Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty Images)

Virginia gun owners just can’t seem to get a break.

After beating back a ban on common semi-automatic rifles back in 2020, things seemed to be looking up in the Old Dominion. But with the Democrats winning a slim one-vote majority in the state House of Delegates in the last election, things are again heating up.

Bills introduced in both the House and Senate would ban many common firearms used for a number of lawful purposes, along with commonly owned standard-capacity magazines that come stock with many firearms purchased. The measures—SB2 and HB2—are nearly identical and both arguably unconstitutional under the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen ruling.

Ironically, these gun bills being introduced as the second measure of the year in both the House and Senate show anti-gun Democrat’s zeal for banning guns. The first measures introduced in both chambers were pro-abortion bills.

Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL), said the early introduction of the measures indicate anti-gun lawmakers are going to be “putting gun control as the second highest priority that they’re going to be working on.”

“I warned everybody in our alerts that if we didn’t win the elections, if we didn’t get the House and the Senate under control—especially if we lost both—that they could count on an assault weapon ban and extending the red-flag law,” Van Cleave said.

Unlike the measure introduced in 2020, which eventually died after some gun-ban advocates mentioned they favored confiscation, the new bill would ban the same firearms but has a grandfather clause to make it more palatable to the uninformed. According to the language, banned guns and magazines owned before the effective date, which would be July 1, 2024, can be kept. What that means, however, is nobody in Virginia would be permitted buy a new semi-auto rifle meeting the ban criteria or magazine holding more than 10 rounds after next July.

“This was their way of saying, ‘No, we’re not taking your guns,’” Van Cleave said. “Well, yeah, you are. You’re taking away future guns. You’re taking away guns for the next generation, and if my gun breaks and I want to buy a brand new one, I can’t do it. You’re taking that away from me.”

VCDL has schedule its annual Lobby Day for January 15 at the state capital. Virginia gun owners should plan to attend and let lawmakers know about this latest proposed infringement.

43 COMMENTS

  1. “Both arguably unconstitutional under Bruen.”
    Bruen, Bruen, Bruen.
    Its unconstitutional plain and simple, no need to get the bears involved, they are already worried about losing their Arms the way it is.
    .
    First the gunms, then the votes.
    Feel the pain Mortals.

    • What, some interspecies jealousy ‘possum? You got something against the bears? You do realize there is no constitutional right to keep and ‘possum arms?

        • It’s because TTAG sometimes converts our usage of certain words (such as ‘gun’ or ‘gear’) into hyperlinks that take you to an advertiser’s site. Kind of annoying. I don’t know if this policy ended upon Dan’s departure or if it continues, but some of us here have circumvented the hijacking of our comments by employing “creative spelling”.

        • Michael, I think he’s trying to avoid the censors. Besides, if you don’t enjoy Possum’s comments may I suggest the same thing I recommend to those that don’t care for mine. Don’t fucking read them!

        • “I despise this “gunms” BS that he posts all the time. It looks stupid.”

          Humor him, for cripes sake.

          When you read his comments, simply imagine you’re speaking to a real possum that knows how to use a computer…

        • I should have deleted this before I posted it. Did not realize or consider that he might be trying to avoid hyper links. I regret my post.

        • Or, here’s an original thought, Michael.

          Perhaps our possum is simply being (like he often is) as smartass??? I think he’s often funny as hell, but if you don’t? Skip over his comments. And possum may be a smartass, but he’s usually a funny smartass, instead of being a lying, smarmy smartass like MajorLiar or dacian the demented, so there’s that.

          Enjoy his snark, ignore it, skip over it, suit yourself.

  2. And how is it they are going to determine when a magazine was originally purchased? Do they have a magic genie?

    • And blue mugazined, lol.
      During the 94 assault weapons ban AK mugazines were illegal if they didn’t have place of origin stamped on the bottom.( if memory is correct) I’ve got some that are plain and some stamped China.
      All these mixed up laws are going to do is get a bunch of people in law jeopardy.

  3. It’s embarrassing but I am jealous of how the Pr0g-Left is able to maintain their energy and dedication to their “very wrong” causes. Repubs seem to be too lazy, frightened, or stupid to be bothered. Notice I said “Repubs” and not conservatives. To my mind, they are very different.

    This year should be… interesting.

    • They are financed by old white wealthy fascists and their only job is to push for their masters agenda.

      The rest of us have to work for a living. They have free lawyers and bail money while if we get into a jam we’re on our own.

      They are paid to travel and their expenses covered while they agitate.

      • “They are financed by old white wealthy fascists and their only job is to push for their masters agenda.”

        Evil never rests.

  4. Why are they called ‘lawmakers’ when they are actually law subverters? The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the land, and they constantly work to undermine that Constitution.

