‘Assault Weapons’ Ban Targeting Pistols and Shotguns Headed to Gov. Youngkin’s Desk

Virginia’s House passed a ban an “assault weapons” ban last week and the Senate followed suit on Wednesday of this week, which means an “assault weapons” ban is now headed to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R) desk.

Breitbart News reported that the ‘assault weapons’ legislation, House Bill 2 and companion bill Senate Bill 2, targets semiautomatic centerfire rifles and semiautomatic centerfire pistols with threaded barrels and semiautomatic shotguns, if the shotguns have “a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the shotgun … the ability to accept a detachable magazine … [or] a fixed magazine capacity in excess of seven rounds.”

WVTF noted state Sen. John McGuire (R) indicating that to Virginia Democrats, an incredibly wide swath of things can fall under the category of “assault weapons.”

McGuire said, “Most of these crimes are being committed by handguns illegally, not what you guys call assault guns, which is by the way a misnomer. It’s a semi-automatic rifle.”

He continued, “I suppose if I hit you in the head with a hammer you would call it an assault hammer.”

This week, Virginia Senate Democrats also passed legislation broadening gun-free zones for concealed carry permit holders. SB 57 bars concealed carry permit holders from carrying a gun for self-defense in any restaurant that serves alcohol.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio, a Turning Point USA Ambassador, and a pro-staffer for Pulsar Night Vision. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal in 2010 and holds a Ph.D. in Military History, with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.