SCOTUS Agrees to Hear Challenges to “Assault Weapon” Bans

Today, the United States Supreme Court granted certiorari in two cases challenging bans on “assault weapons.”

Grant v. Higgins is a challenge to Connecticut’s “assault weapon” ban. The law specifically identifies over 70 semiautomatic firearms—including the AR-15 platform—and also includes any “semiautomatic, centerfire rifle” if:

(i) it has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least one of the following:

I.  A folding or telescoping stock;

II.  Any grip of the weapon, including a pistol grip, a thumbhole stock, or any other stock, the use of which would allow an individual to grip the weapon, resulting in any finger on the trigger hand in addition to the trigger finger being directly below any portion of the action of the weapon when firing;

III.  A forward pistol grip;

IV.  A flash suppressor; or

V.  A grenade launcher or flare launcher; or

(ii) has a fixed magazine with the ability to accept more than ten rounds; or

(iii) has an overall length of less than thirty inches.

Viramontes v. Cook County, Illinois, is a challenge to Cook County’s “assault weapon” ban. The law specifically identifies more than 100 rifles—including the AR-15 platform—and includes any semiautomatic rifle capable of accepting a 10+ round magazine if it also has at least one of the following features:

(A) Only a pistol grip without a stock attached;

(B) Any feature capable of functioning as a protruding grip that can be held by the non-trigger hand;

(C) A folding, telescoping, or thumbhole stock;

(D) A shroud attached to the barrel, or that partially or completely encircles the barrel, allowing the bearer to hold the firearm with the non-trigger hand without being burned, but excluding a slide that encloses the barrel; or

(E) A muzzle break or muzzle compensator.

The Second Circuit upheld Connecticut’s ban in August 2025, while the Seventh Circuit upheld Cook County’s ban in June 2025.

The NRA has been fighting “assault weapon” bans for several decades, with ongoing challenges in Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia, and Washington. The Supreme Court now has an opportunity to reaffirm that bans on commonly possessed firearms violate the Second Amendment and permanently strike down “assault weapon” bans once and for all. 

Please stay tuned to www.nraila.org for future updates on NRA-ILA’s ongoing efforts to defend your constitutional rights, and please visit www.nraila.org/litigation to keep up to date on NRA-ILA’s ongoing litigation efforts.