During its next term, the Supreme Court will address the long-simmering question of whether "assault weapon" bans are consistent with the Second Amendment. The answer could have broad implications for other state limits on the arms that residents are allowed to purchase and possess.
A dozen states have enacted bans on firearms that legislators tendentiously describe as "assault weapons," which supposedly are good for nothing but mass murder. These laws typically ban a long list of gun models, along with firearms that meet specified criteria, including semi-automatic rifles that accept detachable magazines and have arbitrarily disfavored features such as folding stocks, pistol grips, and barrel shrouds. The bans encompass some of the most popular guns sold in the United States, including AR-15-style rifles.
