Ninth Circuit Panel Ruled Against Knife Rights in CA 2A Switchblade Ban Appeal

February 2, 2026
4:06 am

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In a gut-punch to Second Amendment advocates, a Ninth Circuit panel has just slammed the door on Knife Rights' challenge to California's draconian ban on switchblade knives with blades longer than 2 inches. The ruling upholds Penal Code Section 21510, dismissing arguments that switchblades are arms protected under the Constitution's most sacred right. Knife Rights, the nonprofit powerhouse that's been battling knife restrictions nationwide, contends the court twisted the statute's plain language—originally banning possession with intent to sell or carry concealed—into a blanket prohibition on mere ownership. They're not backing down, already weighing en banc review or a Supreme Court cert petition, but this decision reeks of judicial activism designed to prop up Sacramento's nanny-state impulses. This isn't just about flicking open a blade; it's a flashing red warning light for the entire 2A community. California's switchblade ban, rooted in 1950s moral panic over greaser gangs and West Side Story hysteria, has long been a relic selectively enforced against law-abiding folks while criminals ignore it. The Ninth Circuit's Bruen-era dodge—failing to properly apply the Supreme Court's history-and-tradition test—mirrors the same sleight-of-hand courts have used to gut protections for bearable arms beyond guns. Remember how AR-15s got reclassified as dangerous and unusual? Same playbook here: redefine arms narrowly to exclude anything judges personally dislike. If switchblades—practical tools for EDC, fishing, or self-defense—aren't covered, what's next? Brass knuckles? Tactical pens? This ruling emboldens blue-state tyrants to chip away at the right to carry effective tools, testing the limits of Bruen's promise that the Second Amendment isn't a second-class right. Gun owners, knife carriers, and 2A patriots: rally time. Knife Rights needs our support—donate, amplify, and pressure for higher review. A loss here ripples outward, potentially arming (pun intended) challenges to magazine bans, suppressors, or even standard folders. The Ninth Circuit's nine robed overlords just drew a line in the sand, but history shows the Supreme Court loves overturning their overreach. Stay vigilant; our rights aren't preserved by courts alone, but by a community that fights back.

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In a gut-punch to Second Amendment advocates, a Ninth Circuit panel has just slammed the door on Knife Rights’ challenge to California’s draconian ban on switchblade knives with blades longer than 2 inches. The ruling upholds Penal Code Section 21510, dismissing arguments that switchblades are arms protected under the Constitution’s most sacred right. Knife Rights, the nonprofit powerhouse that’s been battling knife restrictions nationwide, contends the court twisted the statute’s plain language—originally banning possession with intent to sell or carry concealed—into a blanket prohibition on mere ownership. They’re not backing down, already weighing en banc review or a Supreme Court cert petition, but this decision reeks of judicial activism designed to prop up Sacramento’s nanny-state impulses.

This isn’t just about flicking open a blade; it’s a flashing red warning light for the entire 2A community. California’s switchblade ban, rooted in 1950s moral panic over greaser gangs and West Side Story hysteria, has long been a relic selectively enforced against law-abiding folks while criminals ignore it. The Ninth Circuit’s Bruen-era dodge—failing to properly apply the Supreme Court’s history-and-tradition test—mirrors the same sleight-of-hand courts have used to gut protections for bearable arms beyond guns. Remember how AR-15s got reclassified as dangerous and unusual? Same playbook here: redefine arms narrowly to exclude anything judges personally dislike. If switchblades—practical tools for EDC, fishing, or self-defense—aren’t covered, what’s next? Brass knuckles? Tactical pens? This ruling emboldens blue-state tyrants to chip away at the right to carry effective tools, testing the limits of Bruen’s promise that the Second Amendment isn’t a second-class right.

Gun owners, knife carriers, and 2A patriots: rally time. Knife Rights needs our support—donate, amplify, and pressure for higher review. A loss here ripples outward, potentially arming (pun intended) challenges to magazine bans, suppressors, or even standard folders. The Ninth Circuit’s nine robed overlords just drew a line in the sand, but history shows the Supreme Court loves overturning their overreach. Stay vigilant; our rights aren’t preserved by courts alone, but by a community that fights back.

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