Springfield Armory, Inc. v. City of Columbus

MERRITT, Chief Judge.

Two manufacturers, a dealer and two potential purchasers of weapons challenge the constitutionality of a Columbus city ordinance that bans assault weapons. The ordinance defines “assault weapon” as any one of thirty-four specific rifles, three specific shotguns and nine specific pistols, or “[o]ther models by the same manufacturer with the same action design that have slight modifications or enhancements.... ” The weapons are specified by brand name and model, not generically or by defined categories.

Plaintiffs challenge the ordinance as an unconstitutional bill of…