In case you missed it, the federal requirement that firearms possess serial numbers was found unconstitutional. In yet another impact of the decidedly significant Bruen SCOTUS ruling, a federal judge blocked a federal law criminalizing possession of a firearm with an “altered, obliterated, or removed” serial number.
Per Bruen, if a law has no historical parallel to the time of the drafting of the constitution, it may be found unconstitutional. Since in the 1790’s serialized guns didn’t even really exist in any significant numbers, if at all, there is little argument to be made against such a law. The case arose in Charleston, WV from a prohibited person caught in possession of not only a firearm, but one without a serial number. The defendant, Randy Price, challenged both charges on constitutional grounds, but only the challenge to the law requiring a serial number was upheld.
Despite being less than half a year old, the Bruen decision continues to ripple across US courts, rolling back gun control laws left and right. This hasn’t deterred anti-gun advocates, but it has given those fighting for RTKBA significant help in fending them off. Expect a lot more to come from this landmark ruling which eclipses even Heller and McDonald in scope and impact.
