Category: Business

Trump OCC Gives Customers New Tools to Hold Banks Accountable for Anti-Gun Discrimination.

By Larry Keane

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is giving bank customers, including firearm industry members, a clearer path to document politicized de-banking and enter those concerns into the regulatory record. The move is a welcome development to further implement President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14331, “Guaranteeing Fair Banking for All Americans,” and marks another needed step toward ending the practice of denying lawful businesses access to essential financial services because “woke” banks disfavor the firearm industry.

NSSF has long reported on banks using vague “reputational risk” excuses and woke boardroom gun control policies to choke off access to accounts, loans, credit, payment processing and other essential financial services. That discrimination hit lawful, highly regulated businesses whose only offense was serving Americans who choose to exercise their Second Amendment rights.

President Trump’s order states banking decisions must be based on individualized, objective and risk-based analysis, not politics, ideology or hostility toward lawful business activity. The order specifically cited the former Obama administration-era Operation Choke Point as a “well-documented and systemic” effort by federal regulators to pressure banks away from serving lawful industries that are disfavored by the political left…like the firearm industry.

That insidious practice was discontinued under President Trump’s first term but returned anew in a privatized form under former President Joe Biden.

The OCC’s new public comment guidance, however, gives President Trump’s executive order practical force. The agency says bank customers and stakeholders can share de-banking experiences with the OCC and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and those complaints may be considered when the agency reviews bank licensing filings. They may also be considered during Community Reinvestment Act examinations.

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Over 1 Million NFA Forms Processed So Far This Year, 6 Million Suppressors on File

It seems that the feds have had to wade through a year’s worth of National Firearms Act forms just in the first four months of 2026.

In the wake of zero-dollar tax stamps for suppressors and short-barreled firearms becoming a reality on New Year’s Day 2026, the ATF’s NFA Division has since processed a million forms as of April 23. The American Suppressor Association told Guns.com via email that over half of those are for Form 4 applications for suppressor transfers.

Of note, for 2024, the most recent year available, the NFA Division processed 1,373,305 forms. The Division only broke a million forms in a single year for the first time in 2011. Going further back, in 2001, only 311,892 forms of all types were processed.

The big takeaway, however, is the growth in suppressor numbers over that period.

“As of April 10, 2026, 5,998,065 suppressors were registered in the NFRTR, a number that has likely surpassed 6 million as of today,” advised ASA last week. “The number of suppressors registered between Jan. 2026 and April 10, 2026, is almost as many as ALL the suppressors registered between 1934 and 2010 (76 years).”

Below is a chart of selected historical suppressor registration numbers going back to January 2000.

Note that suppressors were rare before the past couple of decades, with just 83,627 cans registered nationwide in 2000 and 223,761 in 2010. (Chart: ASA)

Looking a whole lot like “common use” to me. Just saying.

Final Rule Drives a Stake Through Anti-Gun Left’s De-Banking Strategy.

The decades long discriminatory tension between the financial sector and the firearm industry underwent a positive shift with a final rule published on April 10 by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. This landmark effort in a long fought battle, which NRA-ILA has reported on extensively, codifies the removal of “reputation risk” as a basis of adverse action under oversight programs that apply to FDIC-supervised financial institutions.

Ultimately, this final rule eliminates reputation risk as a means of injecting politics into banking regulation by prohibiting examiners from using this subjective assessment to pressure or penalize banks. It also prohibits regulators from pushing banks to close accounts or deny services based on their ill-conceived aversion to the lawful firearms and ammunition industries, which are vital to supporting our constitutional rights.

This rule helps to mitigate unjustified biases against these business sectors left over from the Obama-Biden Administration and importantly helps to prevent future efforts in the same vein. In 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice, in coordination with regulators such as the FDIC, began pressuring banks to cut ties and services to industries they considered to be “high risk,” which under the anti-gun Obama-Biden administration unsurprisingly included firearm and ammunition-related business.re

The program, billed Operation Choke Point, encouraged broad financial “de-risking” and led to banks freezing or terminating services to lawful businesses based on “reputation risk,” instead of any proven misconduct or illegality. Guidance documents provided to banks at the time specifically listed firearm and ammunition sales as high-risk activity, although they are some of the most highly regulated industries in the country.

