Latest update: We have been approved for zoning and have our FFL via the federal government and Pennsylvania. We are back up and running in near full capacity. Come on in and get your training, guns, and gear. Appointments recommended. Walk-ins are welcome. We eagerly await the Superior Court’s decisions soon.
Updated January 27, 2025 – DRAFT
BIG UPDATE (DRAFT): Lower Merion Township Board of Commissioners has UNANIMOUSLY approved Shot Tec, LLC at 230 Rock Hill Rd to have our FFL back! We are grateful and excited while at the same time recognize that this process has hampered essential, vital, and constitutional services, let alone our business and the Shot Tec team. The process should not exist, is punitive, and never should have been imposed on residents who require our vital services of education, training, and access to an FFL in the first place. The lawsuits continue but with this approval we will now be applying with the ATF and PA State Police to move our current and functioning FFL from a nearby office to our Bala Cynwyd retail location. We received our approval packet today from the township outlining the many months long process. Some highlights of the process: Prince Law Offices took this case with us and FOAC (link below) to Montgomery County district court (incredible to watch) and the judge slashed the ordinance leaving 3 items: 1) We keep our name on file with the Township; 2) Identify any fictitious names; 3) We can’t be near a school unless we’re an FFL basically. The rest of the items were bad-faith items to designed to make it impossible for any FFL to open. One committee approved us 3-0 with 4 abstentions explicitly acknowledging their gross bias. Some committee persons had discussed openly and falsely claiming a “no quorum” to thwart the process despite being present and having voted on previous agenda items. They were advised in real time that would be wrong. I am told it is unprecedented that a committee passed a resolution 3-0 majority with 4 abstaining. Then the Examiner wrote a 53 page report (sheesh!) that couldn’t help but acknowledge our right to be approved. She was perturbed that she was limited in her authority to question about business or industry under what remained of the ordinance that the Judiciary seriously slashed and limited her scope. This is why the 2nd amendment, Article 1 Section 21, and Pre-Emption exists, but none of it would matter without your incredible support and patronage, the incredible attorneys of Prince Law Offices Joshua Prince and Dillon Harris, our zoning attorney Peter Kraybill of GKH and his staff, and of course Firearm Owners Against Crime, the heavy hitter in Pennsylvania. The fight for our rights is not close to over. The fight continues but our ability to provide necessary constitutional services will return and grow. Updates to follow.
Posted and updated June 28, 2024: Lower Merion Township has broken state pre-emption by banning new firearms businesses, specifically Shot Tec, and is trying to set precedent to spread across Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, you are required by state and federal law to go to a local FFL to buy, sell, transfer, etc, even if two brothers want to transfer ownership of a handgun. Lower Merion Township has targeted law abiding gun owners by banning firearms businesses that do the background checks and paperwork the federal and state governments require— and if they can, any township in PA can. We need your help to fight them in court now alongside Firearms Owners Against Crime. We are simultaneously attempting to apply for the votes with The Board of Commissioners to become an FFL too if it is at all possible (we shall see). If we were not primarily a training business, we would be forced to close.
Support Shot Tec by purchasing a “Train For Your Rights” T-Shirt:
Backstory: Shot Tec, LLC was the only open-to-the-public FFL in Lower Merion and had been running an FFL with no issues since its start 3 years prior. It was the only local resource for thousands of law abiding gun owners to access background checks for legal transfers. Due to the ordinance, Shot Tec was forced to let go of their license and re-apply within a scheme designed to be overly burdensome, perhaps impossible to satisfy by the township’s design. As a result, thousands, including those who relied on the Hold My Guns program for those in need, are disparaged. If this ordinance stands, more localities will follow suit.
The frontline for your 2nd amendment rights in Pennsylvania is between Shot Tec and The Township of Lower Merion. Join the frontline coalition effort for firearms rights with Shot Tec, Firearms Owners Against Crime (FOAC), Second Amendment Foundation, and The Prince Law Firm.
Shot Tec’s attorneys and 2A powerhouses, Joshua Prince and Dillon Harris of the Firearms Industry Consulting Group, a division of Civil Rights Defense Firm, P.C., summarized it, “[we are suing] Lower Merion Township over its recently enacted ordinance regulating (out of existence) Federal Firearm Licensees (FFLs) in the township.” See FOAC’s blog post here and Prince Law Firm’s post here.
How you can help:
- Buy a Shot Tec t-shirt that advocates for training while we don’t have the ability to do paperwork to buy/ sell/ trade/ ship in firearms.
- Buy a Shot Tec morale patch.
- Order accessories from Shot Tec’s website or stop by our Pro-Shop at 230 Rock Hill Road, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 for ammunition, accessories, etc at https://shop.shottectraining.com/.
- Buy Training Gift Cards.
- Sign up for training for yourself or loved ones at www.shottectraining.com’s booking page.
- Join “Friends of Shot Tec Events” Facebook or whatsapp where we attend recreational, educational, or training events at or outside of the Shot Tec office. Call or email for details.
- Give us a 5-star review on Google Maps
- Join the muster for Township Board of Commissioner Protests and Open Carry Protests! Enter your contact info to our website. If you don’t want to be emailed or texted, simply return to this page for updates.
The “Train for Your Rights” campaign signifies that while the people of Lower Merion can’t access the local legal ability to conduct transfers… well, we can train. Shot Tec, LLC is doubling down on our training capabilities and increasing our instructor staff and advanced simulation training technology to provide the best training experience.
Shot Tec, LLC is now also launching “Friends of Shot Tec, [Link coming soon]” for which we invite you to join us as we ourselves participate in live-fire competitions, morale building events, and advanced continuing education classes from other instructors. Contact us to be invited.
This coalition will prevail. Join the fight and get training! Please let us know how we can be of service to you in your training journey and from our pro shop. Visit www.shottectraining.com for more information and see the various promotions we will be running and lets get training!
“§ 6120. Limitation on the regulation of firearms and ammunition. (a) General rule.–No county, municipality or township may in any manner regulate the lawful ownership, possession, transfer or transportation of firearms, ammunition or ammunition components when carried or transported for purposes not prohibited by the laws of this Commonwealth.”
Pennsylvania Uniform Firearms Act – Section 6120 A
Shot Tec, LLC was also illegally targeted by the Sheriff’s office and has fought back with The Prince Law Firm with the help of Second Amendment Foundation (SAF). More on that here from Prince Law Firm’s post: “Montgomery County Sheriff Agrees To Stay Firearm License Inspection Policy” and overview from SAF: “SAF Sues Pennsylvania Sheriff To Stop Warrantless Searches.”
[Updates will be posted here. Check back for more.]
