Volquartsen Goes Gold With SAF Ahead of Assault Weapons Arguments
Volquartsen Firearms just moved up to the Gold level with the Second Amendment Foundation. The Carroll, Iowa rimfire maker renewed its corporate partner commitment and upgraded it, according to an SAF announcement dated October 26, 2026. SAF, based in Bellevue, Washington, says the upgrade lands as the Supreme Court gets ready to hear oral arguments in two “assault weapons” ban cases. SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut called the support a sign of confidence in the group’s litigation. For gun owners, the headline is less about a corporate logo and more about who is paying for the lawsuits that will set the rules for the next decade of ownership and carry.
Key Details
The announcement packs several specific points into a short release. Here is what matters:
- Date and place: October 26, 2026, from Bellevue, Washington.
- Company: Volquartsen Firearms, which says it has built firearms in America since 1974 and calls itself a second-generation, family-owned business.
- Production: Rimfire rifles, pistols and parts, built start to finish at its facilities in Carroll, Iowa.
- Leadership quote: President Scott Volquartsen tied the partnership to defending Second Amendment rights at the local, state and federal levels.
- Sweepstakes: Volquartsen donated a one-of-a-kind rifle for SAF’s monthly sweepstakes fundraiser.
- Conference: The company is a multi-year sponsor of the annual Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC).
- Court timing: Kraut said Supreme Court oral arguments in SAF’s two “assault weapons” ban cases are “right around the corner.”
Kraut credited Volquartsen with supplying rifles, sponsoring GRPC for several years and now upgrading its partner tier. He described SAF as the group leading the fight for Second Amendment freedoms. The release does not name the two cases or give argument dates. Check the Court’s docket and SAF’s own pages for those details before you quote them.
Background
The legal stakes trace back to District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), where the Supreme Court held that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms, including handguns in the home. In New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022), the Court struck down New York’s discretionary carry licensing scheme and set a new test. Under Bruen, the government must show that a gun regulation fits within the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.
Assault weapons bans have been the hardest fight since then. Lower courts have split on whether bans on modern semi-automatic rifles like the AR-15 pass muster. Several states, including California, New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Maryland, Connecticut and Massachusetts, restrict these rifles by name or by feature. In June 2025, the Court declined to take up a Maryland ban case, but Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote that the Court should address the AR-15 question within a term or two. The announcement’s reference to two cases now set for oral argument suggests the Court took that path. SAF has been a litigant on these issues for years, and its corporate partners have helped fund that work.
Why It Matters for Gun Owners
If you own a semi-automatic rifle in a ban state, the outcome of these cases decides whether your rifle stays legal. Owners in California, New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Maryland, Connecticut and Massachusetts face the most direct exposure. Check your state’s definition of “assault weapon” before you buy, transfer or travel with one. Some definitions turn on specific features like pistol grips, folding stocks or detachable magazines, so a rifle legal in one state can be a felony in the next.
Rimfire owners should watch closely too. Volquartsen’s products are a staple of the .22 LR market, and a broad ruling on “common use” could shape how courts treat accessories and parts across all firearm types. If you use a Ruger 10/22 or similar rimfire, keep your receipts and document every upgrade. Clear records help if a future law requires registration or proof of lawful acquisition. Support the case by joining SAF or another litigation group, and read the briefs when they post. Do not wait for a press release to tell you what the Court said.
DownRange Analysis
A sponsorship upgrade does not change a single line of the Court’s analysis. Justices decide these cases on the text of the Second Amendment, the Heller and Bruen framework and the historical record. Money helps a group keep lawyers on retainer and file briefs, but it does not buy a vote. Gun owners should judge SAF by its filings and its win-loss record, not by which companies post logos on its site.
The real question is whether the Court treats the AR-15 as a protected arm in common use. Bruen demands historical analogues for modern restrictions, and the government will argue that bans on dangerous weapons have deep roots. Expect the fight to turn on how the justices define “common use” and whether they accept the government’s historical comparisons. Market effects will be modest in the short term. Manufacturers and dealers will watch the docket, and prices on targeted rifles may move if a ruling lands unexpectedly.
What should you do right now? Know the definition of every firearm you own under your state law. Keep your paperwork organized. Join or renew with a litigation group, and read the Court’s transcripts instead of summaries. Treat corporate announcements as news about the companies, not as evidence about the outcome.
