Rob and Amanda dive into their recent GunCon experience in Cleveland.
The two-day event, held at a range and downtown, drew a lively crowd. Vendors showcased new products like the High Point AR with a lifetime warranty. Panels featured Second Amendment heavyweights like Adam Kraut and Eric Pratt.

Conversations with attendees, including NRA board candidates, offered rare access.
Ashley Hlebinsky from the Cody Firearms Museum added historical flair. The event’s organization, with meal tickets and food trucks, impressed the hosts. Amanda urges listeners to attend future GunCons for networking and insights.

Rob reflects on his NRA Gun Collectors Committee role. Judging collections involves assessing historical significance over aesthetics. Rare items, like a smashed Smith & Wesson or a Colt Python prototype, stand out. Collectors value unique pieces, such as Lewis and Clark’s knife, for their stories.

A debate rages over whether illegal immigrants have Second Amendment rights. The Fifth Circuit denies these rights, while the Seventh Circuit supports legal non-citizens. Heller’s focus on “citizens” fuels the argument, with a potential Supreme Court clash looming.

Range practice closes the hour. Rob shares his success with a replica 1860 Army black powder pistol. An AmmoLand article inspires discussion on beginner drills. Proper holster draw techniques and Kydex holsters’ speed advantages spark enthusiasm.

Fresh from Washington, D.C., Amanda recounts her multi-day advocacy trip, lobbying senators on the National Firearms Act and the “Big Beautiful Bill. This bill seeks to remove suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and shotguns from NFA restrictions.

Despite Senate pushback via the Byrd Rule, a compromise keeps paperwork but may eliminate the $200 tax stamp.

At GunCon, a Second Amendment panel with groups like the NRA views this as progress worth accepting. Advocates plan to push for more gains later. Amanda describes a powerful moment with Women for Gun Rights. Her group, representing all 50 states, met a White House aide to discuss Second Amendment policy.

A church attack in Wayne, Michigan, grabs attention. Armed parishioners stopped a gunman, highlighting the need to protect soft targets like churches.

Restoring gun rights for nonviolent felons sparks debate. Trump’s review opened a comment period, with 16 Democratic attorneys general supporting restoration, while senators like Patty Murray oppose it, despite their states’ backing.

The Fourth Circuit’s ban on handgun sales to those under 21, upheld despite Bruen, sets the stage for a Supreme Court showdown. Second Amendment Foundation champions this issue, eyeing a future ruling. History resonates as Amanda reflects on D.C.’s worn marble staircases. These enduring structures symbolize the weight of decisions shaping the nation’s future.

Hosts Amanda Suffecool and Rob Campbell welcome Phil Schreier, curator of the National Firearms Museum, to Eye on the Target Radio for an engaging exploration of firearms culture.

Suffecool kicks off discussing A Girl & A Gun’s national conference, where 750-800 women undergo gear checks, revealing top pistol choices like the Walther PDP (100 attendees) and SIG Sauer 365 (91). Data shows a surge in Walther’s popularity since 2022, with 55% using pistol-mounted optics, led by Holosun. Holsters favor Comp-Tac (16%), while 89% retain stock triggers. Shotguns, like Beretta (22%) and Mossberg (19%), shine in clay shooting classes.

Schreier, marking 36 years with the NRA, shares the museum’s 90-year history across Fairfax, Virginia, Whittington, and Springfield, Missouri. Housed in the NRA’s iconic Fairfax headquarters since 1998, the museum’s immersive galleries evoke eras from colonial Williamsburg to 1950s childhood bedrooms, featuring Hopalong Cassidy linoleum and Scarlett O’Hara’s green curtains.

Schreier recounts his journey from an eighth-grade visitor to curator, emphasizing the museum’s role in preserving firearms heritage. The discussion celebrates women’s growing influence in shooting sports and the museum’s appeal to Second Amendment enthusiasts. Visit NRAMuseum.org to explore this historic collection.