Connecticut Assault Gun Ban Hinges on ‘Dangerous and Unusual’

Connecticut’s ban on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines likely turns on how a panel of Second Circuit judges interpret the phrase “dangerous and unusual.”

The National Association for Gun Rights wants the court to prevent the state from enforcing its ban specifically on AR-15s and large-capacity magazines, saying those kinds of weapons are in common use across the United States and aren’t considered “dangerous and unusual” firearms that can be banned under the Supreme Court’s new test for gun regulations.

Judge Alison Nathan, during oral arguments Wednesday, indicated “dangerous and unusual” could be interpreted as “unusually dangerous.” Her statement echoes ...