Month: November 2025
It won’t be passing constitutional carry anytime soon, but New York — particularly New York City — is seeing a surge in gun purchases and jam-packed permit courses required by the state just for Gothamites to exercise their Second Amendment rights.
Retailers are working overtime to quell anxious and worried residents of the nation’s largest city, even as those customers are shocked to realize they aren’t able to walk in, purchase a firearm, and leave with their new gun that same day. Or week. Or even month.
And who can blame them?
Gun control politicians, long in control in the Empire State, have passed so many restrictions on law-abiding New Yorkers to exercise their constitutional rights that far too many simply give up out of frustration.
Those roadblocks, in essence, deny New Yorkers their ability to keep and bear arms and, at a time when many rush to licensed gun retailers, the backlogs and bottlenecks can be jarring — especially for first-time buyers. Erecting barriers to the exercise of Second Amendment rights to frustrate citizens into just giving up is the intent of this regulatory scheme.
City Residents Fearful
New York City has seen an explosion of applicants seeking to obtain the state’s required permission slip to exercise their Second Amendment rights since 2022. That’s when the U.S. Supreme Court, in its Bruen decision, struck down New York state’s restrictive and subjective “may issue” permit scheme that left most New Yorkers out of options for protecting themselves, their property and their loved ones.
Even before that SCOTUS ruling, there had been a surge in riots, looting and crime during the coronavirus pandemic, police departments were defunded, and policies like cashless bail and soft-on-crime prosecutors like Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg let criminals back out on the streets with little or no punishment for their crimes. That does not even account for rising law enforcement retirements leaving the city increasingly vulnerable to criminal violence.
All of that was happening even before the horrific Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the recent election of avowed antigun and defund the police New York City mayor Zorhan Mamdani. His election has led to a new wave of New York City police officers filing for retirement.
Gun permit applications are skyrocketing. Prior to the Bruen decision, on average, fewer than 100 law-abiding New York City residents each month applied for a permission slip to carry a firearm in the city for self-protection.
There was a surge during the coronavirus pandemic and a post-Bruen surge, with the monthly average reaching 600 before stabilizing at between 400 to 500 for a consistent stretch, according to data from the New York State Police Department. Following the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel, the next month permit applications reached an all-time high at more than 1,270 — led by Jewish New Yorkers who decided to exercise their Second Amendment rights. Since then, an average of 700–800 permit applicants attempt the process each month, all just to exercise a God-given right enshrined in the Constitution.
Non-Traditional Gun Owners Leading the Way
Over the course of the past five or six years, the explosion of new first-time gun buyers has changed the look of the gun-owning community for the better. NSSF has always said the Second Amendment is for everyone.
Those millions of first-time gun owners have increasingly looked more like America, not just “old, pale and male” as previously caricatured. In New York’s case, that includes Jewish New Yorkers, African Americans, Hispanic and Asian Americans, lesbian and gay New Yorkers and more. And so long as they aren’t prohibited by law, owning a gun is their Constitutional right.
But New York still has in place restrictions that make it overly burdensome, time-consuming and difficult for law-abiding New Yorkers to purchase a firearm — a process that can take up to a year or longer.
That includes a rigorous firearm training and safety course despite the fact that “New York hasn’t standardized the classes beyond outlining a handful of topics to touch on.”
That makes it extremely difficult for would-be firearm purchasers to go to their neighborhood firearm retailer and go home with a safe and reliable self-defense tool.
In the case of Jewish New Yorkers who saw the city elect Mamdani as their next mayor, police officers choosing to retire because of it and who see a rise in antisemitic violence in the city with the world’s largest Jewish population outside of Israel, Second Amendment rights have a new appeal.
“It’s getting busy because of him,” longtime New York City gun safety instructor Lance Dashefsky recently told the New York Post, referring to Mayor-elect Mamdani. “We ain’t fleeing — we’re here to stay. We’re not victims anymore.”
“The NYPD is all retiring – we have to fight for ourselves,” added Michael Bergida, who opened a gun shop in Marine Park, Brooklyn, called Samson Armory.
