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Supreme Court Takes On Two Assault-Weapon Ban Challenges

7/8/2026

Summary

Supreme Court Hears

On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear two challenges to assault-weapon bans in Connecticut and Cook County, Illinois.
The Court will review Grant v. Higgins, filed by Connecticut gun owners and the National Association for Gun Rights against the state’s AR-15-type rifle and large-magazine ban.
The Court will also consider Viramontes v. Cook County, a suit by pro-gun groups challenging Cook County’s assault-weapon rifle ban.

Summary

Supreme Court Labels AR-15

The Supreme Court called the AR-15 the nation’s most popular rifle in its 2025 decision.
The Court said “dangerous and unusual” weapons like fully-automatic M16s differ from semi-automatic civilian rifles.
The 1994 Staples v. United States decision held that automatic parts, not semi-automatic actions, define a weapon of war, making civilian AR-15s lawful.
Legislative bans target cosmetic items such as telescoping stocks, pistol grips and handguards instead of kinetic power.

Summary

Supreme Court Bars

The Supreme Court’s 2025 decision in Trump v. CASA, Inc., 606 U.S. 831, barred nationwide injunctions.
Justice Amy C. Barrett authored the 6–3 majority, saying universal injunctions exceed traditional equitable authority.
The ruling restricts district-court orders to named plaintiffs and their groups, prompting Attorney Sean Maloney to warn that it harms gun owners in the Viramontes case.

Summary

Halbrook Predicts Expansion

Stephen Halbrook said the Second Amendment became an individual right after the 2008 DC v. Heller decision.
He added that a small group of lawyers and scholars drove the change and shaped cases like McDonald v. Chicago and Bruen.
Halbrook expects the Court to broaden the precedents from two 2025 rulings when it rules on AR-15 bans.
Virginia’s AR-15-type rifle ban took effect despite several injunctions, showing state-level enforcement clashes.

History

Historical Context

After the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) recognized an individual right to keep firearms, the Court incorporated that right against the states in McDonald v. Chicago (2010). Building on that precedent, it now hears Connecticut’s Grant v. Higgins and Cook County’s Viramontes v. Cook County, cases that could reshape state bans on semi-automatic rifles.

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Supreme Court Hears

On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear two challenges to assault-weapon bans in Connecticut and Cook County, Illinois.
The Court will review Grant v. Higgins, filed by Connecticut gun owners and the National Association for Gun Rights against the state’s AR-15-type rifle and large-magazine ban.
The Court will also consider Viramontes v. Cook County, a suit by pro-gun groups challenging Cook County’s assault-weapon rifle ban.

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