Quick note before we start: this is legal commentary on a case that was still working through the courts when I wrote it. Check the current status before you rely on anything here.
I’m Lance Rankin, owner and gunsmith at Western Sport in Roanoke, Texas. I sell and build AR-15s for a living, so when a state ban on “assault weapons” gets dragged into court, I pay attention. The video above covers a lawsuit the National Association for Gun Rights filed against the Massachusetts assault weapon ban, and it’s worth a watch. Here’s my read on it.
How Massachusetts got here
Massachusetts has had some version of an assault weapon ban for decades. When the federal ban expired in 2004, the state kept its own on the books, and in 2016 the state attorney general’s office broadened enforcement to sweep in so-called “copycat” rifles, which pulled a huge range of ordinary semi-automatic firearms under the ban. Lawsuits followed, and courts upheld the ban using a balancing act: weigh society’s interest against the individual’s right, and society wins. That was the standard playbook for years.
Then Bruen changed the test
The Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen threw that playbook out. Courts can no longer uphold a gun law just because judges think the tradeoff is worth it. The law has to be consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation. Layer that on top of the “common use” standard from Heller, which says arms in common use for lawful purposes can’t be banned, and a lot of state bans suddenly look shaky.
What NAGR is arguing
NAGR’s lawsuit says the Massachusetts ban fails both tests. The rifles and standard-capacity magazines it prohibits are owned by the millions across this country for hunting, competition, and home defense. The AR-15, the most popular rifle in America, is exactly the kind of firearm the ban covers. Hard to call something “dangerous and unusual” when I can barely keep them on the shelf here in Texas.
That’s not a gun-shop wisecrack, it’s the actual legal question. If common use is the standard, the numbers matter, and the numbers are not on Massachusetts’ side.
Why a Texas dealer cares about a Massachusetts case
Precedent travels. If this challenge succeeds, it weakens every similar ban in the country, and if it fails, it hands other states a roadmap for defending theirs. Roughly ten states have some form of assault weapon ban, and the courts are eventually going to have to reconcile those laws with Bruen. Cases like this one are how that fight gets settled.
My customers here don’t deal with any of this. Texas has constitutional carry and no state-level restrictions on the rifles Massachusetts bans. But I’ve shipped enough FFL transfers to restrictive states to know how much paperwork and guesswork those bans create for ordinary gun owners, and I’d like to see the courts clean it up.
Where it stands
As of this writing, the case is pending and Massachusetts will have to defend its ban under the tougher post-Bruen standard. These challenges move slowly and appeals are all but guaranteed either way, so don’t expect a quick resolution. If you’re in an affected state, follow the case directly and talk to a local attorney before acting on anything, because the rules on the ground haven’t changed yet.
Lance Rankin is the owner and Chief Gunsmith of Western Sport, a family-run Type 07 FFL and Class 3/SOT dealer in Roanoke, Texas, serving shooters since 2007. Born and raised in Texas with over 50 years of experience handling firearms, Lance purchased Western Sport in 2017 and turned his lifelong passion into his profession. He specializes in AR-15 and AR-10 platform rifles, manufactures Western Sport’s own AR-15 line under the Rankin Industries brand, and runs the shop’s in-house Cerakote coating operation. When he’s not behind the counter or the workbench, you’ll find him on his ranch deep into the night, hunting coyotes with an AR-15 and thermal optics. Lance holds an MBA and personally shoots and tests the products Western Sport sells.
