Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

Pennsylvania Court Knocks Out Pittsburgh Gun Control in NRA-Backed Case

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Pennsylvania Court Knocks Out Pittsburgh Gun Control in NRA-Backed Case

Fairfax, Va. - The National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) today applauded a decision by the Allegheny Court of Common Pleas protecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners in Pennsylvania. In the NRA-backed case Anderson v. City of Pittsburgh, the court found that Pittsburgh's attempt to impose local gun control measures was a clear violation of state law.

“This is a huge victory for law-abiding gun owners and everyone who values freedom in the Keystone state,” said Jason Ouimet, executive director, NRA-ILA. “Cases like this underscore the peoples’ need for judges who will faithfully interpret the law in defense of their rights and liberties.”
 
At issue was a Pittsburgh restriction on so-called "high capacity" magazines. Pennsylvania, like 45 other states, has a preemption law restricting local governments from passing gun control measures that are more restrictive than state law.
 
Preemption laws protect law-abiding gun owners from dealing with a confusing patchwork of laws in a single state.
 
"We are grateful that the Allegheny Court of Common Pleas saw what is clear on the face of the statute, that the general assembly alone regulates firearms in Pennsylvania," said attorney Jonathan Goldstein with Goldstein Law Partners.
 
Earlier this month, NRA-backed firearm preemption cases in Washington and Montana voided similar unlawful local ordinances.
 
"This is a great day for law-abiding Pennsylvania gun owners. The NRA applauds this ruling and will continue defending our constitutional rights everywhere,” Ouimet concluded.

Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America's oldest civil rights and sportsmen's group. More than five million members strong, NRA continues to uphold the Second Amendment and advocates enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation's leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the armed services. Be sure to follow the NRA on Facebook at NRA on Facebook and Twitter @NRA.

TRENDING NOW
The NFA’s New Era: What Has Changed, What Remains the Same, Items of Note

News  

Monday, October 12, 2026

The NFA’s New Era: What Has Changed, What Remains the Same, Items of Note

As we announced separately this week, ATF has determined that it will use its executive discretion to uniformly suspend enforcement of large portions of the National Firearms Act (NFA).

Creating Crimes Out of Thin Air: Federal Bill Seeks to Treat Air Guns as Firearms

News  

Monday, October 5, 2026

Creating Crimes Out of Thin Air: Federal Bill Seeks to Treat Air Guns as Firearms

A new bill introduced in Congress proposes to regulate “lethal air guns” as firearms under the Gun Control Act of 1968, as amended (GCA). Yet the risk of fatalities and criminal misuse from air guns ...

Guardsmen’s Arrest Shows D.C. Still Lacks Common Sense, Proportionality on Guns

News  

Monday, October 12, 2026

Guardsmen’s Arrest Shows D.C. Still Lacks Common Sense, Proportionality on Guns

A lot of has changed for the better in the Nation’s Capital since Donald Trump returned to the White House. But the recent arrest of a young National Guardsman for an apparently harmless breach of ...

Officials Admit It: There’s No Actual Substance Behind Canadian Gun Grab

News  

Monday, October 12, 2026

Officials Admit It: There’s No Actual Substance Behind Canadian Gun Grab

A year ago, Canada’s Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree admitted, in a bombshell recording with a gun owner, that the Liberal government’s “assault-style firearm” ban and confiscation program isn’t driven by public safety or gun ...

Jive Turkeys: Everytown Gears Up to Spoil Thanksgiving with Gobbledygook

News  

Monday, November 17, 2025

Jive Turkeys: Everytown Gears Up to Spoil Thanksgiving with Gobbledygook

Thanksgiving in America isn’t just about food, family and football. According to a survey published by casino.ca (with its Great Thanksgiving Family Feud Map), the holiday typically “comes with a slice of family chaos and a touch of ...

Questions and Answers About the Texas NFA Case

News  

Monday, August 17, 2026

Questions and Answers About the Texas NFA Case

On August 12, we reported on an important development in the ongoing litigation over the National Firearms Act (NFA) filed by multiple plaintiffs in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. These included, ...

U.S. Department of Justice Declares Age 18-20 Handgun Sales Ban Unconstitutional

News  

Wednesday, September 23, 2026

U.S. Department of Justice Declares Age 18-20 Handgun Sales Ban Unconstitutional

On September 17, the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) issued a memorandum opinion to answer the question “whether restricting young adults from buying firearms comports with the Second Amendment as the Supreme ...

Pervasive Surveillance and Data Storage an Emerging Concern for Gun Owner Privacy

News  

Monday, October 5, 2026

Pervasive Surveillance and Data Storage an Emerging Concern for Gun Owner Privacy

Americans have willingly, and sometimes unwillingly, surrounded themselves with technology that watches, listens, records, and remembers. Cars know how and where we drive. Phones track just about everything in our daily routines. 

Federal Court Strikes Down NFA Registration Requirements for Suppressors, Short-Barreled Rifles, and Short-Barreled Shotguns in NRA Case

Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Federal Court Strikes Down NFA Registration Requirements for Suppressors, Short-Barreled Rifles, and Short-Barreled Shotguns in NRA Case

In another major victory for the National Rifle Association and law-abiding gun owners, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas today held that the National Firearms Act’s registration and approval requirements for ...

What Does the Texas NFA Decision Mean for You?

News  

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

What Does the Texas NFA Decision Mean for You?

On August 5, 2026, Judge Wesley Hendrix of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas held that the National Firearms Act’s registration and approval requirements for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns ...

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.