PA Supreme Court to Hear GOA’s, GOF’s Challenge to Philadelphia’s Unconstitutional Private Firearm Manufacturing Ban
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 18, 2025
Philadelphia, PA — Gun Owners of America (GOA) and Gun Owners Foundation (GOF), together with several individual gun owners, are pleased to announce that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has granted our petition for allowance of appeal. This means that the Pennsylvania high court will now hear our challenge to the City of Philadelphia’s unconstitutional ban on the private manufacture of firearms.
GOA’s lawsuit challenges Philadelphia’s ordinance that restricts the manufacturing of firearms, components, and attachments for personal use. We argue that the ban violates Pennsylvania’s preemption statute, the Uniform Firearms Act (UFA), along with infringing Article I, Section 21 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, which guarantees the right to bear arms.
Philadelphia’s ordinance, which prohibits the private manufacturing of firearms through processes like 3D printing or completing unfinished firearm frames, directly contradicts state law, which preempts all local firearm regulations. GOA’s petition argued that the Philly ordinance infringes upon the constitutional right to self-defense and violates the UFA, which gives the General Assembly exclusive power to regulate firearms.
We will now be asking the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to reverse the Commonwealth Court’s decision (which upheld the ordinance), and confirm that the UFA broadly preempts Philadelphia’s ordinance, restoring the uniform protection of the right to keep and bear arms across Pennsylvania.
Erich Pratt, Senior Vice President of GOA, issued the following statement:
“Philadelphia’s efforts to regulate firearm manufacturing go against the core of Pennsylvania’s firearm preemption law and violate the rights of its citizens. With the Pennsylvania Supreme Court now agreeing to hear this case, we are hopeful that Pennsylvanians’ rights will be protected from Philadelphia’s unconstitutional tyranny at the local level.”
Sam Paredes, on behalf of Gun Owners Foundation, added:
“This is a critical moment for gun owners across Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision to take up this case shows the importance of safeguarding our enumerated right to keep and bear arms. Philadelphia’s overreach needs to be stopped, and we believe the Court will uphold the law and protect citizens’ rights.”
GOA spokesmen are available for interviews. Gun Owners of America is a nonprofit grassroots lobbying organization dedicated to protecting the right to keep and bear arms without compromise. GOA represents over two million members and activists. For more information, visit GOA’s Press Center.
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