The Supreme Court's ruling in Wolford v. Lopez outlined a pattern in which states and localities may be unintentionally assisting gun owners in securing their rights.
The Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division sued Virginia Wednesday, saying a ban on modern semiautomatic firearms violated the Second Amendment.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger's efforts to enact gun control have been blocked by courts, while the state Legislature pushed back the effective date of another bill.