GOA Backs West Virginia Bill to Allow State-Facilitated Machine Gun Transfers for Civilians

February 23, 2026
1:00 pm

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Gun Owners of America (GOA) just threw their full weight behind a game-changing West Virginia bill that could crack open the door to civilian machine gun ownership on a scale we haven't seen since the bad old days of the 1986 Hughes Amendment. The legislation, HB 5265, sets up state-run entities to buy fully automatic firearms and transfer them directly to qualified civilians, exploiting a little-known federal exemption in 18 U.S.C. § 922(o). That statute bans new machine gun registrations for civilians, but it carves out exceptions for government transfers—think law enforcement or licensed dealers under specific conditions. West Virginia's play? Leverage the state as a government middleman to sidestep the feds, turning the Mountain State into a potential NFA paradise for law-abiding gun owners who've jumped through the ATF's hoops. This isn't just bureaucratic jujitsu; it's a masterclass in federalism that could ignite a Second Amendment revolution. Imagine state-sanctioned machine gun registries bypassing the post-86 freeze, making full-auto fun accessible without waiting decades for a transferable piece that costs as much as a used car. GOA's endorsement signals to other red states: why not follow suit? We've seen Texas and others push dealer-to-private transfers via similar loopholes, but West Virginia's model scales it up with state facilitation, potentially flooding the market and crashing prices. Critics will scream loophole abuse, but let's call it what it is—creative lawyering to reclaim rights the feds stole. For the 2A community, the implications are electric: if this passes and holds up in court, it shreds the machine gun monopoly, empowers states to nullify overreach, and sets a blueprint for nationwide pushback. The real fireworks? Political momentum. With GOA's grassroots army mobilizing, expect this to rally pro-2A forces ahead of 2026 midterms, pressuring blue states to defend their bans or watch red America arm up asymmetrically. It's a reminder that the Second Amendment isn't a suggestion—it's a shield against tyranny, and bills like this prove innovation wins when patriots fight smart. Keep an eye on Charleston; if Mountain Mama pulls this off, the machine gun dam breaks for good.

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This isn’t just bureaucratic jujitsu; it’s a masterclass in federalism that could ignite a Second Amendment revolution. Imagine state-sanctioned machine gun registries bypassing the post-86 freeze, making full-auto fun accessible without waiting decades for a transferable piece that costs as much as a used car. GOA’s endorsement signals to other red states: why not follow suit? We’ve seen Texas and others push dealer-to-private transfers via similar loopholes, but West Virginia’s model scales it up with state facilitation, potentially flooding the market and crashing prices. Critics will scream loophole abuse, but let’s call it what it is—creative lawyering to reclaim rights the feds stole. For the 2A community, the implications are electric: if this passes and holds up in court, it shreds the machine gun monopoly, empowers states to nullify overreach, and sets a blueprint for nationwide pushback.

The real fireworks? Political momentum. With GOA’s grassroots army mobilizing, expect this to rally pro-2A forces ahead of 2026 midterms, pressuring blue states to defend their bans or watch red America arm up asymmetrically. It’s a reminder that the Second Amendment isn’t a suggestion—it’s a shield against tyranny, and bills like this prove innovation wins when patriots fight smart. Keep an eye on Charleston; if Mountain Mama pulls this off, the machine gun dam breaks for good.

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