A recent federal appeals court decision could significantly affect the knife industry and consumers, reinforcing the American Knife & Tool Institute’s (AKTI) long-standing argument that restrictions on the interstate commerce of automatic (switchblade) knives are outdated and should be repealed.
On October 21, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled in Knife Rights, Inc. v. Blanche that Section 1242 of the Federal Switchblade Act of 1958 (FSA) violates the Second Amendment. The court determined that automatic knives qualify as constitutionally protected “Arms” and that the federal government failed to demonstrate that restrictions on their manufacture, transportation, and distribution across state lines were consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of regulating weapons.
There are still several hurdles that have to be cleared, but the events of the last year are a promising amount of movement.
Read the whole thing at AKTI.org
Federal Appeals Court Rules Key Switchblade Restrictions Unconstitutional