Spanberger Signs Virginia Ban on Certain Semiautomatic Guns and High-Capacity Magazines

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed a bill this week that bans the sale and manufacture of certain semiautomatic firearms and magazines holding more than 15 rounds, setting up an immediate legal fight over the constitutionality of the measure. The law, SB 749, is scheduled to take effect July 1 and makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor to import, sell, manufacture, purchase, or transfer covered “assault firearms,” while allowing people who already own them to keep them.

Under the statute, the prohibited category is defined by a combination of firearm type, caliber, and specific design features. It covers certain semiautomatic centerfire rifles or pistols that accept detachable magazines and have listed characteristics, including folding or collapsible stocks, thumbhole or pistol grips, second handgrips, threaded barrels, and rifles capable of accepting certain muzzle devices. The ban also applies to magazines capable of holding more than 15 rounds. For violations, the law provides criminal penalties including up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine, and it bars people convicted of the offense from purchasing, possessing, or transporting firearms for three years. Exemptions in the...