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Hunt’s Hardware & Guns celebrates 30 years

Hunt’s Hardware & Guns, in Miller marked their 30th anniversary on Saturday, April 18, celebrating the achievement with a customer appreciation event.

The business, run by David and Carrie Hunt, has served the citizens of Miller and beyond since 1996.

Located at 102 E. Main St., the store was originally established in the early 1980s, but after changing hands for the first time in 1994, the Hunts took the opportunity to purchase the establishment in 1996. The business was struggling at the time, and the Hunts decided that they could make it work.

Evolution with family

Over time, the store evolved, incorporating family into the business. Carrie Hunt’s father, Dennis Cooper, was brought into the fold, bringing with him his gun store that he had built into his home. What was once a modest selection of firearms has grown to cover more than half of the store. Cooper came to work full-time in the store in 1998; he has since retired.

The Hunts brought their children into the fold as well, saying that their three kids grew up in the hardware store.

In 2026, the business is still going strong with people coming from all over the state to shop for firearms, and locals coming to purchase a variety of hardware needs.

To celebrate these customers who have kept them in business for 30 years, the Hunts hosted a customer appreciation event where hot dogs were served and contestants entered to win a variety of prizes.

“It flew. It’s gone by so fast,” said Carrie Hunt. “It doesn’t seem like it’s been 30 years. You do it every day, and before you know it, you wake up one day and it’s been 30 years.”

NSSF Commends Indiana Gov. Mike Braun for Protecting Firearm Retailers, Ranges from Zoning Discrimination

NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, commends Indiana Gov. Mike Braun for signing a law prohibiting local governments from weaponizing zoning regulations to prevent firearm retailers and ranges from operating in areas already approved for commercial use. The NSSF-priority bill, Indiana’s Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 176, was signed by Gov. Braun earlier this year and a ceremonial signing is scheduled for late April. The bill was led by State Sen. Jim Tomes and State Rep. Ben Smaltz.

“The passage of Senate Enrolled Act 176 into law is a vital step to ensuring that law-abiding gun owners have access to safe and state-of-the-art shooting ranges and firearm retail locations,” explained Chris Lee, NSSF’s Director of Government Relations – State Affairs. “This law will safeguard ranges and retailers from antigun agenda-driven weaponization of local zoning authorities. These establishments, which are necessary to the exercise of Second Amendment rights, are too often relegated to back corners of industrial parks and country roads that are inconvenient to access for most consumers, including hunters and law enforcement. NSSF is grateful to the Indiana legislature and Governor Braun for ensuring these ranges and retailers are protected so Hoosiers can safely and lawfully exercise their Second Amendment rights.”

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5.7 Million Suppressors Registered: ATF Data Shows Massive Growth in Ownership

According to the American Suppressor Association (ASA), the number of silencers/suppressors registered in the United States of America was 5,776,685 as of the time the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) responded at the SHOT Show in January of 2026.

This correspondent obtained information from the ATF on January 22, 2026. At that time, it was stated that the information had already been released and that over 150K National Firearms Act (NFA) applications had been approved through January 2026.

The graph of registered silence numbers was created using cumulative January counts from 2011 to 2026. When numbers were unavailable for January, linear interpolation was used to estimate the January number. Each year had at least one reference number. 2017 had three reference numbers, none of them for January.

Cumulative Registered Silencers National Firearms Act by YearImage by Dean Weingarten

The number of registered silencers has been growing at about 22.6% per year.  That rate is roughly equivalent to doubling every 3.2 years.  If such a rate continues, there will be about 50 million registered silencers ten years from now.

It is unlikely there will be 50 million registered silencers ten years from now. This correspondent believes the registration requirement will be removed well before 10 years. It could be removed within two years, given the lawsuits now in play. 50 million silencers in the hands of American gun owners, ten years from now, is plausible.

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DOJ Reverses Course on Defending Biden’s ‘Engaged in the Business’ Rule for Gun Sales

Gun Owners of America is celebrating a win in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals after the Department of Justice abruptly reversed course in a lawsuit challenging the ATF’s expanded definition of who is “engaged in the business” of dealing firearms that was put into effect under the Biden administration and then-ATF Director Steve Dettelbach.

