The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), alongside the California Rifle & Pistol Association and Second Amendment Law Center, filed an amicus brief with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in support of plaintiffs in Knife Rights, Inc. v. Bondi, challenging the Federal Switchblade Act’s restrictions on interstate commerce of switchblades.

The brief argues that switchblades qualify as “arms” under the Second Amendment, as they fit Founding-era definitions of weapons used for offense or defense, a historical precedent that has been upheld in numerous court cases.

The SAF contends that the Act unconstitutionally infringes on the rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear switchblades for self-defense and other lawful purposes, as no historical tradition supports banning them.

The brief emphasizes that the Second Amendment protects all bearable arms, and restrictions must align with historical precedent, not an overly strict textual analysis that avoids scrutiny.

SAF’s Legal Research director, Kostas Moros, highlighted that the brief builds on a similar filing in a Ninth Circuit case challenging California’s switchblade ban, a case that resulted in a favorable ruling for the plaintiffs, urging the court to follow Supreme Court precedents in Heller and Bruen.

SAF founder Alan M. Gottlieb noted that this case is important because it will determine if federal law can override Second Amendment protections for switchblades. SAF continues to defend these rights through litigation and amicus briefs, ensuring lower courts adhere to Supreme Court guidance rather than undermining it.

We look forward to the ruling of the Court.