The National Rifle Association of America has partnered with online retailer Ammunition Depot to raise money and awareness for Second Amendment litigation, including the long-running federal challenge to California’s ammunition background check law.
Announced July 23, the partnership adds a voluntary contribution option at Ammunition Depot checkout. Funds collected are remitted to the NRA and the NRA Institute for Legislative Action to support legal and legislative work.
Since Doug Hamlin became executive vice president and CEO, the NRA has put renewed energy behind its core mission: defending the right to keep and bear arms through litigation, advocacy, training and member engagement. NRA is litigating 42 active cases and is involved in more than 70 legal matters nationwide, a figure that covers suits the association litigates directly, cases it helps fund and amicus briefs filed in support of other plaintiffs. In California alone, the association reports spending more than $3 million on Second Amendment litigation since 2021.
“The NRA is committed to defending the Second Amendment in courtrooms across America,” said Doug Hamlin, NRA executive vice president and CEO. “Partnerships with companies like Ammunition Depot help ensure that law-abiding gun owners understand the stakes and have a way to support the fight. NRA members and Ammunition Depot customers share the same goal: protecting the right to keep and bear arms for future generations.”
Much of that California spending traces to Rhode v. Bonta, filed in 2018 by six-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode, the California Rifle & Pistol Association and several companies, Ammunition Depot among them. At issue is the regime California voters approved through Proposition 63 in 2016, which took effect July 1, 2019, and requires face-to-face purchases through licensed vendors plus a background check on every ammunition sale.
Judge Roger Benitez of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California struck down the provisions on Jan. 30, 2024. A Ninth Circuit three-judge panel affirmed on July 24, 2025, holding that the requirement meaningfully constrains the right to keep operable arms and finding no historical analogue that would justify it under NYSRPA v. Bruen.
The case remains ongoing as California continues its effort to overturn that decision through the appellate process.
Daniel Wolgin, CEO of Ammunition Depot, noted the company “has been in this fight for years” as a plaintiff and wanted a mechanism for shoppers to support the organizations carrying the litigation. “We believe in protecting the rights of our customers, and that means supporting the organizations and legal efforts that are actually in the fight,” Wolgin said.
Additional updates are expected as the California case proceeds. Visit the NRA-ILA website for more information.
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