The rule was explicitly designed to get as close as possible to “universal” background checks without a new law being passed by Congress, and treated the vast majority of private, person-to-person sales as those that should be conducted by a federally licensed firearms dealer. The attorneys general of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Utah, along with GOA, the Virginia Citizens Defense League, and Tennessee Firearms Association filed a lawsuit to block the law from being enforced, and a district court granted a preliminary injunction barring enforcement against the plaintiffs in June, 2024.

Biden’s DOJ appealed that decision, though, and the Trump administration continued to defend the rule even as officials said that virtually every one of Biden’s executive actions on firearms were in the process of being undone.

On Thursday, however, the DOJ filed a request with the Fifth Circuit to voluntarily dismiss its appeal with the plaintiffs’ consent. In their request, the DOJ’s attorneys said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives “plans to revisit” the rule and “revis[e] the guidelines for determining who is considered ‘engaged in the business’ of selling firearms.”

The DOJ also informed the court (and the rest ofus) that a notice of proposed rulemaking addressing the “engaged in the business rule” is “forthcoming”, and that in light of the proposed rule on the horizon the government “has determined that it is not appropriate to continue this appeal.”

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NRA Foundation Triples Down on Not Being Transparent

The NRA Foundation has gone silent after being sued by the NRA. The attorney general of D.C. stepped in and the Foundation still refuses to disclose their leadership structure.

The ongoing saga of the National Rifle Association v. NRA Foundation continues. Last year there were rumors that the Foundation changed their bylaws and they were contacted about their leadership structure. The Foundation did not reply to those queries. Rumors of a conflict turned out to be true, as the NRA filed a lawsuit against the Foundation. To date, the Foundation refuses to publicly disclose who their trustees are. This lack of transparency continues even after the Office of the Attorney General of Washington, D.C. got involved to mediate. The Foundation still won’t disclose who makes up their current leadership structure.

The NRA made several allegations in the lawsuit. NRA alleges the Foundation was illegally using the NRA trademark as well as not distributing funds promised to NRA programs. The Foundation rebukes those claims stating that they are simply upholding their fiduciary duties. The Foundation also moved to have the case dismissed and that request was denied.

The NRA v. NRA Foundation story runs deep and there are many elements to it. Right now, there are a lot of allegations that have been made through the lawsuit and some public comments from NRA officials and leadership. There’s been near complete silence from the NRA Foundation outside of a press release noting the Foundation’s motion to dismiss the NRA’s lawsuit, a public statement after filing, and some decline to comment replies to queries.

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2026 National Rifle Association Board of Directors Election Results

The annual election of the National Rifle Association Board of Directors has concluded. The 2026 results are in and 36 director candidates have been elected to available one-to-three year terms.

Annually an election is held for the NRA Board of Directors. Under normal circumstances there are 25 three-year director spots up for grabs each year. An additional 76th director who is elected at the NRA Annual Meeting would serve a one-year term. Candidates in the 2026 election had a near clean sweep, with all but two securing a spot. Due to multiple resignations from the board during the 2025 – 2026 year, 36 candidates were able to take posts on the board — including the 76th director’s spot.

As previously reported, the NRA Nominating Committee selected 30 candidates they felt met requirements set forth by the committee in conjunction with input from the NRA president and first vice president. Of those 30 candidates, there were 13 incumbent directors.

There were eight candidates who ran successful petition campaigns. Also notable, there were three director candidates who were selected by the nominating committee and ran successful petition campaigns: incumbent directors Steven C. Schreiner, Amanda Suffecool, and newcomer Robert Beckman.

Between the petition candidates and those selected by the committee, a slate of 38 potential candidates was previously announced.

On April 2, 2026 the NRA announced the results of the Board of Directors election. The original notification stated 35 candidates were elected. An update to NRA’s announcement on American Rifleman indicated that one candidate who was eligible for 76th director withdrew from the slate — Isaac Demarest — leaving Lynn Gipson elected as the de facto 76th director.

