Rideout Arsenal, makers of the most innovative pistol of 2025, the Dragon, recently announced their intention to leave their home State of Virginia, citing the passing of new restrictive laws.
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The Announcement
Below, you can find the full press release, dated April 18, 2026:
“Rideout Arsenal is aware that Governor Abigail Spanberger has signed HB217 / SB749 and
HB21 / SB27 into law on April 13, 2026.
In anticipation of this outcome, we have already begun evaluating relocation options for our
company and manufacturing operation. We are in the final review phase between two states in
order to pick the right location for the long term success of the company. We expect to make a
decision within the coming weeks.
Until then, we will continue operating in Virginia for as long as possible.
Rideout Arsenal remains fully committed to our customers, our products, and our long-term
growth. We are actively preparing multiple paths forward—and we are not slowing down.
We appreciate your continued support and will share updates as soon as decisions are finalized.
Kelsey Rideout
Chief Operating Officer
Rideout Arsenal”
The New Laws
HB217 / SB749 expands the category of “assault firearms”, de facto banning several shotguns, semi-automatic rifles, and pistols, and prohibiting the sale of magazines holding over 15 rounds (the Rideout Arsenal Dragon is meant to ship with 17 and/or 20-round magazines).
While the above will certainly hurt the rights of law-abiding citizens of the State of Virginia, it’s not as threatening as HB21 / SB27 to a manufacturer such as Rideout Arsenal.
This law defines vague standards of “responsible conduct” for firearm manufacturers and “requires […] to establish and implement reasonable controls regarding the manufacture, sale, distribution, use, and marketing of the firearm industry member’s firearm-related products, as those terms are defined in the bill.”
Moreover:
“The bill creates a civil cause of action for the Attorney General or a local county, city, or town attorney to enforce the provisions of the bill or for any person who has been injured as a result of a firearm industry member’s violation to seek an injunction and to recover costs and damages. The bill also allows the Attorney General to issue a civil investigative demand if he has reasonable cause to believe that any person has engaged in, is engaging in, or is about to engage in any violation of such standards of responsible conduct.”
While the likelihood of a premium product such as the Dragon being used in a crime is incredibly low, it’s clear how a small, emerging company wouldn’t take the risk of operating under these conditions.
Rideout Arsenal Dragon: Updates
While wishing Rideout Arsenal a smooth relocation to a more welcoming State, we compliment them for selling all of the First Edition models.
TFB readers interested in the standard version of the pistol may already pre-order it on the dedicated page of the company’s website. The current lead time is listed as 9 months, hopefully not to be impacted by the move.
All images from the www.rideoutarsenal.com.
