Maryland Assault Weapons Ban Upheld by Full Appeals Court (2)

Maryland’s ban on semiautomatic assault-style rifles is constitutional, the full Fourth Circuit ruled 10-5 Tuesday.

The decision was one of two on Tuesday in which the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, sitting en banc, upheld gun regulations by ruling that certain firearms fall outside the scope of the Second Amendment’s right to bear and keep arms. The majority in both cases said the weapons aren’t constitutionally protected arms partially because of their dangerousness.

Restrictions on such weapons—the assault weapons in Maryland and guns without serial numbers nationally in a second case— survive constitutional scrutiny ...