The updated results are as follows:

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Post Office Proposing Rule to Allow Americans to Mail Handguns

On April 2, 2026, the U.S. Postal Service will post a proposed rule revising “mailing standards for firearms” to allow “lawful handguns to be mailed” in a manner similar to long guns and shotguns.
On January 15, 2026, Breitbart News reported the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) issued an opinion indicating a ban against mailing handguns violates the Second Amendment.

Today, the Postal Service made clear their pending proposed rule is an attempt to comply with the OLC’s opinion:

On January 15, 2026, the OLC at the Department of Justice issued a Memorandum Opinion for the Attorney General concluding that Section 1715 of title 18 U.S. Code “is unconstitutional as applied to constitutionally protected firearms, including handguns, because it serves an illegitimate purpose and is inconsistent with the Nation’s tradition of firearm regulation.” Constitutionality of 18 U.S.C. § 1715…OLC further concluded that the “Postal Service should modify its regulations to conform with the scope of the Second Amendment as described in [the OLC] opinion.”

…The Postal Service defers to OLC’s judgment as to the lawful scope of this criminal statute and worked in consultation with OLC to develop the proposed revisions to our mailability regulations…The proposed revisions expand the scope of mailable firearms compared to the existing regulations by allowing lawful handguns to be mailed under the same terms and conditions as lawful rifles and shotguns.

The Postal Service will accept comments on the proposed rule change for 30 days after it is published.

Beretta Holding Sends Letter to Ruger BOD Re: All-Cash, Partial Tender Offer

By Dave Workman

In the latest chapter of an ongoing feud between Beretta Holding S.A. and Sturm, Ruger & Company, the Italian-based firearms manufacturer has sent a letter to Ruger’s Board of Directors “regarding a potential partial tender offer for up to 20.05% of the outstanding shares of the Company it does not already own at a purchase price of $44.80 per share in cash,” according to a notice posted Thursday at The Outdoor Wire, which has been covering the controversy.

Ruger subsequently issued a terse response, noting the Board, “has received a letter from Beretta Holding S.A. (“Beretta”), in which Beretta proposes, subject to certain conditions, to commence a partial tender offer for up to 20.05% of the outstanding shares of the Company, which if successful would effectively increase Beretta’s ownership stake in Ruger to approximately 30%. Such proposed partial tender offer has not actually commenced.

“Shareholders do not need to take any action at this time,” the Ruger statement said. “The Board, in consultation with its financial and legal advisors, will assess Beretta’s letter and respond in due course.”

In its 1,301-word message posted at The Outdoor Wire, Beretta Holding asserted, “From the outset, Beretta Holding has been clear about the desire to make a more meaningful investment in the Company, further enhancing alignment with all shareholders; however, the Ruger Board responded by immediately and defensively standing in the way.”

The controversy leaped into the spotlight earlier this month, with the two companies posting their perspectives. The Outdoor Wire has been diligently posting each side’s public messages, essentially allowing readers to make their own conclusions.

Further in its letter, Beretta Holding states, “The potential tender offer described above has not yet commenced. This communication is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a recommendation, an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell shares of common stock.”

Beretta also encourages Ruger stockholders to “read the tender offer statement.”

“Beretta Holding intends to file a preliminary proxy statement and accompanying WHITE universal proxy card with the SEC to be used to solicit votes for the election of Beretta Holding’s slate of highly qualified director nominees at the 2026 annual meeting of stockholders of the Company,” the letter states.

Demoncrap lawmakers seek data on US gun exports linked to cartels, criminal violence

WASHINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) – Two Democratic members of Congress are pressing the Commerce Department for detailed data on U.S. exports of semi-automatic weapons, citing concerns that ​legally exported American firearms are fueling criminal violence and arming cartels ‌across the Western Hemisphere.
Reuters reviewed the letter sent on Sunday by Senator Elizabeth Fauxcahontas Warren of Massachusetts and Representative Gregory Meeks of New York to Under Secretary of Commerce Jeffrey Kessler.
Warren and ​Meeks, the top Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee and House Foreign ​Affairs Committee, respectively, invoked their oversight authority under the Export Control ⁠Reform Act of 2018 to demand a sweeping accounting of semi-automatic firearm export ​licenses approved since January 2025.

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Be nice if they also offered it as a ‘pistol’ with a brace.

