Usually, this time of year is as dull as can be as far as litigation goes but not this year. Here are the reasons. The Seventh Circuit, which is the federal appeals court for Illinois, has ruled the Cook County semi-auto ban
constitutional. The Supreme Court of the United States ( SCOTUS ) was requested to issue a writ of certiorari to the Seventh Circuit, and it has done so. A writ of certiorari is an order from a higher court to a lower court to send a certain case up for review. The lawsuit is Viramontes v Cook County, which has been combined with a Connecticut lawsuit, Grant v Higgins. Connecticut has a similar semi-auto and magazine ban. The Seventh Circuit has also ruled the Protect
Illinois Communities Act ( PICA ), the Illinois semi-auto ban, constitutional. The ISRA lawsuit, Harrel v Raoul, was combined with the NSSF lawsuit, Barnett v Raoul, and several others, which were filed in the Seventh Circuit requesting the PICA be declared unconstitutional. The Seventh Circuit upheld the State of Illinois arguments and declared PICA, the Illinois ban, constitutional.
Our attorneys are now requesting the SCOTUS issue a writ of certiorari to the Seventh Circuit regarding the Harrel V Raoul and other combined lawsuits be sent to the Supreme Court for review. Just because the Supreme Court reviews a lawsuit does not mean they will rule on it, but the case is certainly in the running.
The Third Circuit has just ruled the New Jersey semi-auto ban unconstitutional. The New Jersey ban is very similar to the Illinois ban. Now we have a dispute between two circuits. The only court that can settle the dispute in the Supreme Court of the United States.
There are other lawsuits out there also. Maryland is an example. What happens to the cases
which may not get a writ of certiorari? Various parts of those cases will be submitted the SCOTUS so they can review, if they wish, the evidence presented in those cases. These are known as amicus ( amicus curiae - friend of the court ) briefs. The ISRA is now working on an amicus brief, which is due September 4th.
When will these cases be heard? The SCOTUS meets the
first Monday in October, but I don’t think we will hear anything until the last part of June. This will be a big decision. When their ruling is published, they will go on summer break.
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On Tuesday, the 7th of July, we partnered with the
NRA, gun shops and several individuals, to get rid of the 72 hour waiting period Illinois requires before you can pick up your firearm after passing a background check. This lawsuit is Pearlstein v Raoul. The ISRA believes a right delayed is a right denied. There are no historical precedents for waiting periods once you have passed your NICS background check. We are waiting to hear from the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The ISRA continues to fight for
YOU!
We will keep you apprised of any other movement on litigation as we become aware of it.
To donate to the ISRA to help us continue the fight for Second Amendment rights,
Thank you for standing with the ISRA as we defend the rights of law-abiding Illinois gun owners!
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Legislative Update
Veto session is on the way and we are waiting. We will keep you apprised of any news on legislation as we become aware of
it
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The up-coming 2026 veto session dates for the Illinois Senate are:
November 17th, 18th,
19th and December 1st, 2nd, 3rd.
You can find downloadable PDF versions of the House calendar HERE and the Senate calendar HERE to view all the legislative session deadlines.
The ISRA maintains a list of the most important bills under consideration in the Illinois State Legislature; the most current list is always
the ISRA Legislation Page. Click and follow along!
Thank you for standing with the ISRA and for defending the rights of law-abiding Illinois gun owners.
Not an ISRA member? Join the ISRA and support 2A rights in Illinois - CLICK HERE.
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ISRA Shooters Are Successful At NRA & Civilian Marksmanship Championships
Once again, the ISRA Precision (aka Bullseye) Pistol teams did an outstanding job. I want to personally thank Ralph Wilson and all the team members for
representing the ISRA. This is the National Championship season and, for me, this is one of the most exciting times of the year. Rifle and Pistol marksmanship is what we were founded for and this is exactly what we are doing.
The NRA Championships were held at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Ohio. The ISRA only had one team there this year - a sharp-shooter
team. The other teams were all Expert, Master, or High Master teams. We were dead last, but we were there.
