United States v. Miller (1900)

Docket
696
Decided
1900-1940-

Summary

Question: Does the Second Amendment protect an individual's right to keep and bear a sawed-off double-barrel shotgun? Conclusion: The Supreme Court reversed the district court, holding that the Second Amendment does not guarantee an individual the right to keep and bear a sawed-off double-barrel shotgun. Writing for the unanimous Court, Justice James Clark McReynolds reasoned that because possessing a sawed-off double barrel shotgun does not have a reasonable relationship to the preservation or efficiency of a well-regulated militia, the Second Amendment does not protect the possession of such an instrument.

View the full interactive analysis on SCOTUS Lens →