Rock River Arms Celebrates “No Tax” with the New Retro A1 Carbine SBR

Rock River Arms wants to remind everyone that the newly implemented “zero tax” on NFA items doesn’t only apply to suppressors but also to Short-Barrel Rifles (SBRs).

To celebrate, RRA introduces the new 10.5-inch A1 Carbine SBR.

This retro A1 Carbine SBR is an ideal pairing for anyone looking to run a suppressor on a high-mobility, exceptionally maneuverable defensive AR platform. This “old school is the new cool” configuration is the perfect SBR for those who value operational simplicity and no-fail performance as the base for their suppressed home defender. With its lightweight, chrome moly 10.5-inch A-1 barrel assembly and CAR gas system, the A1 Carbine SBR with an attached suppressor (suppressor not included) is compact and easy to handle in close quarter environments.

The A1 Carbine SBR comes chambered in 5.56 NATO/223 Rem. and is built on RRA’s forged LAR-15M lower receiver and forged A1 carry handle upper. The barrel is fitted with a conventional F-style front sight/gas block and A1 flash hider (1/2-28 thread) and hosts a classic A-1 triangular handguard.

Two variants of the A1 Carbine SBR are offered: one with a multi-position M4-style stock and the other with a fixed entry stock. Both include RRA’s A1 grip and single-stage trigger.

If you’ve been considering purchasing an SBR for personal or home defense, the A1 Carbine SBR from Rock River is the ideal candidate and now is the perfect time to make your move.

RRA A1 Carbine SBR Specifications

  • Caliber: 5.56 NATO/223 Remington
  • Barrel: 10.5-inch lightweight chrome moly
  • Upper Receiver: forged A1 w/carry handle
  • Lower Receiver: forged RRA LAR-15M
  • Trigger: RRA single-stage
  • Handguard: A1 CAR triangle
  • Buttstock: M4 adjustable or fixed entry
  • Grip: RRA A1
  • Muzzle: A1 flash hider / 1/2-28
  • MSRP: $1,135 (entry stock); $1,150 (M4 stock)

To see the full range of firearms, components, and accessories offered by RRA, visit RockRiverArms.com.

Bad News for Gun-Grabbers: Fewer Firearm Thefts and Drastically Lower Violent Crime.

Across America, the country is seeing a historic drop in violent crime. One factor contributing to such a monumental decline in violent crime is a long-standing cooperative initiative between the firearm industry, NSSF and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, known as Operation Secure Store.

New data from ATF reveals a 60 percent drop in the number of firearms stolen during burglaries and robberies at Federal Firearms Licensees. That also includes a more than 40 percent drop in the number of incidents. Last year’s data shows the trend line continued on a historic downward trajectory.

This data is great news. Fewer firearm thefts mean fewer illegally obtained firearms in the hands of criminals who would misuse them to commit acts of violence.

Axios 2025 violent crime reduction

The numbers of firearm thefts and burglaries has dropped every year since Operation Secure Store began, except in 2021 during the nation-wide crime spike that occurred during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the defund-the-police movement. The significant drop between 2024 and 2025 shows firearm retailers are heeding the OSS message and are taking steps to protect their inventory and make themselves less vulnerable to being the victim of a burglary.

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February Gun Sales Up Over Last Year.

Gun sales were brisk again in February, with background checks for gun purchases rising over February of last year.

The February National Shooting Sports Foundation-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 1,265,320 is a 3.5 percent increase from the 1,222,980 in February 2025. For comparison, the unadjusted February 2026 FBI NICS figure of 1,933,972 reflects a 13.5 percent decrease from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 2,236,637 in February 2025.

In fact, the new figure of over 1 million monthly gun sales continued in February, marking the seventh consecutive month with more than 1 million background checks, after the single month in July 2025 with fewer than 1 million. As most readers likely recall, before July, when the number fell below 1 million, the previous streak of months with over 1 million background checks had lasted nearly six years.

“February’s adjusted background checks show that the desire for lawful gun ownership is alive and well,” said Mark Oliva, NSSF managing director of public affairs. “When instances of lawlessness and concerns for personal safety arise, Americans will respond by exercising their Second Amendment rights to both keep and bear arms.”

