Before everyone gets too fired up, from reading the actual opinion, it is clear that SCOTUS upheld the right to require registration of weapons, which, I presume could mean....
#1. Weapon ballistic and firing pin fingerprint.
#2. Fees
#3. owner profiency requirements
#4. a license like it is a privledge
#5. etc.
It, furthermore, did nothing to touch Miller’s decision about common use arms and does nothing to affect the ban on “assault weapons” or full auto weapons, etc. It seems to only state that a total ban was unconstitutional.
That makes this rather bitter sweet and means the fight has JUST begun. Sorry, if I have rained on any parades.
More accurately, the Court did not rule one way or the other on registration, only noting that since Heller did not argue the point at all, that relief in this case would be satisfied by granting Heller the permit that he originally sought.
Essentially, it did not address the registration issue itself at all, it merely requires that registration is must issue instead of may issue.
I agree with your analysis.
The old argument was whether we had RKBA or not, and laws were based on that battle.
Now, RKBA is a fact, but the registration, licensing, fees, and what is an “unusual weapon” or one not in “common use” will be the new battleground.
This will lead to new “reasonable restrictions”, citing this decision as justification.
Obama’s words today made that clear- OK, there is RKBA, but like any fundamental right, government can restrict it pretty much how they want (well, Im paraphrasing, but that’s what I heard).
No one ever said it would be easy. The history of Roe v. Wade began in 1923 with Margaret Sanger. They got a Supreme Court ruling in 1965 with Griswold v. Connecticut. It took another eight years for Roe v. Wade. Altogether, they were at it for fifty years.
Scalia left a few outs to us shooters, among them the common use statement in Miller, the statement that licensing was not covered by the ruling, and the arbitrary and capricious rule. AR-15s and numerous other semi automatic rifles and pistols are presently in common use. Fenty should be jailed for contempt after his statement that he will not register semi autos. Several states, for instance New Jersey, have arbitrary and capricious policies that beg for a SCOTUS smackdown. I'm willing to bet that some liberal la la land like Chicago will announce that the decision didn't specify them, so they can ignore it. That will make it clear that the power to issue a license is the power to deny it, and return the issue for clarification.
It took almost two hundred years to get to the point where the use of firearms was so easily demonized by stupid politicians and talking heads. Right now we are best served by teaching the antis that this right is retained, and employed, to preserve the sanctity of a free nation. That will rain on Sarah Brady's parade, and maybe even toss a few lightning bolts among the petty tyrants she claims as allies.