The National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR) has filed an appeal to the United States Supreme Court challenging Connecticut’s ban on so-called “assault weapons” and standard-capacity magazines.
The appeal follows a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which upheld the Connecticut ban and, in doing so, defied existing Supreme Court precedent established in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) and New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022).
“The Second Circuit’s decision is one of the most brazen acts of defiance toward Supreme Court precedent we’ve seen yet,” said Dudley Brown, president of the National Association for Gun Rights. “If left standing, it would effectively render Heller and Bruen meaningless and give rogue judges the power to gut the Second Amendment.”
The case, National Association for Gun Rights v. Lamont, is widely considered a key test for whether the Supreme Court will finally address the constitutionality of bans on AR-15s and similar firearms. Justice Brett Kavanaugh recently remarked that the Court should “address the AR-15 issue soon, in the next term or two.”
In its ruling, the Second Circuit conceded that AR-15-style rifles are in “common use,” but nevertheless argued that governments may still ban them. That position directly contradicts the Court’s holding in Bruen, where the “common use” standard was highlighted as central to evaluating restrictions on arms.
In August 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Hartford, Connecticut upheld that state’s bans on commonly owned semi-auto rifles and standard-capacity magazines. The ruling came in Lamont and Grant v. Rovella, two consolidated challenges to Connecticut’s restrictions on so-called assault weapons and magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds.
NAGR argued that AR-15-style rifles and standard magazines are among the most popular firearms and accessories in the nation, owned by millions of law-abiding citizens for self-defense, hunting, and sport shooting. The Second Circuit rejected those arguments, concluding the state’s bans are consistent with what it called a tradition of regulating “unusually dangerous” weapons.
“This appeal isn’t just about Connecticut,” NAGR’s Brown added. “The Second Circuit effectively invited other jurisdictions to ignore Supreme Court precedent, daring the justices to step in.”
The National Association for Gun Rights is a 501(c)(4) organization headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina.
