The Old Dominion State is just over three weeks out from a sweeping ban on popular semi-auto firearms, and discontent from county officials is mounting. 

As previously reported by Guns.com, SB 749, passed by the Democrat-controlled General Assembly this year to the signature of Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, the latter a former Everytown volunteer with an anti-gun record in Congress. The law, as passed, criminalizes the import, sale, manufacture, purchase, and transfer of so-called “assault firearms” and bans magazines capable of holding more than 15 rounds.  

Under SB 749, guns and mags already owned by Virginians before July 1, 2026, will be grandfathered in, at least until future legislation is passed.

While challenged by pro-gun groups and residents in at least two different cases (McDonald v. Katz in federal court and Santolla v. Katz in state court), prosecutors and law enforcement at the county level are publicly distancing themselves from the ban. 

As reported locally by WVIR, at least 14 Commonwealth’s Attorneys have said they do not plan to enforce the ban. Numerous local police chiefs and county sheriffs are also following suit. 

"I will not support efforts that turn otherwise law-abiding citizens into criminals, subjecting them to potentially lifelong consequences for exercising what they believe to be their constitutional rights," said Louisa County Sheriff Donald Lowe in a public statement on the agency's official social media page last Friday. "Any law that directly conflicts with the Constitution deserves careful scrutiny and judicial review before enforcement actions are taken against responsible citizens."
 

Meanwhile, Gun Sales Skyrocket

Data from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, gleaned from the FBI's NICS System, has shown that gun sales in Virginia are through the roof since SB 727 passed. Despite its ranking as the 12th most populous state in the Union, in April, Virginia came in fifth for total handgun sales and second for long gun sales, with sales surging 79 percent compared to those from April 2025. 

In May, Virginia’s background check figures for likely gun sales topped 74,959 and were 103 percent higher, year over year, when compared to May 2025.

"It’s not coincidental that firearm sales are skyrocketing in the Old Dominion at the same time that Governor Abigail Spanberger put a deadline for Virginians to legally purchase a Modern Sporting Rifle," Mark Oliva, NSSF’s managing director for public affairs, told Guns.com. "That is cause and effect. The exponential increase of background checks in Virginia has been rising each month this year as the unconstitutional gun ban became clearer and is now a political reality. Americans – and Virginians in particular – are voting with their wallets."