    • Article 3, Section 1 of the California State Constitution consists of a single sentence:

      “The State of California is an inseparable part of the United States of America, and the United States Constitution is the supreme law of the land.”

      Yet the Democrats here (I’m looking at you, Newsom, Bonta, and others over the years) regularly disregard the USC and attempt to subvert it. All the time.

      • That’s why they should be fired for not upholding the constitution to the best of their ability.
        These people that are all for eliminating the 2A do not realize once the ball gets rolling it wont stop with just a few of the constitutional rights it will take them all, and just because some people championed for getting rid of the ones they didn’t like or voted for The Takers plan doesn’t mean they will become beneficiaries of the New.
        They think they will.

  5. The anti-gun actions of Virginia was a contributing factor to Jan6. It isn’t Trump, it’s the Democrats that should be held responsible. There are a growing portion of this country that simply are getting tired of the Democrat party trampling all over the Constitution and the rights of the people.

  6. Yea I’d much rather them just do nothing. That would be nice. Call it gridlock or whatever but just please stop trying to help

    • As a general rule, gridlock is a good thing, and bipartisanship is a bad thing. If they come together to pass something, you’re usually about to be screwed.

      • Dude,

        As the old saying goes, “No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe so long as the legislature is in session.” Truer words were never spoken. Idiots like MajorLiar and dacian the demented love to (unironically) say objectively stupid things like “We need to protect democracy by keeping Trump off the ballots!!” It would be hilarious, if it weren’t so pathetic.

  7. “According to the language, banned guns and magazines owned before the effective date, which would be July 1, 2024, can be kept.”

    How would they know this unless it also includes registration?

    • According to Historical Analogies Gun Control is Racist as was and is the democRat Party…Reason to abolish one and flush the other.

    • As long as they are allowed. You honestly believe the federal government doesn’t know about every firearm purchased from a business. That required it to be documented. Since the 1984 Gun Control Act. Really… And even more likely now that electronic records have to be kept.

      • A lot of people think the 4473 is registration, as I do.
        On line sales of emmunition is also recorded, and if “they” want to they can pull up those purchases and say, ” Look here, possums bought 1000rnds of 9mm yet we have no records of him buying a 9mm. He must have a 9 we don’t know about.”
        And about a week later an aunt in South Africa that I didnt know about Red Flags me and the Takers are knocking on my door.
        “We will huff and puff and shute your kid if you don’t let us in.”
        Said the big bad wolf.

      • don’t overestimate the ATF….they’re capable of fucking-up a one car funeral…the problem is when they do that they usually find some way to blame you for it…

  8. The Supreme Court might just have to establish another court to handle all these “gun control” cases.

  9. Not that Possum needs anyone to defend him, but I’m going to do it anyway. I posted my PX on this site a few years ago. He was one of two that contacted me. I spent an hour on PX with him last night. Now I like to think I’m a pretty good judge of character. I was paid to do it for a very long time. Possum lives a little over 1000 miles from me. That’s about 16 hours nonstop driving. If he called me at 0300 hours tomorrow and said, “I need you to come to my house. Bring a shovel and a thousand dollars. Don’t ask any questions until you get here.” All I would say is, “Let me put on my boots, pack clean underwear and I’m on my way.” We could use more possums.

  10. Don’t listen to the Libertarians when they tell you not to vote. When they tell you voting is a waste of time.

    • A lot of POTG thought that exact same thing and thus poo pood the idea of it. Now they wished they had done more to prevent it.

  11. Shot down (pun intended) by SCOTUS every time and everywhere it’s been tried and implemented before. But that doesn’t stop the left – they’re employing that ages old hunting method of the desperate: spray and pray.

  12. Here they come again……that’s a Goober….”Surprise….Surprise….Surprise!!!”

    If one runs a predator off. It will be back. Shoot it, it never comes back. Repeatedly running predators of is akin to the insanity definition “doing the same act repeatedly, expecting a different outcome.”

    Virginia, like the old TV program….”You Asked For It”…..AGAIN. When you tire of the game show/sitcom, change the damn channel. It’s not the politicians as much as it is the free-shit-addicted Useful Idiot, Hair-on-fire-we’re all gonna die Karens, the Government Plantation Dwellers that keep voting the politicians into power.

    However, the Second Amendment is BIG BUSINESS for both sides. Ala, Second Amendment Foundation celebrates 50 years (who besides Gotlieb also saved us for 50 years…oh, yeah, guy named Biden) of same old same old “we’re the saviors gonna save you from the bad guys”…..and the NRA (LePewPew traded a paycheck for a bigger pension check)….and GOA…..and FPC…..and….and…..and. Big Business wins every time……patriots out source their freedom protection…..vets kit up on the wrong soil…..predators keep commin’ back. Surprise, Surprise, Surprise…..we are our only First Responders gonna’ save our freedom.

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