In New Article, Professor Robbins Recommends Restricting the Rental of Weapons at Gun Ranges
Professor Ira Robbins’s article “Regulating Gun Rentals” has been published in the current issue of the UCLA Law Review. In this article, Robbins argues that, unlike gun ownership, gun rental does not implicate the core protections of the Second Amendment as defined by the U.S. Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller.
The Second Amendment confers an individual right “to keep and bear arms” for the purpose of self-defense in the home. This right refers only to ownership, however, and renters — by definition — do not own rented firearms. Moreover, gun rentals are, at best, only tangentially related to an individual’s right to self-defense. Therefore, Robbins recommends restrictions on gun rentals, including background checks at gun ranges, limits on the types of weapons permitted for rental, and minimum age requirements. He writes, “Given the government’s strong interest in ensuring public safety and the relatively minor burden imposed on gun renters, gun rental regulations would easily pass muster under constitutional standards.”
Robbins is co-director of the law school’s Criminal Justice Practice and Policy Institute and an expert in criminal law, criminal procedure, and correctional law.
The full article can be read here.
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