The ISRA teams and individual shooters did much better at the Civilian Marksmanship Championship at Camp Perry, OH. We had two teams - the ISRA Gold and the ISRA Iron. ISRA Gold was shooting with red dot sights. ISRA Iron was only shot with traditional
iron sights (no red dots, green dots, or scopes). The ISRA Gold came in 12th out of 45 teams. The ISRA Iron came in 26th out of 45 teams. Wow, what an excellent showing!
The Canadian wildfires were a disaster for the National Pistol Championship. Usually there are 3 parts of the precision match, .22 caliber, Centerfire (.32 to .45 caliber), and .45 caliber
only. This year, only the .22 caliber portion was fired. The smoke was too heavy to shoot the Centerfire and .45 caliber portions of the match.
ISRA shooters had many successes. Congratulations! They are:
Walter Klinger – High Law
Enforcement Metallic Sights
Gurol Yomut – First Place .22 only
Anatoly Andrianov – High Civilian Metallic Sights’
Gurol Yomut – 9th place Air Pistol
Anatoly Andrianov and Steve Turner made the President’s 100.
The ISRA Precision Pistol State Championship will be held on August 8th and 9th. We still have opening
left. Please contact the ISRA office at 815.635.3198 or email [email protected].
Alex Poltorak, Gurol Yomut (kneeling),
Walter Klinger, Joel Weber, Ralph Wilson, Mike Vernon, John Dervis, Anatoly Andrianov
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The ISRA Range Has Classes, Leagues, Special Events And More!
From now until July 30th, we will be giving
$50 off new member initiation fees when one joins the ISRA Range. We offer 18 different shooting leagues. Some are weekly and some are monthly, and all of them are fun. There is no better place to learn new things and for camaraderie while you improve on your marksmanship skills. It's a great place for you to shoot!
For more info on Classes, Leagues, Special
Events and more, go to the ISRA Range Calendar - CLICK HERE.
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ISRA Town Hall Monthly
Meetings
Come and meet fellow activists and learn the latest on protecting our Second Amendment Rights!
Livingston County – 4th Tuesday of the month – South Post Guns, 104 Livingston Rd., Streator, IL; Summer
meetings are postponed until August.
Madison County – 1st Wednesday of the month – Piasa Armory, 625 Lewis and Clark Blvd., East Alton, IL; Doors open at 6:15pm; Meeting starts at 6:30pm
Northwest Suburban - 3rd Tuesday of the month
– Algonquin/Dundee area – This meeting is canceled for the remainder of this summer.
South Suburban/Cook County - 2nd Thursday of the month – New Location: Papa Joe's Italian Restaurant, 14459 LaGrange Rd, Orland Park, IL; Doors open 6:00pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm
Will County - 3rd Wednesday of the month – Silver Dollar Restaurant, 422 E. Mississippi Ave., Elwood, IL; Doors open 6pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm
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“Money can
only buy happiness if you spend it on freedom.
This year is the 250th Anniversary of the good old USA and the 123rd Anniversary of the Illinois State Rifle Association. Our Anniversary coin raffle is one of our major fundraisers. This year’s coin depicts a Revolutionary War battle and celebrates our hard-won freedom, a freedom we
must keep fighting for.
When you purchase this year’s challenge coin you are helping fund our side of the battle that we are in. You will also be entered into a drawing for 123 great prizes. There is one prize for every year of our existence. A list of these prizes is on the enclosed order form mailed directly to you. The more tickets you purchase gives you additional chances to
win a prize and help us fight on to victory.
The winning tickets will be drawn August 5th, 2026, at the Illinois State Rifle Association headquarters. All entries must be postmarked by July 25, 2026.
The Illinois State Rifle Association is a 501(c)4
non-profit organization, donations to Illinois State Rifle Association are not tax-deductible. Prize must be claimed within 90 days of drawing.
Ticket Donations:
1 ticket & One coin for $30 3 tickets & One coin for $50 7 tickets &
One coin for $100 20 tickets & One coin for $250 45 tickets & One coin for $500 100 tickets & One coin for $1000 600 tickets & One coin for $5000
For more raffle info or to order tickets online, CLICK
HERE.
For a
Complete List of All Prizes, click here! Please Read The Fine print:
Official Rules
Contest is open to all legal Illinois residents 18 years of age or older. ISRA reserves the right to make final determination as to a contestant’s
eligibility to win a prize.
Date of Drawing: Drawing will be held August 5, 2026.