Another New York City firearm instructor, Ross Den of Brooklyn, said anyone who was ever on the fence about getting a concealed carry weapon is no longer. “There are plenty of rabbis who carry – shul is where the greatest threat is,” Den told the Post, adding, “People are beginning to wake up and are now realizing they have to defend themselves and not rely on the cavalry to come save them.”
Industry Remains Top Ally
Despite the roadblocks erected to slow New Yorkers from exercising their constitutional rights, the firearm industry remains committed to ensuring those rights cannot be unconstitutionally infringed.
If New Yorkers — especially those in the city — are “gun curious,” they should visit their neighborhood firearm retailer and simply ask questions. They will find a welcoming and friendly environment with industry advocates who are there to help them learn, train and protect what matters most — their lives, their families and their homes and property.
“We are Jewish and we will protect ourselves – even if the mayor despises us,” a woman visiting a gun retailer told the Post. “We will have a say in our protection and not have to rely on others.”
The firearm industry steadfastly remains committed to being there by her side as well. The Second Amendment is there for all law-abiding Americans to protect themselves.
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.577/450 Martini-Henry Mk4
Yeah, I know but I just could not help myself! Grumpy
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Good to go !!
Thank you for your service. As a veteran myself, I am indeed honored when my fellow countrymen choose to offer those hallowed words. There is an implicit kindness and gratitude that is never sought but always appreciated. Despite our many squabbles, disagreements and warts, we are, at our hearts, all Americans. Ours is the most powerful, most successful country in all of human history. That is because of countless millions of good Americans who have sacrificed so much over the past 250 years to get us to this point.
The Springfield Armory FIRSTLINE reflects the organization’s basic ethos. Springfield Armory is as much a family as a gun company. Early board meetings took place over the dinner table. Nowadays, Springfield Armory is a foundational powerhouse among American arms producers. That’s because they live a patriotic code.
FIRSTLINE is an initiative wherein a large selection of top-quality Springfield Armory firearms is offered to those who serve our community at special discount prices. While this obviously applies to law enforcement and military personnel, Springfield Armory also includes such worthy demographics as firefighters, paramedics, EMT’s, commercial pilots and flight deck officers, judges, corrections officers, and state-licensed security officers, military veterans (and more). In so doing, Springfield Armory has chosen to give back to those who give so much for us.
Sheepdogs
Have you ever noticed how folks tend to fractionate based upon their character? Human beings are tribal. This curious aspect of our genetic makeup shades most everything about us. Certain personalities are inexorably drawn to certain pursuits.
The Internet has provided a vehicle to connect folks with disparate interests in a truly unprecedented way. A few short decades ago, somebody with a passion for West African mud sculptures might have believed themselves all alone in the world. Nowadays entire communities of like-minded souls are seldom more than a few clicks away.
While this aspect of ourselves drives how we spend our free time, it also tends to govern our professions as well. Sheepdogs are those who are drawn to a life of professional service. They are the ones who stepped up on the playground to stop the bully who was picking on the little kids. As adults, they strap on a gun, pick up an axe, or otherwise place themselves in a position of hardship for the betterment of humanity. If you have any questions just look inward for a moment. You know who you are.
Sheepdogs are natural protectors. They don’t protect the sheep to get extra food or special accolades. They fight to defend the flock because that’s who and what they are. They could never be satisfied otherwise. The human sort don’t do what they do for the money. They do it because they cannot do anything else.
Gun People
In my experience, the type of person you meet at the range or the local gun shop is the sort you’d lend your pickup to or ask to keep an eye on your home while you’re off on vacation. Those of us who are immersed in this quirky little sport are, by definition, among the most law-abiding rule followers in American society.
By extension, most sheepdog people like guns. Exercising our Second Amendment rights is what fundamentally separates us from everybody else on Planet Earth. Lots of people talk about being free men and women; Americans actually ensure that is true.
It has been my experience that those called to a lifetime of service tend to be among that overarching pool of gun people.
