Supreme Court Leaves in Place Bans on High-Capacity Magazines, Some AR-15s

The US Supreme Court on Monday morning declined to hear a Second Amendment case involving challenges to bans on high-capacity magazines and some semi-automatic weapons.

One case involved Maryland’s 2012 ban on some semi-automatic weapons like AR-15 rifles.

The high court also declined to hear arguments challenging Rhode Island’s ban on high-capacity magazines.

The Supreme Court did not explain its decision not to hear arguments on the cases, but conservative Justices Gorsuch, Alito, and Thomas dissented.

Justice Kavanaugh said the Supreme Court will be addressing the AR-15 challenge soon.

“Additional petitions for certiorari will likely be before this Court shortly and, in my view, this Court should and presumably will address the AR-15 issue soon, in the next Term or two,” Kavanaugh said in a statement.

BREAKING

Supreme Court declines to hear cases challenging “assault weapons” bans & magazine limits. But, Justice Kavanaugh gives gun owners some hope with this statement:

“[T]his Court should and presumably will address the AR-15 issue soon, in the next Term or two.” pic.twitter.com/LXq2zPw38Z

— Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) June 2, 2025

CNN reported:

The Supreme Court declined Monday to hear arguments in a pair of significant Second Amendment challenges involving certain semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity magazines, a move that leaves both of those laws in place.

One of the appeals dealt with Maryland’s ban on certain semi-automatic weapons such as AR- and AK-style rifles. The law, enacted after the deadly 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, was challenged by David Snope, a state resident who wants to purchase those rifles for self-defense and other purposes.

The Supreme Court also declined to hear a challenge to Rhode Island’s ban on high-capacity gun magazines, leaving that law in place.

As is typical, the court did not explain its reasoning in denying the cases, though it has denied several high profile gun appeals over the past year. Conservative Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas dissented from the court’s decision not to hear the pair of cases.