Reddit Bans Subreddits where Gun Parts and or Accessories are Traded or Sold

On October 9th, 2025, Reddit management/owners decided to ban all user to user sales and/or trades of firearms parts or accessories. The sale or trade of firearms was already banned on Reddit.  This rule goes into effect on October 9th, 2025. The announcement also bans the subreddit r/RetroARMarket completely. 

No one on Reddit will be allowed to facilitate user to user transactions involving firearms parts and enhancements. Even specific instructions, such as 3D printing files to make such items are banned. The notification of the bans can be read at this link.  

According to wikipedia, Reddit was the seventh most visited website on the planet as of February, 2025. Over 50% of the traffic comes from the United States, about 7 percent each from the UK and Canada, then about 4% from Australia and Germany at 3%. The rest is split among numerous other countries. It appears service is worldwide except for China and Indonesia. People who have DNS service in Indonesia are said to be able to access the site. 

In the notification of the change in rules, no reason is given for the change.  From the notification: 

“This means that on and after this date, communities will not be permitted to allow user to user transactions involving any firearm parts or enhancements. Discussions, reviews , links to external licensed vendors, and  user to user transactions involving items such as holsters, safes, or other non-enhancing items are still allowed.” 

People who are in the affected subreddits are not happy with the rule change. 

Analysis: There is a clear pattern from those who want a disarmed population. This group includes most governments on the planet. They realize to keep the population disarmed, they must prevent the people from having access to information about how to make firearms and ammunition. Australia bans the possession of computer files used to print firearms parts – even toy fireams – on 3D printers. New York State has attempted to do the same. These attempts in the United States are being challenged as not allowed under the First Amendment, which protects free speech and the freedom to publish. 

By making it more difficult for enthusiasts to trade or purchase legal items on line, Reddit is following the footsteps of other  services such as Ebay, Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. The Internet is a big place. As the Gun Control Act of 1968 caused enormous numbers of retail outlets to stop selling firearms, it also caused hundreds of thousands of dedicated firearms stores to spring up. These stores served as gathering places for Second Amendment enthusiasts.

Similarly, we may see Internet spaces which are freindly to fireams enthusiasts grow because they have an advantage over those which ban user to user sale and trade in the larger spaces. 

Where firearms are highly regulated, there persists active firearms communities. As rights protected by the Second Amendment are restored in the United States, firearm friendly Internet communities are likely to thrive inside the United States.

It is very difficult to stop the flow of information over the Internet.  As much as Europe tried to maintain a monopoly on the manufacture of modern firearms, it was impossible to stop the spread of such a powerful technology.  Stopping the spread of how to make firearms and ammunition is a much more difficult task. 

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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