In a rare and welcome twist from the Biden-era Department of Justice, the federal government has filed a statement of interest backing Second Amendment advocacy groups in their lawsuit against Massachusetts’ sweeping assault weapons ban. This isn’t just procedural paperwork—it’s a direct shot across the bow of one of the bluest states’ most aggressive gun control regimes, which prohibits a wide array of semi-automatic rifles, pistols, and shotguns under the guise of public safety. The DOJ’s move echoes the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision, arguing that Massachusetts’ law fails the post-Bruen test by lacking historical analogues from the founding era and imposing undue burdens on common self-defense arms. For 2A supporters, this is manna from heaven, signaling that even under a pro-regulation administration, the legal momentum from recent court wins is forcing federal acknowledgment of constitutional limits.
Context matters here: Massachusetts’ ban, enacted in 2024 amid a post-Bruen scramble by gun-control states, mirrors draconian measures in places like California and New York that have been repeatedly gutted by federal courts. The DOJ’s intervention—submitted in support of plaintiffs like the Firearms Policy Coalition and Gun Owners Action League—highlights internal tensions within the administration. Remember, AG Merrick Garland’s office has otherwise championed ATF rules expanding gun violence restraining orders and pistol brace bans, yet this filing concedes that blanket bans on assault weapons (a politicized term for standard AR-15 platforms owned by millions) don’t pass constitutional muster. It’s clever lawyering: by siding with plaintiffs, the feds avoid a potential Supreme Court smackdown while subtly undermining state overreach.
The implications for the 2A community are electric. This could accelerate the domino effect, pressuring other circuits to strike down similar laws and emboldening challenges nationwide—think Illinois, New Jersey, and beyond. For gun owners, it’s a reminder that Bruen’s text, history, and tradition standard isn’t just rhetoric; it’s dismantling the post-1994 assault weapons ban playbook piece by piece. Stay vigilant, stock up on ammo, and watch the courts: the tide is turning, and Massachusetts might just be the next domino to fall.
