Kentucky Following West Virginia’s Lead on Potential Machine Gun Sales

February 27, 2026
4:50 pm

▶

Listen to Article

Kentucky is charging ahead in the fight for unrestricted firearm rights, with a new bill proposing to legalize machine gun sales in the state—mirroring West Virginia's bold 2024 move to nullify federal restrictions on modern firearms. This isn't just bureaucratic tinkering; it's a direct challenge to the Hughes Amendment of the 1986 Firearms Owners' Protection Act, which banned new machine guns for civilian ownership. West Virginia's HB 386 became law earlier this year, allowing the manufacture and sale of fully automatic weapons within state borders, effectively daring the ATF to enforce federal overreach. Kentucky's legislation, if passed, would create a contiguous bloc of pro-2A strongholds in Appalachia, where full-auto freedom could flourish despite D.C.'s nanny-state edicts. The implications for the 2A community are electric. Imagine a ripple effect: as manufacturers flock to these deregulation havens, production costs plummet, prices for legal MGs drop (current transfers hover around $20K-$50K due to scarcity), and innovation explodes—think next-gen suppressors, optics, and belt-feds optimized for civilian use. This isn't hypothetical; West Virginia's law has already sparked interest from industry giants, positioning it as a magnet for jobs and R&D. Critics will cry public safety, but data from permissive states like Arizona and Nevada shows zero uptick in machine gun crime—because criminals don't buy NFA items through legal channels. Kentucky's move amplifies the growing nullification trend, from Missouri's preemption pushes to Texas's permitless carry empire, signaling to the NRA and GOA that state-level defiance is the new battlefield against Biden-era ATF crusades. For gun owners, this is a clarion call: support these bills with calls, letters, and votes. If Kentucky joins West Virginia, it won't just expand access—it'll validate the Constitution's supremacy over administrative fiat, potentially paving the way for a national reckoning on the NFA. Stay vigilant, stock ammo, and watch the Bluegrass State redefine shall not be infringed. The machine gun renaissance is here, and it's fully automatic.

Best FFL Software Ranked and Compared!

Kentucky is charging ahead in the fight for unrestricted firearm rights, with a new bill proposing to legalize machine gun sales in the state—mirroring West Virginia’s bold 2024 move to nullify federal restrictions on modern firearms. This isn’t just bureaucratic tinkering; it’s a direct challenge to the Hughes Amendment of the 1986 Firearms Owners’ Protection Act, which banned new machine guns for civilian ownership. West Virginia’s HB 386 became law earlier this year, allowing the manufacture and sale of fully automatic weapons within state borders, effectively daring the ATF to enforce federal overreach. Kentucky’s legislation, if passed, would create a contiguous bloc of pro-2A strongholds in Appalachia, where full-auto freedom could flourish despite D.C.’s nanny-state edicts.

The implications for the 2A community are electric. Imagine a ripple effect: as manufacturers flock to these deregulation havens, production costs plummet, prices for legal MGs drop (current transfers hover around $20K-$50K due to scarcity), and innovation explodes—think next-gen suppressors, optics, and belt-feds optimized for civilian use. This isn’t hypothetical; West Virginia’s law has already sparked interest from industry giants, positioning it as a magnet for jobs and R&D. Critics will cry public safety, but data from permissive states like Arizona and Nevada shows zero uptick in machine gun crime—because criminals don’t buy NFA items through legal channels. Kentucky’s move amplifies the growing nullification trend, from Missouri’s preemption pushes to Texas’s permitless carry empire, signaling to the NRA and GOA that state-level defiance is the new battlefield against Biden-era ATF crusades.

For gun owners, this is a clarion call: support these bills with calls, letters, and votes. If Kentucky joins West Virginia, it won’t just expand access—it’ll validate the Constitution’s supremacy over administrative fiat, potentially paving the way for a national reckoning on the NFA. Stay vigilant, stock ammo, and watch the Bluegrass State redefine shall not be infringed. The machine gun renaissance is here, and it’s fully automatic.

Share this story