Skip to main content

Washington "Assault Weapon" Ban Signed Into Law

In flagrant disregard of the 2nd Amendment and the best efforts of pro-2A groups, Washington Governor Inslee signs three new gun control bills into law.

Washington "Assault Weapon" Ban Signed Into Law

Washington "Assault Weapon" Ban Signed Into Law (Bennian/Shutterstock)

It’s been looming for weeks, but Washington’s big anti-gun push is finally here with three new gun control laws signed by Gov. Jay Inslee, making Washington the 10th state to adopt foolish, draconian “assault-weapon” bans.

The new law makes the sale, import and transfer of 60 named firearms illegal along with AK-47 and AR-15 rifles in “all forms.” Along with the new “assault weapons” ban, Gov. Inslee signed into law a bill that installs a 10-day waiting period to purchase a firearm and another bill that imposes “safety training” on gun manufacturers and distributors to take steps to keep guns out of the hands of “dangerous individuals.” Bad news indeed comes in threes.

This is a continuing trend of anti-gun groups attacking on the state level instead of the federal. In the proverbial “death of a thousand cuts,” this new Washington “assault-weapon” ban is certainly a big one, but action is still taking place to fight it. Almost immediately after Gov. Inslee signed House Bill 1240 into law, the Second Amendment Foundation filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking preliminary and permanent injunctions.

“The State has enacted a flat prohibition on the manufacture, sale, import and distribution of many types of firearms, inaccurately labeled as ‘assault weapons,’ which are owned by millions of ordinary citizens across the country,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb in a press release. “In the process, the state has criminalized a common and important means of self-defense, the modern semiautomatic rifle. The state has put politics ahead of constitutional rights, and is penalizing law-abiding citizens while this legislation does nothing to arrest and prosecute criminals who misuse firearms in defiance of all existing gun control laws. It is absurd.”

Gottlieb sums it up perfectly; it is absurd. However, until it can be struck down in court, it is a reality that Washington citizens have to deal with. There is still a lot to unpack in these laws, so be sure to keep an eye out for detailed reports of the new law, along with coverage on how the new law will play out over the next few months. If you want to support the Second Amendment Foundation’s efforts in Washington, you can join the SAF here


About the Author

Jack Oller is a U.S. Army veteran, having served in the Military Police with one deployment to the Camp VI Detention Facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He has extensive firearms training from military and civilian schools and is a passoniate shotgun shooter and hunter. Jack has an English degree from Illinois State University, and he started his career in the outdoor industry as Associate Editor for Guns & Ammo magazine. After Gun & Ammo, he worked as Brand Manager for Crimson Trace and now is the Digital Editor for Firearms News.


If you have any thoughts or comments on this article, we’d love to hear them. Email us at FirearmsNews@Outdoorsg.com.




GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Recommended Articles

Recent Videos

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Guns

Aero Precision M4E1 Pro Rifle

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Guns

Dr. Dabbs Goes Ape! A Video Review of the Gorilla M1 Carbine from the Original Planet of the Apes!

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Guns

Pioneer Arms .22 LR Trainer AK Rifle

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Guns

Pioneer Arms GROM 7.62x39 AK Rifle

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Gear

Federal's “Punch” line of Personal Protection Ammunition

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Guns

KelTec's new KSG410 and R50!

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Gear

Liberty Ammunition

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Guns

Springfield Armory 9mm Saint AR15

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Guns

Rock River Arms New ARs

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Guns

MKS 10mm Hi-Point Pistol

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Guns

Magpul FDP-9

The Howa line of rifles from Legacy Sports is fairly diverse and available in a wide array of configurations, styles and...
Guns

Legacy Sports New Howa Rifles

Firearms News Magazine Covers Print and Tablet Versions

GET THE MAGAZINE Subscribe & Save

Digital Now Included!

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Give a Gift   |   Subscriber Services

PREVIEW OUR CURRENT ISSUE

Buy Digital Single Issues

Magazine App Logo

Don't miss an issue.
Buy single digital issue for your phone or tablet.

Get the Firearms News App apple store google play store

Other Magazines

See All Other Magazines

Special Interest Magazines

See All Special Interest Magazines

GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Get the top Firearms News stories delivered right to your inbox.

Phone Icon

Get Digital Access.

All Firearms News subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets.

To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine.

Get Digital Access

Not a Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Enjoying What You're Reading?

Get a Full Year
of Guns & Ammo
& Digital Access.

Offer only for new subscribers.

Subscribe Now

Never Miss a Thing.

Get the Newsletter

Get the top Firearms News stories delivered right to your inbox.

By signing up, I acknowledge that my email address is valid, and have read and accept the Terms of Use