William S. Smith - Premiere Massachusetts Firearms Attorney & Gun Lawyer

05/23/2026

New Second Circuit Decision Strikes Major Blow Against New York’s Post-Bruen Carry Restrictions. Coming next for Massachusetts?

The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has now issued a major Second Amendment decision in Christian v. James, a case brought by plaintiffs Brett Christian, the Fi****ms Policy Coalition, and the Second Amendment Foundation against New York officials including State Police Superintendent Steven G. James. The ruling represents yet another significant judicial rebuke to the increasingly aggressive efforts by anti-gun states to circumvent the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v....

The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has now issued a major Second Amendment decision in Christian v. James, a case brought by plaintiffs Brett Christian, the Firearm…

04/22/2026

Massachusetts’ New Live-Fire Mandate: Training Today, Testing Tomorrow?

On April 2, 2026, Massachusetts quietly crossed a very important line in fi****ms regulation. Under the Commonwealth’s sweeping “Act Modernizing Fi****ms Laws,” the state imposed a new, more demanding training regime for anyone seeking a License to Carry (LTC) or Fi****ms Identification Card (FID). At the center of these changes is a requirement that applicants complete live-fire training—apparently meaning they must actually handle and discharge a firearm as part of their certification process....

On April 2, 2026, Massachusetts quietly crossed a very important line in fi****ms regulation. Under the Commonwealth’s sweeping “Act Modernizing Fi****ms Laws,” the state imposed a new, more demand…

03/24/2026

New York Retreats: The Collapse of Shockingly Authoritarian Social Media Surveillance in Gun Licensing—and Why It Matters for Massachusetts

In a significant—and telling—development in the post-Bruen legal landscape yesterday, New York has agreed to stop requiring gun permit applicants to disclose their social media accounts as part of the licensing process. This comes as the result of litigation pressure and a settlement that effectively halts enforcement of one of the most intrusive features of New York’s post-Bruen…...

In a significant—and telling—development in the post-Bruen legal landscape yesterday, New York has agreed to stop requiring gun permit applicants to disclose their social media accounts as part of …

03/17/2026

Rhode Island’s Latest Gun Grab: A Frightening Constitutional Crisis in the Making

Rhode Island lawmakers have crossed a dangerous new line. After passing a 2025 law banning the sale and transfer of commonly owned semi-automatic fi****ms—while at least pretending to respect existing owners through a grandfather clause—legislators have now introduced a far more aggressive proposal in 2026: House Bill H 8073, which would criminalize the possession of fi****ms that were previously lawful to own....

Rhode Island lawmakers have crossed a dangerous new line. After passing a 2025 law banning the sale and transfer of commonly owned semi-automatic fi****ms—while at least pretending to respect exist…

03/12/2026

BREAKING NEWS: ATTORNEY SMITH FILES BRIEF IN PRATT v. WESTBROOK Massachusetts Still Treats the Second Amendment as a Mere Privilege — His Case Now Before the SJC Shows Why

By Attorney William S. Smith, Princeton, MA Attorney Smith's Website and Contact Info: Click Here For more than a decade the United States Supreme Court has made one thing clear: the Second Amendment is not a second-class constitutional right. Yet in Massachusetts, the everyday operation of our fi****ms licensing system continues to treat it as precisely that. My current case, Pratt v....

By Attorney William S. Smith, Princeton, MA Attorney Smith’s Website and Contact Info: Click Here For more than a decade the United States Supreme Court has made one thing clear: the Second A…

03/06/2026

Court Strikes Down Magazine Ban: A Major Second Amendment Victory

On March 5, 2026, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals issued a major Second Amendment decision in Benson v. United States, striking down Washington D.C.’s ban on firearm magazines holding more than ten rounds. The ruling represents one of the most forceful pro-Second Amendment opinions since the Supreme Court’s landmark decisions in District of Columbia v. Heller and New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v....

On March 5, 2026, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals issued a major Second Amendment decision in Benson v. United States, striking down Washington D.C.’s ban on firearm magazines holding mor…

03/03/2026

A Critical Second Amendment Showdown Today at the US Supreme Court

Oral Argument in United States v. Hemani (No. 24-1234) On March 2, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in United States v. Hemani, a case that may significantly reshape how far Congress can go in disarming Americans based on drug use. The government’s position was straightforward: Congress may temporarily disarm “habitual” users of illegal drugs under 18 U.S.C....

Oral Argument in United States v. Hemani (No. 24-1234) On March 2, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in United States v. Hemani, a case that may significantly reshape how far Congres…

01/29/2026

Chuck Schumer: Ally of the 2nd Amendment?

On January 28, 2026 Senator Chuck Schumer took to the Senate floor and—of all things—invoked the Second Amendment as a rhetorical shield. He said: “The President seems to have forgotten the words of the Second Amendment … ‘the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.’” If you’ve followed Schumer’s actual legislative record, the whiplash is immediate....

On January 28, 2026 Senator Chuck Schumer took to the Senate floor and—of all things—invoked the Second Amendment as a rhetorical shield. He said: “The President seems to have forgotten the words o…

01/28/2026

When Those Who Should Defend the Second Amendment Turn Their Backs

The shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last week has sparked a fierce national debate — but too often the focus has drifted away from the real issue: Whether Americans who lawfully exercise their constitutional rights should be vilified for doing so. It has been a truly remarkable sight to see the American media in the wake of the shooting- the hosts of The View, included- all of a sudden stating that the answer to this is a resounding NO....

01/21/2026

MASSACHUSETTS “UNSUITABILITY” AND THE SECOND-CLASS SECOND AMENDMENT: WHAT WOLFORD V. LOPEZ EXPOSED—AND WHY, LIKE HAWAII, THE COMMONWEALTH STILL HAS A MAJOR PROBLEM ON ITS HANDS…

Yesterday—January 20, 2026—the U.S. Supreme Court heard argument in Wolford v. Lopez (No. 24-1046), a case about a government trying to flip the default rule of liberty into a default rule of prohibition: you may not carry on most private property open to the public unless the owner affirmatively says “yes.” That fact pattern is Hawaii’s. But the constitutional pathology is familiar to anyone who practices or lives under Massachusetts fi****ms law:...

Yesterday—January 20, 2026—the U.S. Supreme Court heard argument in Wolford v. Lopez (No. 24-1046), a case about a government trying to flip the default rule of liberty into a default rule of prohi…