The firearm industry trade association, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), announced that the group will challenge Connecticut’s new ban on striker-fire handguns, which are nearly ubiquitous in the shooting community.
State lawmakers claimed to target “convertible pistols,” which are illegally modified with add-ons to make them fully automatic. These handguns are the most popular on the market, and the conversion devices are illegal to even possess in almost all instances.
The ban is set to take effect Oct. 1, 2026.
State officials chose to go after gun owners who respect the law
NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane blasted state leaders for pandering to the criminal element while targeting upstanding community members.
“This law, and similar laws passed in other states, punishes law-abiding citizens by infringing on their Second Amendment rights to legally obtain the firearms they choose to protect themselves and their families against criminals who, by definition, have no respect for life or law,” Keane said.
He went on to cite the Heller decision to show how Connecticut lawmakers ran afoul of the Constitution.
Connecticut is likely not the last state to enact such a ban
The NSSF consistently warns gun owners that such modifications are illegal and that these acts are serious felonies. Punishments may go as high as 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.
Gov. Ned Lamont (D) originally sponsored H5043, so it surprised no one when he signed the bill into law last week. Handguns purchased before October are exempted—for now—though there are glaring recent examples of politicians later changing their minds.
Connecticut officials modeled their legislation on California’s ban enacted in 2025. Bans are also pending in Maryland and New York, and a handful of other anti-2A states are likely to follow.
There is a lawsuit ongoing against the Golden State’s gun control regime, and with the NSSF’s latest announcement, another powerful challenge is in the works. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and gun rights groups will take it one state at a time until such laws are historical novelties.
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