Naperville gun store owner files lawsuit against Illinois over recent firearms legislation

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“This is a Second Amendment right,” said Robert Bevis, owner of Law Weapons & Supply. “They don’t have the right to prevent the sale of firearms. If you have the right to bear arms, you have the right to acquire firearms and buy them.”

Robert Bevis and the National Association of Gun Rights have filed a federal lawsuit contesting Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s firearms legislation signed into effect on Tuesday. The new state law prohibits the sale of high-capacity magazines and semi-automatic firearms across Illinois.

“For the past four years, my administration and my colleagues in the State Capitol have been battling the powerful forces of the NRA to enshrine the strongest and most effective gun violence legislation that we possibly can,” said Pritzker upon the signing of the ban. “I couldn’t be prouder to say that we got it done.”

Emergency Injunction

Bevis has asked for an emergency injunction that would allow Law Weapons & Supply to continue the sale of the listed weapons before the court case.

“This will impact my family, my kids and the ability for us to sell these firearms,” said Bevis. “What (the government) calls assault weapons include many guns that have never been used in a war or in any type of military setting.”

Bevis says the majority of weapons he sells fall in the now-banned category.

Naperville lawsuit

Bevis, along with the National Association of Gun Rights, also filed a lawsuit against the City of Naperville in regards to similar legislation.

Back in August, the Naperville City Council voted to prohibit the sale of certain high-powered rifles within the city. The lawsuit filed by Bevis and the gun rights group called the ban unconstitutional. 

The ordinance was set to go into effect on January 1, 2023, but the city agreed not to enforce the ban until a judge rules on a preliminary injunction. 

“(The case) is fully briefed, and we are waiting for a judge to rule on it,” said Bevis.

Illinois’ legislation is similar to Naperville’s ordinance, but more stringent in a few categories. The state-wide legislation includes the ban of switches that convert firearms into automatic or semi-automatic weapons, and the ban on the sale of large capacity ammunition magazines of more than 15 rounds for handguns and 10 rounds for long guns.

The Illinois firearms legislation would trump the local ordinance from the Naperville City Council.

Naperville News 17’s Will Payne reports.

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