US District Judge William Young says that the average US citizen doesn’t “need” an AR-15 and has upheld the Assault Weapons ban passed in Massachusetts on Friday.

Not for hunting.
Not for home defense.
Not for hobby or sport.

In the absence of federal legislation, Massachusetts is free to ban these weapons and large capacity magazines,” Young wrote. “The AR-15’s present-day popularity is not constitutionally material. This is because the words of our Constitution are not mutable. They mean the same today as they did 227 years ago when the Second Amendment was adopted.

In addition, an enforcement notice against Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey issued in 2016 was also blocked by Judge Young, forcing gun manufacturers and dealers to clarify what constitutes a “copy” of an assault weapon like the AR-15 made by Colt, Anderson, LWRC, Spike’s Tactical, or any of a hundred other manufacturers.

The Gun Owners’ Action League of Massachusetts attempted to sue the state last year and are examining their next steps in the fight to protect the Second Amendment rights of the citizens of Massachusetts and beyond. They feel the ruling “sets a dangerous precedent”.

The Gun Owners’ Action League of Massachusetts and other pro-firearm lobby groups in the state are examining the proper course of action to take next.

Regulations across the US have tightened and are under close scrutiny after a gunman killed 17 students and staff at a Florida high school in February of this year.