A Pennsylvania judge issued a preliminary injunction on Friday blocking a new state police policy requiring background checks for 80% lower receivers and other “partially manufactured receivers” put in place a few weeks ago following an opinion by the state’s Attorney General that declared the unfinished receivers “firearms” under Pennsylvania’s Uniform Firearms Act.
The Firearms Policy Coalition filed the suit shortly after AG Josh Shapiro released his opinion and the Pennsylvania State Police issued guidance to gun store owners on how to comply with the new order. Pennsylvania firearms attorney Joshua Prince argued that unfinished receivers simply aren’t “firearms” under any definition, and that the new policy endangered the rights of Pennsylvanians under the U.S. and state constitutions.