## Virginia's Unconstitutional Gun Ban Gets Day in High Court
Virginia's incoming "assault firearms" ban—slated to take effect July 1, 2026—just ran into a major legal hurdle. Gun Owners of America, Gun Owners Foundation, and the Virginia Citizens Defense League have petitioned the Virginia Supreme Court for an emergency ruling on their challenge to this law.
The groups, represented alongside 2A journalist John Crump, filed suit in *Crump v. Katz* challenging the Commonwealth's ban on commonly owned firearms and standard-capacity magazines. They immediately sought a preliminary injunction to block enforcement while the case plays out.
Here's where it gets frustrating: the Lancaster County Circuit Court punted. Rather than ruling on the plaintiffs' motion, the court stayed the case because the state wants to consolidate it with other challenges filed across Virginia. That's bureaucratic delay tactics, plain and simple—and constitutional rights shouldn't be held hostage to procedural games.
GOA isn't letting this slide. They've asked the Virginia Supreme Court to issue a writ of mandamus compelling the lower court to act, or in the alternative, to issue the preliminary injunction itself.
"The Article I, Section 13 rights of Virginians to keep and bear arms are at stake," said GOA Senior Vice President Erich Pratt. "We will not sit idly by as those rights are attacked from Richmond."
This ban targets the exact firearms and magazines millions of Americans lawfully own. Standard semi-automatics and their magazines aren't "assault weapons"—they're everyday tools for self-defense, competition, and hunting. The government can't simply reclassify them overnight and expect gun owners to roll over.
The July 1 deadline is fast approaching. If you're a Virginia customer, stay tuned—we're watching this case closely. Your ability to purchase popular firearms and magazines may depend on what the Supreme Court decides in the coming weeks.