Guns are simply tools. However, in the right hands, these tools are what free us from oppression, secure us in our homes, and grant us the confidence we need to venture out into the dark places to render aid and offer stability. Springfield Armory recognizes this fact and, via FIRSTLINE, makes it that much easier for the sheepdogs to access the tools they want and need.
The Details
The world is covered in a thin patina of silly gimmicks — bait and switch sleight of hand designed to capture your interest and separate you from your money via subterfuge. This is not one of those.
When Springfield Armory set out to design this, they specifically avoided anything that would make it gimmicky or hard. FIRSTLINE is a straightforward initiative that rewards those who serve without a great deal of ancillary fluff.
FIRSTLINE is administered at the individual dealer level. Dealers become certified through the company to participate, and they handle the details locally. Verification is straightforward and intuitive.
Unlike a great many such things, all you really need is some basic professional documentation that most anyone has handy. There is an interactive map on the Springfield Armory website that will help connect you with one of the nearly 200 participating dealers nationwide. Be sure to check it out and find out the closest dealer.
Who Is Eligible?
Eligible professions include sworn law enforcement officers at federal, state, county, and city levels, both active and retired. Corrections officers, to include parole and probation officers, law enforcement academy cadets, and state-licensed armed security officers are on the list. In each case, verification involves presentation of official ID front and back or enrollment documentation from a recognized LE academy.
Eligible military personnel include anyone either on active duty or in the reserves. Military retirees and honorably discharged veterans also qualify. Certification requires nothing more than an official ID card front and back or a copy of a DD214 along with a driver’s license.
Firefighters, both full-time and volunteer, are eligible with an agency ID (front and back). The same goes for EMT’s and paramedics with the same credentials. These heroes venture forth into some of the worst situations to preserve life — oftentimes at risk of their own. They are made from the same stern stuff as our cops and military veterans.
In the Information Age, court judges and prosecutors find themselves subject to the ire of some of society’s very worst people. Administering justice is a dirty, ugly thing, but it has to be done. Our judicial officials are a critical part of the system that helps protect law-abiding Americans. They make the cut with official employment ID.
Nowadays, commercial pilots and flight deck officers are often authorized to carry firearms. The attacks of 9/11 left a scar on our society that will never fully heal. Arming aircrews is one way that we avoid ever having to repeat those horrible events. Aircrew with commercial airline ID qualify for FIRSTLINE benefits as well.
What Is Offered?
The list of eligible firearms is on the website, and it’s extensive. Hellcats, 1911’s, Echelons, SAINTs, M1A’s, Hellions are included. The list is liberally populated with Waypoint and Redline bolt guns, XD pistols, and Kunas as well. Prodigy? Yep, it’s there as well. Take a look, and I’m sure you’ll find something I overlooked. Seriously, it looks like practically the entire Springfield catalog is represented there.
Concealed carry pistols, home defense iron, patrol guns, precision rifles, competition arms and recreational tools — Springfield Armory can hook you up with whatever you need via FIRSTLINE.
Guns are like insurance policies. You never need them until you actually do. Then, that firearm becomes the most important thing in your universe. Serious applications demand serious iron, and the wares from Springfield Armory are designed for hard use in the real world. These are the guns upon which you can reliably bet your life.
Springfield Armory makes some of the finest firearms in the world. All you need do is heft an Echelon, SAINT, Prodigy or M1A to prove that to yourself. FIRSTLINE gets these superlative guns into the hands of our most deserving citizens at a reasonable cost. Also, all FIRSTLINE handguns come with three magazines.
Ruminations
FIRSTLINE is just one way that Springfield Armory gives back to the community. In today’s world, the threats to public safety are more varied and serious than ever. However, amidst the darkness, the light shines all the brighter. Despite our many well-documented difficulties, good Americans still stand willing to step into the gap and sacrifice for the greater good. FIRSTLINE recognizes them in a real and substantial way.
Head on over to the FIRSTLINE section of the website and see for yourself the sweeping selection of quality firearms that are eligible. Then, locate the FIRSTLINE dealer nearest you. Give them a shout to work through the details and go land some top-flight Springfield Armory iron at a great price. Think of it as a well-earned token of gratitude for a hard job well done.