By entering, each entrant accepts and agrees to be bound by these rules and decisions of the ISRA which shall be final and binding. By accepting the prize, the
winner agrees that the ISRA accepts no responsibility or liability in connection with injuries, losses, or damages of any kind caused by, or resulting from the acceptance, possession or usage of the prize(s) awarded hereunder.
Prize Claim(s). Arrangement must be made with an FFL to claim a firearm prize in accordance with Illinois and Federal law concerning firearms
transfers. Note that firearms transfers require an FOID card and background check, and there are additional Illinois laws in place for FOID cards for those under the age of 21.
Offer Void Where Prohibited. This offer is void where prohibited or restricted by law. All federal, state, and local laws apply.
For other questions or information on this raffle, contact: ISRA – PO Box 637 – Chatsworth, IL 60921 (815)635-3198 or E-Mail: [email protected]
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Please CLICK HERE for information on the rest of our RAFFLES.
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“I am frequently asked if the ISRA sells our membership list. The answer is absolutely not.” ~ Richard Pearson
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Education & Training @ ISRA Range, Bonfield, IL.
Please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to start time.
*Every Thursday (unless otherwise noted) ISRA Precision Air Pistol Training – Range 12 &
Clubhouse – 5:30pm – 7:00pm
July 28 (Tues) NRA Range Safety Officer – Sparta, IL – 8:30am – 6:00pm
August 1 (Sat) NRA Range Safety Officer – Sparta, IL – 8:30am – 6:00pm
August 1 (Sat) Defensive Tactics for Concealed Carry Level 1 – Range 8 – 8:00am – 5:00pm
September 5 - 6 (Sat, Sun) IL Concealed Carry – Clubhouse – 9:00am – 5:30pm
*** Please contact [email protected] for any training or class questions and check the ISRA Range Calendar for links to dates, times, descriptions of ISRA activities and events.
It is July 1776, and it is a busy time. On July 9th, the Declaration of
Independence was being read all over the colonies. This raised the spirits of the American Patriots. In Bowling Green, Virginia, the crowd, upon hearing the Declaration being read, toppled the statue of King George and melted the metal into bullets. In a way, they were returning the metal to the British Army. Finally, the New York delegation received word from the New York Provincial Congress to vote for the Declaration of Independence, making it official for all 13 colonies.
In North Carolina, the Cherokee—allies of the British—were attacking, but they withdrew after a fierce battle with the North Carolina militia. The British were making promises to the American Indian tribes for land, trapping rights, and other things if they would help fight the American Patriots. The Creek, Cherokee, Choctaw, Mohawk, and Sioux were among the many tribes recruited. They
were given arms and ammunition, making them better equipped than many of the militias. The Creek were among the fiercest fighters. You may have heard the expression, “Lord willing and the Creek don’t rise.” That expression comes from the Creek Indians, not a stream or river.
All able-bodied men over 16 years old were required to have a musket or rifle and 20 rounds of ammunition
with them at all times. It was also required that they carry their arms to church on Sunday. Relations were not that good between the settlers and the Indians, but their alliances with the British turned resentment into hatred. The American Indian alliances with the British would have consequences in the 1820s and 1830s, when tribes were forced to move to new areas in the west. The forced relocation came to be called the “Trail of Tears” by the tribes, reflecting the heartache, death and cruelty
they had endured. The settlers, however, whose families had been butchered by Indians, had little empathy to give them.
In the North, George Washington was having troubles. Washington wanted to save New York City, but the British had landed 20,000 troops on Staten Island—these were professional soldiers. George Washington had between 9,000 and 10,000 troops, who were farmers,
tradesmen, and common people. They were poorly trained and poorly equipped. New York City also presented another problem. New York Governor William Tryon and New York City Mayor David Mathews had conspired to assassinate George Washington, trying to deprive the colonies of their most effective leader.
George Washington had a personal bodyguard unit known as the “Life Guard”.
Several of those men, unfortunately, had sold out to Tryon and Mathews. Thomas Hickey, one of the sell-outs, was arrested for passing counterfeit money. While in jail, he bragged to his cellmate about the plot to kill George Washington. Hickey was sentenced to death and hanged as a lesson to others who might be willing to sellout. The cellmate, hoping for a reduced sentence, reported the conversation to the Committee for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies, headed up by John Jay.
