Washington, D.C.’s gun laws have once again catapulted into the national spotlight as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit grapples with the Second Amendment issues. This follows The Washington Post’s report on the current judiciary review, which is revisiting the District’s ban on large-capacity magazines as defined by D.C. law — those capacitating more than ten rounds of ammunition.
As described by The Washington Post, this renewed legal challenge emerged after the 2022 Supreme Court ruling in N.Y. State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, which has potentially profound implications for local gun control measures. This scenario underscores the ongoing reinterpretation of the Second Amendment’s scope against modern gun control efforts.
The case history in D.C. details a long trajectory of contentious fire-arm regulation, dating back to when the D.C. Council enacted restrictive handgun legislation in June 1976, barely a year and a half after the congressional establishment of home rule in the District. As The Washington Post’s article outlines, these regulations faced opposition, including failed attempts by Congress to intervene.