The Weekly Reload Podcast

Stephen Gutowski
  • 4.8 (89)
  • Politics
  • Updated Weekly

A podcast from The Reload that offers sober, serious firearms reporting and analysis. It focuses on gun policy, politics, and culture. Tune in to hear from Reload Founder Stephen Gutowski and special guests from across the gun world each week.

  1. 1d ago

    Exclusive: ATF Director, Chief Counsel Explain New Guidance on Silencers, SBRs

    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 NFA against anyone regardless of whether they are technically covered by the injunction. They said for most people, depending on the state they live in, buying a silencer or SBR would now be effectively identical to buying a gun that isn't regulated by the NFA: just pass a background check and pay. The pair also discussed what ATF expects from licensed gun dealers who sell the impacted NFA items. They said the ATF will also treat all dealers the same regardless of whether they are technically covered by the injunction. But they also said dealers will still need a Special Occupational Tax (SOT) designation to sell the items, even though they no longer need to fill out all of the traditional sales paperwork. Cekada and Leider cautioned that neither the injunction nor the ATF's guidance impacts state law, more than a dozen of which require ATF approval for residents to possess NFA items. They said the ATF doesn't have an alternative process for granting permission to possess NFA items, but will allow people to voluntarily continue registering NFA items in order to comply with state law. Cekada also published an open letter, and ATF released a frequently asked questions document that detail how ATF plans to handle the situation. Leider encouraged people to read those documents before reaching out to ATF for more information, but the pair also said they would be fielding more questions down the line. Special Guests: Robert Cekada and Robert Leider.

  2. 2d ago

    Midterm Gun Money Race Turns Lopsided; Silencer Sales Soar

    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.

  3. 6d ago

    Researching Women and Guns (Ft. Yale's Kerri Raissian & KU's Margaret Kelley)

    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 explore the ins and outs of why women are buying more guns. Raissian said she got a grant to put the edition together with Vital City. She said the goal was to bring a focus on the unique ways guns and gun ownership impact women. She argued women are a growing portion of gun owners, but much of the research, discussion, and even laws are focused on how men use guns. That's where Kelley's research comes in. Her piece, an offshoot of her book, focuses on actual conversations and surveys with female gun owners. She said her evidence points to specific motivations women cite for gun ownership, primarily as an extension of their impulse to care for others, that may differ from men. She said they also tend to weigh considerations, like moral injury, very heavily. Special Guests: Kerri Raissian and Margaret Kelley.

  4. Oct 2

    Connecticut's Glock Ban Gets Blocked; Gun Owners Join Flock Camera Backlash

    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.

  5. Sep 28

    High School Admits Gun Search Was Clearly Illegal (Ft. SAF's Bill Sack)

    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 about a traffic stop that had happened more than a week earlier. Harrington described how he'd been pulled over while legally carrying his pistol, and the stop went forward without issue. He wasn't arrested or charged or even accused of doing anything illegal, and the stop didn't happen near the school. Sack said school officials pulled Harrington from class to demand permission to search his car after hearing about the traffic stop. He said they did not have any reason to think Harrington had brought the gun to school or any accusation that he'd made any threats to the school. Still, they pressed him to search his car. Harrington refused to give permission for the search, but the school officials conducted it anyway. Sack said they found there was no gun in the car. That's where the SAF suit came in. They helped Harrington sue, alleging the school violated his Fourth Amendment rights. The school settled and admitted the search was illegal, which Sack said SAF plans to use as a bulwark against similar situations around the country. Special Guest: Bill Sack.

  6. Sep 24

    Ninth Circuit Finds Bruen Test 'Carve Out'; Poll Says Americans Split on SCOTUS AR-15 Case

    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-case/ -https://thereload.com/analysis-how-revolutionary-era-privateers-play-into-the-supreme-court-ar-15-case/ -https://thereload.com/doj-says-federal-ban-on-handgun-sales-to-adults-under-21-is-unconstitutional/ -https://thereload.com/analysis-doj-takes-a-shot-at-permit-to-purchase-laws-member-exclusive/ -https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-minnesota-st-paul-and-minneapolis-over-firearm-purchase-waiting

  7. Sep 21

    Guntuber Subpoenaed By Gun-Control Group in Mass Shooting Liability Case (Ft. TFB TV's James Reeves)

    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 lawyer, gun-rights activist, and gun reviewer. He doesn't have any obvious direct connection to the Highland Park shooting. But the plaintiffs want a trove of documents from him anyway. Why? Because, as Reeves puts it, they are treating all gun reviews as de facto advertisements. They believe Smith and Wesson pays reviewers either directly or under the table to try and make their guns more appealing to unstable young people like the Highland Park shooter. Reeves said he has never done any undisclosed advertising for Smith and Wesson or any other gun company. He also said he's never taken direction from them or anyone else on what points to make in a review. He argued that while there are ethical issues in the gun review industry, they aren't nearly as cartoonish as what the gun-control groups imagine. Ultimately, Reeves accused the plaintiffs of lawfare. He said they're trying to circumvent federal protections for gun business, and they're trying to inflict pain on them through the legal process. He then explained why he ultimately decided to tell the plaintiffs he doesn't have what they're looking for, rather than fight tooth and nail to avoid answering at all. Special Guest: James Reeves.

  8. Sep 18

    Maryland Synagogue Wins Injunction Against Gun-Carry Ban; DC Jumps Into NRA Foundation Fight

    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/ Special Guest: Julie Miller.

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4.8
out of 5
89 Ratings

About

A podcast from The Reload that offers sober, serious firearms reporting and analysis. It focuses on gun policy, politics, and culture. Tune in to hear from Reload Founder Stephen Gutowski and special guests from across the gun world each week.

Information

  • Creator
    Stephen Gutowski
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    396
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Stephen Gutowski
  • Show Website
    The Weekly Reload Podcast

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