New Jersey Assault Weapons Ban Overturned by 3rd Circuit Court

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit invalidated New Jersey's ban on modern sporting rifles and standard-capacity magazines, ruling that the restriction violates the Second Amendment. In a 10‑5 decision authored by Judge Arianna Freeman, the court applied Supreme Court precedents from Heller and Bruen, finding that firearms "in common use" cannot be broadly prohibited. The ruling expands a prior district‑court finding that only certain AR‑15 models were protected, now covering the entire class of semi‑automatic rifles.

The decision is expected to influence challenges to similar assault‑weapon bans in other jurisdictions, including Delaware and the U.S. Virgin Islands, which fall within the Third Circuit, and may shape pending cases in Illinois and Connecticut. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear two appeals concerning state assault‑weapon bans, signaling that the issue could be resolved at the highest level in the near future.