Third Circuit Rules New Jersey AR-15 and Large-Capacity Magazine Bans Unconstitutional
The ruling applies binding precedent across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, and sets up a likely Supreme Court petition that could reshape semiautomatic rifle regulation nationwide.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit struck down New Jersey's ban on semiautomatic rifles — commonly referred to as AR-15-style firearms — and its prohibition on large-capacity magazines, ruling both laws unconstitutional under the Second Amendment, according to the court's published opinion. The decision, reported by Fox News on July 18, 2026, represents a direct application of the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which established that firearms regulations must be consistent with the nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation.
New Jersey enacted its assault weapons ban and large-capacity magazine restrictions under state statute N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5, with the magazine prohibition capping lawful capacity at ten rounds. The state had defended both laws as consistent with the public safety interest articulated by prior circuit precedent, but the Third Circuit's panel found that defense insufficient under the Bruen historical-tradition test, according to the Fox News report citing the court's ruling.
The National Rifle Association issued a statement characterizing the decision as a 'historic victory,' as quoted in the Fox News report. The NRA has been a named party or amicus participant in multiple Second Amendment cases across federal circuits since the Bruen decision. The full text of the Third Circuit opinion, including the panel composition and any dissents, was not reproduced in the available source material; the official opinion docket would provide that detail.
New Jersey Attorney General's office response to the ruling, including whether the state intends to seek en banc review or petition the Supreme Court for certiorari, was not confirmed in the available source material as of publication. A statement from the New Jersey AG's office or a docket entry on PACER for the relevant case number would be the public record that answers that question.
What remains unknown as of July 18, 2026: the specific case name and docket number, the names of the three-judge panel, whether any judge dissented, and the precise scope of the injunction — including whether it takes immediate effect or is stayed pending further appeal. The Third Circuit's official case docket on PACER and the court's published opinion would resolve each of those open questions.