Massachusetts Assault Weapons Ban: The Big Guns

And not guns banned (because theorically it’s ALL of them banned, even the 10-22 and the Walther P22), but the gathering forces are rattling sabers.

I think I linked this article….but didn’t reference this quote:

NRA is still assessing all legal and legislative options to protect the rights of Massachusetts gun owners. Stay tuned.

But also NSSF is joining in:

The National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®), the trade association for the firearms and ammunition industry, today announced that it will pursue legal action to challenge the “Enforcement Notice” issued by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey that would appear to ban sales of semiautomatic rifles in the commonwealth.

“With this ‘Enforcement Action,’ the Attorney General’s office has demonstrated how little it understands about firearms and has generated considerable uncertainty and confusion,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel. “Attorney General Healey and/or her staff have overreached their authority and decided to legislate from her office without the benefit of any public process. Her actions totally disregard 18 years of Massachusetts firearm law, supported by all state regulatory agencies and understood by all concerned, in which firearm retailers have operated. The Attorney General has undermined the legislative and public process by unilaterally declaring products that were legal to be illegal. In doing so, she has endangered the livelihoods of family-owned businesses and made potential felons out of tens of thousands of law-abiding citizens.”

“This unlawful overstepping of power must be challenged,” Keane said. NSSF has retained Michael Sullivan of the Ashcroft Law Firm, who is a former United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts and former acting director, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Boston-based law firm of Kenney and Sams, P.C.

NSSF is preparing and will file its action soon but will not discuss detailed legal strategy, potential co-plaintiffs or other details at this time.

And standing behind them is S&W:

The National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®), the trade association for the firearms industry, is pleased to announce that Smith & Wesson has joined NSSF’s #GUNVOTE Chairman’s Club with a $500,000 contribution to the association’s critical voter registration and education campaign. This is the largest contribution the #GUNVOTE campaign has received to date.

…James Debney, CEO of Smith & Wesson, said, “We are honored to support this effort on behalf of our employees and especially the law-abiding firearm owners of Massachusetts, who have so recently been denied their fundamental rights through arbitrary government action that threatens to turn lawful gun owners and dealers into criminals. To stop this from happening elsewhere, it is imperative that citizens across our nation are informed and knowledgeable about their rights, their candidates and the importance of their vote in this critical election year.”

I’m hoping all the relevant parties are communicating to join forces and give AG Healey the legal stomping she deserves.