As a variation on what someone posted earlier, here is the press release from the Department of Justice:
"Statement of Brian Roehrkasse, Director of Public Affairs, on Reaction to the Supreme Court's Decision in District of Columbia V. Heller
"The Department is pleased with the Court’s ruling recognizing that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess firearms, including for private purposes unrelated to militia operations. The Court’s ruling is in accordance with the text of the Second Amendment, historical practice, and the Attorney General's 2001 guidance on the scope of the Second Amendment. The Department is also pleased that the Court recognized that, like other constitutional rights, that individual right is ‘not unlimited.’ Thus, the Court appropriately made clear that nothing in today’s ruling casts doubt on the constitutionality of ‘longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms.’ In addition, the Court appropriately recognized that the ‘carrying of dangerous and unusual weapons,’ such as machine guns, is not protected by the Amendment. The Justice Department is studying the decision but, as was made clear in its 2001 guidance recognizing that the Second Amendment protects an individual right, the Department ‘will continue to defend vigorously the constitutionality, under the Second Amendment, of all existing federal firearms laws.’"
As an owner of a few NFA firearms and related items, I find this release very alarming. What I sense is the DOJ may be examining ways to outlaw the possession and sale of machineguns that were made before 5/19/86. I understand this issue came up during the 30's and the Court ruled then that it was unconstitutional to ban them, so I am not sure how they think they can pull this off now.
I will say that if they succeed in the banning and the confiscation of these guns, they will have ample precedent to take the next class of firearms- semiautomatic firearms. It will start with banning "assault" weapons and then it will progress to magazine capacities and calibers.
We all need to be vigilant in defense of our freedom......