pretty much everything), but also who’s now willing to consider buying a can at all. With the expansion of the market, the company’s product line has grown to match the demand, broadening from mostly a few, purpose-built designs to what’s now a wide array of models and designs meant to tickle the fancy of virtually anyone with a threaded barrel.

That means a huge range of calibers, weights, materials, durability, gas management and performance for everyone from the weekend plinker to elk hunters, PRS shooters, law enforcement types and tactical operators who operate tactically.

Yeah, that’s a lot. And it means a company like SilencerCo that prefers to be as vertically integrated as possible — retaining control of as much of the the manufacturing process as they can — needs to do many things and do them all well.

I wasn’t the only one to tour SilencerCo’s production facility. The company invited a group of mouth-breathing gunwriters to Utah (and then bussed us up to Idaho) last week to let us poke around, give us some trigger time with their cans and answer a lot — and I mean a lot — of questions about the business.

Tours are always cool, but I’ve seen plenty of CNC machines and Cerakoting booths in my time. Here are some Hybrid 46M suppressors being laser-welded . . .

Their very well-stocked shooting range is also a blast (sorry).

Kinda puts the NRA’s Wall o’ Guns to shame, no? SilencerCo has to make sure their cans work on virtually every type of firearm out there, hence the impressive inventory of weaponry.

More important than the tour, though, was the time we got with the company’s top brass including president Scott Clinger, general counsel David Kellis and chief marketing officer Mike Aland.

All of the keyboard pounders who were there had questions about the Texas case and how the company — SilencerCo is one of the named plaintiffs in Jensen — would be operating in the new environment. But given that so much regarding the case is still in flux, they understandably didn’t want to 1) speculate on what might happen or 2) say anything that could be, er, counterproductive. Just because the government didn’t ask for an extension of the judge’s stay of his injunction doesn’t mean they still can’t. And the DOJ’s finest still have until October 5 to file an appeal…if they so choose.

Whatever the disposition of the case, suppressor sales are so high these days because the barriers to ownership are now so low. While that rising tide lifts all boats, when you’re the biggest suppressor maker with so many cans to choose from, growth of the overall market benefits you more than anyone else. Clinger told us that about 20% of all cans sold have been SilencerCo cans.

Demand first kicked into overdrive back in 2024 when ATF finally got its regulatory act together (with a lot of prodding from the industry and the American Suppressor Association) and wait times for eForm 4 approvals plunged from months — sometimes close to a year — to days. As in single digits. Zeroing out the tax stamp as of January 1 kicked sales up to a level approaching ludicrous speed.

And now there’s the Jensen decision with the possibility of still more good things on the way.

Suppressor ownership hasn’t been this easy since 1934. Mike Aland told me about a friend of his, a Sheriff, who always whined that he didn’t want to buy a can because he didn’t want to wait nine months for permission. Then he told him he didn’t want to pay the .gov $200 on top of the cost of the suppressor. Then he said he didn’t want to fill out all that paperwork and register whatever can be bought.

Welp. All of those barriers are now gone…depending on where you live.

But as much as suppressor sales have increased over the last couple of years, there’s still a huge amount of room to grow. There are about 100 million gun owners in America and coming up on seven million suppressors in the wild. Lots of those owners have more than one can, so let’s generously assume that five million people own a gun muffler in the US of A. That still leaves a lot of people who are making a lot more noise on ranges and in the great outdoors than is necessary.

I asked Aland what keeps a lot of gun owners from taking the silencer plunge. It turns out misinformation has been one factor. He told me about working an NRA show a few years ago and having people ask why SilencerCo was exhibiting since it was illegal for civilians to own suppressors.

So yeah, there was a lot of FUD out there about suppressors amongst the Fudd community. Aland said, however, that even among the crowds that waddle through the NRA convention aisles, he’s heard less and less of that kind of thing in recent years, so that’s progress.

He also told me that on the regulatory front, SilencerCo will be directing more of their efforts and dollars toward the states going forward. That includes a couple that currently outlaw cans that he thinks can be persuaded to change their laws, as well as convincing a number of other states that currently require NFA registration to eliminate that mandate.

Meanwhile, as demand spiked, SilencerCo made a significant decision last year. While the market was being flooded with models from new (and existing) makers, they decided not to introduce any new designs (aside from the elusive S98).

SilencerCo made the strategic decision to concentrate on continuing to produce everything in their current product lineup, keeping them flowing to their distributors and getting them into gun owners’ hands. Better to keep their popular products available and customers happy during the boom, they figured, than spreading production capacity out among more, newer models and losing business as a result of stock-outs.

Expect that to change in 2027, though. While the company brass was studiously tight-lipped about specifics, they hinted at new models we’re probably going to be seeing in the first half of next year starting with the SHOT Show.

Aland told me the strategy is to scale up (even more) in a controlled way that lets them meet demand while maintaining quality. That quality level minimizes warranty service requests and lets them keep their warranty turnaround times to about 20 hours. That’s right, Aland says that FedEx usually has possession of cans sent in for warranty service longer than SilencerCo does. That kind of customer service makes customers happy and sells more suppressors.

I mentioned earlier that we’d gotten trigger time with a number of SilencerCo’s cans. That was an understatement. After the tour we travelled north to the (truly) magnificent Day Mountain Ranch Resort outside of Preston, Idaho in the southeast corner of the state. The accommodations and shooting facilities there are first rate. If you get the chance, I highly recommend the trip.

We put the cans — and guns and glass — through their paces running a 13-stage Ultimate Hunting Experience course (with steel targets ranging from about 135 to over 1000 yards) and taking advantage of Day Mountain’s 2300 acres that allow for shooting out as far as two miles.

So what’s next for the suppressor business? That’s a good question. While clarity is in short supply these days, we just got the news that ATF is now promising to provide guidance which, depending on what they finally say, will likely convince more of the understandably reluctant FFLs out there that it’s safe to start selling cans (ideally made by the named plaintiffs) to members of GOA, FPC, TSRA, CCRKBA, etc. That would mean still more sales and, if history holds true, about a fifth of those will have SilencerCo’s name on them.

So if you’re in the can business, and especially if you’re the industry leader, all indicators point to continued growth with the biggest limiting factors being consumer acceptance, disposable income and the availability of threaded barrels. Bureaucracy and other regulatory hurdles have been pushed much farther down the list of considerations. The sun is shining brightly on the suppressor business and now is the time to make a lot of hay.

– Dan Zimmerman, Shooting News Weekly