Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/07pdf/07-290.pdf
Page Number: 142.0

Cite as:  554 U. S. ____ (2008) 

29 

BREYER, J., dissenting 

Major  General  John  D.  Altenburg,  Jr.,  et al.  as  Amici 
Curiae  4  (hereinafter  Generals’  Brief).    Both  briefs  point 
out the importance of handgun training.  Military Officers’ 
Brief  26–28;  Generals’  Brief  4.  Handguns  are  used  in 
military  service,  see  id.,  at  26,  and  “civilians  who  are 
familiar  with  handgun  marksmanship  and  safety  are 
much more likely to be able to safely and accurately fire a
rifle or other firearm with minimal training upon entering
military service,” id., at 28. 

Regardless, to consider the military-training objective a 
modern  counterpart  to  a  similar  militia-related  colonial
objective  and  to  treat  that  objective  as  falling  within  the 
Amendment’s primary purposes makes no difference here. 
That is because the District’s law does not seriously affect
military  training  interests.  The  law  permits  residents  to 
engage  in  activities  that  will  increase  their  familiarity 
with  firearms.    They  may  register  (and  thus  possess  in 
their homes) weapons other than handguns, such as rifles
and  shotguns.  See  D.  C.  Code  §§7–2502.01,  7–2502.02(a) 
(only  weapons  that  cannot  be  registered  are  sawed-off 
shotguns,  machine  guns,  short-barreled  rifles,  and  pistols 
not  registered  before  1976);  compare  Generals’  Brief  4 
(listing  “rifles,  pistols,  and  shotguns”  as  useful  military
weapons;  emphasis  added).    And  they  may  operate  those
weapons  within  the  District  “for  lawful  recreational  pur-
poses.”  §7–2507.02;  see  also  §7–2502.01(b)(3)  (nonresi-
dents  “participating  in  any  lawful  recreational  firearm-
related  activity  in  the  District,  or  on  his  way  to  or  from
such  activity  in  another  jurisdiction”  may  carry  even 
weapons not registered in the District).  These permissible
recreations  plainly  include  actually  using  and  firing  the 
weapons,  as  evidenced  by  a  specific  D.  C.  Code  provision 
contemplating  the  existence  of  local  firing  ranges.    See 
§7–2507.03.

And while the District law prevents citizens from train-
ing with handguns within the District, the District consists