According to the NSSF, the top five states for overall Adjusted NICS checks and handgun NICS checks in February were Texas, Florida, California, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Top states for long gun NICS checks were the same but in a different order: Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, California, and Virginia.

Ruger Sets the Record Straight on Competitor Beretta’s Attempt to Seize Control of Ruger

MAYODAN, N.C.-On February 24, 2026, Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) (“Ruger” or the “Company”) received a notice from Beretta Holding S.A. (“Beretta”) stating Beretta’s intention to nominate four candidates for election to Ruger’s Board of Directors at the Company’s 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The Company, in consultation with its advisors, is reviewing the notice in accordance with Ruger’s established procedures and applicable law.

To date, Ruger has not publicly responded to Beretta’s characterization of Ruger’s actions and decisions. However, because of mischaracterizations and omissions in Beretta’s communications, Ruger feels it is necessary to set the record straight.

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Italian gunmaker Beretta launches proxy fight for US firearms giant Sturm, Ruger & Co.

The parent company of Italian gun manufacturer Beretta is launching a proxy fight to take control of Sturm, Ruger and Co., America’s largest firearms maker, sources familiar with the matter have told The Post.

Insiders said the 500-year-old European firm, which has built a 10% stake in Hartford, Conn.-based Ruger, wants to nominate four executives to join the nine-member board — a move designed to gain more control over the main US rival to Smith & Wesson.

Sources said the nominees included William Franklin Detwiler, managing partner of Fernbrook Capital Management; Mark DeYoung, the founding CEO of Vista Outdoor; Frederick Disanto, CEO of Ancora Holdings; and Michael Christodolou, the founder of Inwood Capital Management.
Ruger’s sales and share price have dropped in recent years. It is the major rival to US firm Smith & WessonBloomberg via Getty Images

A proxy fight is an unfriendly contest for control of a company in which a group of shareholders tries to convince other investors to vote out the current board of directors or management.

Any vote would likely take place at Ruger’s annual general meeting scheduled for May 29.

The clash has erupted amid a sales slump and plunging profits at Ruger, with the price of its shares cratering by over 40% in the past five years.

As of Wednesday’s close, Ruger’s market cap hovered at $581 million.

When Beretta first revealed an initial 9% stake in an October filing, it said that it wanted to explore “potential areas of operational and strategic collaborations” with Ruger.

The US firm then adopted a one-year shareholder rights plan amid concerns about a growing ownership stake accumulated by the Italian giant.

Such plans — often called “poison pills” — are aimed at making hostile takeovers more difficult by diluting the ownership of an acquiring investor that exceeds a specified threshold.

Beretta — an iconic gun manufacturer with ties to Italy’s Alpine region of Lombardy that was founded in 1526 — raked in $1.7 billion in revenue in 2024 and has been snapping up rivals like Switzerland’s RUAG Ammotec in 2022.

Pietro Gussalli Beretta, a 15th-generation heir to founder Bartolomeo Beretta, steers the company, which has its corporate headquarters in Luxembourg.

It has been seeking a greater presence in the US, which has the world’s largest legal firearms market, owing to the Second Amendment.

The Post has sought comment from Beretta and Ruger.

Missouri Senator Introduces Second Amendment Financial Privacy Measure

A measure introduced in the Missouri state Senate on February 9 is designed to protect the privacy of lawful gun owners and gun purchasers in the Show Me State.

Senate Bill 216, the “Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act,” was introduced by Republican state Sen. Jill Carter and presented in the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee. The measure would prohibit government entities from keeping a list, record or registry of privately-owned firearms.

Records may be maintained during a criminal investigation and prosecution of gun ownership. It also bans credit card networks from using a merchant category code (MCC) to differentiate firearm sales from other transactions.

At issue is a relatively new MCC for gun purchases adopted by the International Organization for Standardization in early 2023. MCCs are used by payment processors (like Visa and Mastercard) and other financial services companies to categorize transactions. Prior to the creation of the specific gun code, firearms retailers were classified under the MCC as sporting goods stores or miscellaneous retail.

When the new code is used, credit card companies and other payment processors can tell that the purchases were firearms, creating a de facto gun registry. The U.S. Senate is currently considering a measure that would ban use of the gun-specific MCC nationwide.