A federal appeals court on Friday struck down New Jersey's decades-old ban on so-called assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, ruling that the state's restrictions on AR-15-style rifles and magazines holding more than 10 rounds violate the Second Amendment.

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a 10-5 decision that New Jersey's restrictions cannot survive the historical test established by the Supreme Court's 2022 New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which held that modern gun restrictions should follow "this nation's ​historical tradition of ⁠firearm regulation."

Writing for the majority, the court agreed with a lower court's decision that New Jersey's ban on AR-15 rifles violated the Second Amendment, and expanded that ruling to cover the broader class of semiautomatic center-fire rifles. The court also reversed the lower court's decision upholding the state's 10-round magazine limit, concluding that those restrictions likewise violate the Constitution.

New Jersey enacted its assault weapons law in 1990 following a mass shooting at a California elementary school. The law banned dozens of semiautomatic rifles, pistols, and shotguns, as well as firearms deemed "substantially identical" to those models. In 2018, the state tightened its magazine restrictions, lowering the legal capacity from 15 rounds to 10.

The ruling marks a significant victory for gun rights advocates and adds to growing legal uncertainty surrounding state assault weapons bans after the high court's 2022 decision.

The ruling comes just weeks after the Justice Department sued Virginia over its newly enacted assault weapons law, arguing the measure unconstitutionally bans the purchase and sale of AR-15-style firearms. The Trump administration has filed similar Second Amendment lawsuits against several blue states as part of an effort to challenge state gun restrictions in federal court.

The Supreme Court is already preparing to hear challenges to similar assault weapons bans in Illinois and Connecticut during its upcoming term, cases that are expected to determine whether states may continue prohibiting AR-15-style rifles and other semiautomatic guns nationwide.

Very nice

FoxNews won't allow me to read content on their site unless I disable my ad blocker. Screw them, the same article is available on many different sites that don't impose those restrictions.

I copied and pasted the article in case anyone else has that issue and would like to read it without searching for it. .

In other 2A news:

DOJ Files Suit Against Virginia Over Gun Ban

The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Virginia on Wednesday over a proposed “assault weapons” ban signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) that was previously meant to take effect the same day.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon filed the lawsuit against the commonwealth and the Virginia State Police, alleging Virginia “besmirched” the Second Amendment by passing such legislation.

“Virginians can be justly proud of their centuries-long tradition of leadership in the cause of liberty,” the filing said. “Sadly, however, that tradition was recently besmirched by the Virginia legislature’s enactment of SB749, a statute that infringes law-abiding Virginians’ fundamental right to keep and bear arms and thus violates the Second Amendment.”

The ban was signed by Spanberger as part of sweeping gun control legislation in April that banned the sale, purchase, import, manufacture, and transfer of semiautomatic center-fire rifles or pistols that can hold more than 20 rounds, which she referred to as “assault weapons.” The gun control legislation also includes a ban on high-capacity magazines that can hold more than 15 rounds.

In the lawsuit, Dhillon also takes issue with the term “assault weapons,” framing it as politically charged.

“The law thus uses politically charged rhetoric to describe the arms to which it applies. The term ‘assault firearm’ is not a technical term used in the firearms industry,” the filing said. “Rather, the term ‘assault weapon’ (and derivatives of that term) is a rhetorically charged political term developed by anti-gun publicists.”

Additionally, the lawsuit argues that because millions of “law-abiding Americans” own AR-style rifles and use them for a lawful purpose, the ban would bar citizens from using “ordinary semiautomatic rifles for a variety of lawful purposes, including but not limited to self-defense.”

“The Constitution is not a suggestion, and the Second Amendment is not a second-class right,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This Justice Department has done more to protect the Second Amendment than any administration in our nation’s history, and we will continue to do so whenever necessary.”

Virginia Republicans responded to the DOJ’s lawsuit, calling it “welcome news.”

“This is welcome news, but Virginians shouldn’t have to rely on federal intervention to protect their Second Amendment freedoms. Democrats are targeting law-abiding, responsible gun owners – and now they’re using YOUR tax dollars to defend their unconstitutional gun grab,” a statement Wednesday read.

The filing comes less than a week after a Virginia judge issued a preliminary injunction barring state police from enforcing the ban. In that case, a Lancaster County judge handed down the ruling based on the plaintiff’s argument that the ban violated the Virginia Constitution.

The judge’s ruling means Spanberger’s ban will no longer take effect on July 1 as planned, and the preliminary injunction will last until the end of the year.

In response to the Lancaster County ruling, Spanberger’s office said the governor “firmly believes” such weapons don’t belong on the streets.

Elsewhere, the Supreme Court agreed to take up an “assault weapons” ban case next term, related to challenges to Illinois and Connecticut laws. The court will rule on the argument over “whether the Second and 14th Amendments guarantee the right to possess AR-15 platform and similar semiautomatic rifles.”

Excellent

Thank you Lugnut for posting this info.

1990?

So the ban was in effect for 36 years. Law makers that write such legislation should be put to death 30 days after it is overturned.

This is winning on an unprecedented level and nearly all of the credit is owed to President Trump for his many federal judge appointments. He appointed five of the judges on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that just struck down New Jersey's "Assault Weapons" ban.

Can anybody remember a President and administration rolling back this many 2A infringements in their lifetime?

I can't.

We are celebrating 1 and 13,140……yay.

I have no idea what you mean.

Elections have consequences, in this era many good ones for freedom loving people. Subservient people though are not too happy it seems..

This is good stuff, Corky. Really nice to hear!

Neither do I. lol

I remember Heller. That is the precedent.

I agree, that was a very important precedent that many future rulings favorable to the 2A were based on.

i remember that the narrow majority opinion was comprised of justices appointed by Republican presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush while the four dissenting opinions were voiced by democrat appointed justices.

Good job Republicans. Especially those guys that had to get by a filibuster or Democrat controlled Senate.

Exactly! While I do not agree with a lot of the current admin's choices..... this is why I am still glad that I voted for him!!

WAHOO!!!!! Another one for the good guy's!