NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, is disappointed by the decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Barnett v. Raoul. NSSF respectfully disagrees with the Court's decision to reverse and remand a lower court's ruling — made after conducting a several-day bench trial — that Illinois' law is unconstitutional and that Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs) and standard-capacity magazines are "arms" protected by the Second Amendment. As disappointing as this decision is, NSSF is confident that the U.S. Supreme Court's holdings in Heller and Bruen are clear and those precedents plainly vindicate the challenges to similar laws that will be argued before the Supreme Court in Viramontes v. Cook County and Grant v. Higgins in the next session.
NSSF is a plaintiff in this case and plans on filing a cert petition with the U.S. Supreme Court.
NSSF believes the Seventh Circuit erred in its decision when it ruled that MSRs are "dangerous and unusual." There are more than 32 million MSRs in circulation today, making these semiautomatic, centerfire rifles commonly owned and commonly used by nearly every standard. Likewise, there are hundreds of millions of standard-capacity magazines owned by law-abiding Americans in the United States. Further, NSSF believes the court misapplied the Bruen test by relying on a handful of laws restricting the carrying of Bowie knives that are in no way analogous to Illinois' law and post-date not only the Nation's founding, but also the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment.
NSSF agrees with Chief Judge Michael Brennan's dissent, in the strongest terms, in which he wrote, "Now, with perhaps the most comprehensive trial record in any Second Amendment case to date, this court repeats its error. Our Nation's enduring traditions forbid governments from prohibiting firearms commonly owned for self-defense. Because the people have overwhelmingly chosen the AR-15 rifle and its magazine as their weapon of choice, they are protected by the Second Amendment."
About NSSF: NSSF is the trade association for the firearm industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of thousands of manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen's organizations and publishers nationwide. For more information, visit nssf.org.