John Jay is credited with being the founder of counterintelligence in the United States, as well as the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. New York City had a population of 25,000 people, of which more than half were traitors and loyal to King George. It seems New York City hasn’t improved any in 250 years.
Nevertheless, New York was a valuable asset to whoever controlled it, and George Washington faced what appeared to be an insurmountable problem.
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Tidbits
July 23, 1885 – Ulysses S. Grant dies of throat cancer. Grant had failed at nearly everything in his life until the Civil War. He graduated from West Point in 1883 and entered the United States Army, but was dismissed because of drunkenness on the job. He tried farming, running a store and even a tannery but he failed at them all. When the Civil War began, Grant re-entered the
Army as a very low-level commissioned officer. However, war was something he understood. Moreover, he understood how to win a “modern” war. Grant started to rise in rank within the U.S. Army. Grant was relentless, despite losses, despite hardships. He kept pressing General Lee until he surrendered. It was Ulysses Grant, more than any other Union general, who helped save the United States of America.
July 24, 1847– After 17 months of travel, Brigham Young and 148 pioneers arrived in Utah. They settled in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake. These pioneers were the first of many groups from the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints, or Mormons, to make the trek to Utah.
July 24,
1915 – The steamer, Eastland, turned over in the Chicago River, drowning between 800 and 850 people. They were all part of the Western Electric Company's annual picnic. The picnic was attended by approximately 7300 people who assembled at the boat dock between LaSalle and Clark Streets. It was thought that the boat capsized because all of the people who had boarded the Eastland ran to one side of the boat to pose for a picture. The engineer aboard the Eastland tried to balance the boat
by opening the ballast tanks but couldn't do it fast enough to counteract the weight of the crowd.
July 24, 1969– The spacecraft Apollo 11 returned safely to Earth after a successful moon landing. Astronaut Neil Armstrong was the first human to set foot on a heavenly body outside of Earth.
July 25, 1853– California Rangers locate and attack outlaw Joaquin Murrieta, killing him and seven members of his gang. They also killed an outlaw known as “Tres Dedos” or “Three-Fingered Jack”. The Rangers preserved the outlaw's head and Three-fingered Jack's hand in whiskey, taking them to Stockton, California, to collect the reward of $6,000...a tidy sum in 1853. The Rangers also had the right to
exhibit Murrieta's head and Three-fingered Jack's hand at fairs and other events. The price of admission was $1. Times and people were tougher then.
July 25, 1961– President John F. Kennedy warned the American people about the need for atomic bomb shelters. I remember as a kid doing bomb drills in school and having to crawl under our desks. My
grade school was a big, old wood structure and, I'm positive, hiding under a desk would not have saved anyone. How many of you remember going through such drills? It seems laughable now, but it wasn't at the time.
July 26, 1775– The United States Postal System was established. Benjamin Franklin was the first Postmaster General. Franklin brought a
lot of experience to this new system. Starting in 1753, he had been a postmaster in Philadelphia under the British postal system.
July 27, 1953– An armistice was signed, ending the Korean War hostilities. Remember...an armistice is not a peace treaty and we are still at war.
July 28, 1914– Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. The world and the map of Europe would be changed forever.
July 29, 1958– The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established. The United States arch enemy, Russia, was well
ahead of the U.S. in the space race. In 1957, the Soviet Union launches Sputnik, the first man-made satellite. I remember my dad and I going out in the yard and watching for a fly-over.
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Gun Shows
While the gun show information shown in this email is believed to be accurate, sometimes changes occur. This is provided for informational purposes only.
If your club or organization is holding a gun show, event or class, let us know the details,
and we’d be happy to post it in our Weekly Range Schedule.
Sept. 19 – Sept. 20, 2026 Chillicothe Sportsmen's Club Gun & Knife Show, Chillicothe Sportsmen's Club House, Chillicothe, IL.
Sept. 19, 2026 National Civil War,
Military, and Collector Arms Show, DuPage County Fairgrounds, Wheaton, IL.
Oct. 3 - 4, 2026 Central Illinois Gun Collectors Association - New Berlin Gun Show, Sangamon County Fairgrounds, New Berlin, IL.
