The Allegheny Court of Common Pleas struck down Pittsburgh’s ban on the use of AR-15s within city limits.
Back in April 9, 2019 Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto signed the ban on AR-15 usage in the Steel city. WJAC reported on other parts of Peduto’s gun control ban which banned “most uses of armor-piercing ammunition and high-capacity magazines.”
In this gun control package, Peduto included Red Flag gun confiscation language which allowed for law enforcement to seize a person’s guns for allegedly posing a threat to themselves or others.
According to a report from WESA, Allegheny County Judge Joseph James ruled that all of Peduto’s gun control proposals were “void and unenforceable,” because they violated the state’s preemption statue.
Preemption laws bar cities or municipalities from enacting gun control policies that go beyond what exists at the state level.
For now, gun owners in Pittsburgh can catch a break. However, this ban showed that anti gunners are willing to take the battle wherever they can, so gun owners will have to remain vigilant at all levels of government.
The Pittsburgh ban is likely a trial run for future gun control campaigns in Pennsylvania, which is a state that could still do some work in protecting gun rights. It is currently ranked 32nd place according to Guns and Ammo magazine’s 2019 rankings for best states for gun owners.
