Not only are U.S. firearm sales strong despite pulling back from recent record highs, but Americans have a renewed appetite for suppressors and other NFA items.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the industry trade association, released numbers this week showing the enormous demand for these popular accessories exploded to entirely new levels in January.
Gun owners are finally free from the hated $200 tax on NFA items
Mark Oliva, the NSSF Public Affairs Managing Director, declared the good news already evident in 2026.
“January’s background check figures reinforce what many saw at the beginning of the month and was evident at SHOT Show 2026 in Las Vegas,” Oliva said. “This is the Year of the Suppressor. Background checks for items listed under the National Firearms Act accounted for over 206,000 checks, which is 121 percent higher than they were one year ago.”
This is further proof, as if any is needed, that the financial hardships anti-gunners place on exercising Second Amendment freedoms are indeed harmful. The Second Amendment advocate observed that when Congress gets out of the way, the people exercise their gun rights freely.
At least one state is pushing to not only renew the tax but also double it
Oliva went on to note that, despite the removal of the $200 tax, the battle rages on. “That’s especially important in states like Virginia, which is facing a legislative proposal of a $500 tax on suppressor purchases.”
NFA restrictions were passed in 1934 at the height of Depression Era gangland violence, and the obvious intent was to clamp down on organized crime. But even when the problem went away, the solution lingered.
That is, until the most recent federal government budget removed the tax and with it an oppressive obstacle between law-abiding gun owners and protecting their hearing.
There’s no better way to show your patriotism than with merch that speaks before you do.
Defend America is more than a name, it’s a stand for freedom, resilience, and the values this country was built on. Every tee, hat, and mug is a symbol of unapologetic pride. Wear it loud, wear it proud, and let the world know: freedom isn’t negotiable.
Click the link below to join the movement.