NAGR v. Lamont: Large-Capacity Magazine Ban Challenge

National Association for Gun Rights v. Lamont (NAGR v. Lamont) is a federal lawsuit challenging Connecticut's bans on both assault weapons (CGS 53-202a through 53-202c) and large-capacity magazines (CGS 53-202w) under the Second Amendment. The case was consolidated with Grant v. Rovella at the Second Circuit level and is now pending before the U.S. Supreme Court on a petition for certiorari.^[1]

Update: 5 SCOTUS Relists, April 17 Next Conference

As of April 12, 2026, the cert petition has now been relisted five times at the U.S. Supreme Court. It was distributed to the Court's April 2, 2026 conference but did not appear on the orders list issued April 6. The next scheduled conference is April 17, 2026, where 14 Second Amendment cases are pending consideration.

Per the Duke Center for Firearms Law: "No movement... following the April 2 conference; none was listed on the Orders List as of April 6." Five relists is unusual and is often interpreted as signaling that one or more Justices are drafting a dissent from denial of certiorari, though it can also indicate that the Court is considering whether to grant review. A grant, a denial-with-dissent, or a denial without comment could all emerge from the April 17 conference.

Connecticut's Magazine Ban

Connecticut prohibits the sale, transfer, and possession of magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition under CGS 53-202w. Magazines lawfully possessed before April 4, 2013, may be retained if declared to DESPP. Possession by a prohibited person is a Class D felony; possession by a non-prohibited person is a Class A misdemeanor (as amended by HB 6667 in 2023).^[2]

The Challenge

The National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR), joined by individual plaintiffs, argues that AR-15-style rifles and magazines with capacities exceeding 10 rounds are among the most popular firearms and accessories in the nation, owned by millions of law-abiding citizens for self-defense, hunting, and sport shooting. Under the Supreme Court's Bruen framework, plaintiffs contend that these commonly owned items cannot be banned.^[3]

Second Circuit Decision

On August 22, 2025, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Connecticut's bans in a consolidated opinion covering both NAGR v. Lamont (No. 23-1162) and Grant v. Rovella (No. 23-1344). Judge John M. Walker's opinion found the bans consistent with the historical tradition of regulating "unusually dangerous" weapons, holding that the challenged firearms and magazines fall outside the Second Amendment's protection.^[4]

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong praised the ruling, stating that the Second Circuit correctly applied the Bruen framework. Gun rights organizations characterized the decision as an example of lower courts "openly defying" the Supreme Court's Second Amendment precedents.^[5]

Supreme Court Petition

On October 3, 2025, NAGR filed a petition for writ of certiorari (No. 25-421), asking the Supreme Court to decide whether bans on AR-15-style rifles and magazines with a capacity exceeding 10 rounds violate the Second Amendment.^[6] The petition frames the question as whether the Second Circuit's characterization of these items as "unusually dangerous" is consistent with the Bruen test for constitutionally protected arms.

Current Status

As of March 2026, the petition has been distributed for Supreme Court conferences, including the March 6, 2026, conference.^[7] The Court has not yet announced whether it will grant certiorari. If the Court takes up either NAGR v. Lamont or the companion Grant v. Rovella case, the decision could have nationwide implications for state-level assault weapons and magazine bans.

Broader Context

Similar challenges to assault weapons and magazine bans are pending from multiple circuits. The Supreme Court's decision to grant or deny certiorari in the Connecticut cases may signal its willingness to address the constitutionality of such bans under Bruen. Gun owners and advocacy groups on both sides are closely watching for an order from the Court.

Status Update (April 2026)

The cert petition (No. 25-421) has been distributed to at least eight SCOTUS conferences -- including February 20, February 27, March 6, March 20, March 27, April 2, April 17, and April 24, 2026 -- without a grant or denial. The repeated relisting pattern strongly suggests the justices are actively deliberating. One explanation is that the Court may be waiting for pending circuit-level decisions (such as the Seventh Circuit's ruling in the Illinois PICA challenge) before acting on AWB/LCM cert petitions. Multiple related petitions -- including Duncan v. Bonta (California LCM ban) and Viramontes v. Cook County (Illinois AWB) -- are following the same relisting pattern.

Status Update (May 2026)

The cert petition (No. 25-421) was redistributed on May 11, 2026 for the Supreme Court's May 14, 2026 conference. The docket remains linked with Grant v. Higgins, No. 25-566, and shows no grant or denial as of the May 14 audit. Connecticut's assault weapons ban and large-capacity magazine ban remain in full effect while the petition is pending.^[8]