Common ownership should determine Second Amendment protection for rifles

Laws and political debate governing firearm ownership, sales, carrying and enforcement in the United States, from background checks to red flag orders. Shaped as much by Second Amendment litigation as by legislation, and among the most durable partisan divides in American politics.

Federal litigation over state and local bans on specified semiautomatic rifles, commonly labeled assault weapons, reached the Supreme Court on June 30, 2026, when it accepted challenges to Cook County, Illinois, and Connecticut restrictions. The consolidated cases are scheduled for argument on December 2, 2026.