SCI and SAF Urge Supreme Court to Extend Second Amendment to Commonly Used Hunting Firearms

Safari Club International (SCI) and the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (Sportsmen’s) urged the U.S. Supreme Court to protect semi-automatic firearms commonly used in hunting under the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  These organizations submitted an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to strike bans enacted by Cook County, Illinois, and the State of Connecticut, on use of these rifles by hunters, sportsmen, and recreational shooters.

In the brief, SCI and Sportsmen’s highlight their longstanding commitment to protecting hunting access and defending Second Amendment rights in connection with lawful hunting.  Firearms are central to America’s hunting heritage, serve as essential tools for lawful hunting and wildlife management, and generate significant conservation funding nationwide.

The brief explains that semi-automatic rifles are protected “arms” and cannot be banned when commonly used for lawful purposes, including hunting.  For more than a century, hunters have used semi-automatic rifles and continue to use these firearms due to their accuracy, adaptability, portability, affordability, and suitability for wildlife management and hunting.

“This case is about far more than a particular type of firearm.  It is about protecting the constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans and preserving the tools hunters have safely and responsibly used for generations,” said W. Laird Hamberlin, CEO of SCI.  “Semi-automatic rifles are commonly used for lawful purposes, including hunting and wildlife management. Bans on these firearms threaten our hunting heritage, undermine conservation efforts funded by hunters, and conflict with the Second Amendment’s protection of arms that are in common use.”