Palmetto State Armory Resumed Virginia Rifle Shipments the Day a Judge’s Injunction Reached Every County
Palmetto State Armory resumed shipping semi-automatic rifles and standard-capacity magazines to Virginia on July 21, the day a Washington County judge’s statewide injunction took effect.
Palmetto State Armory began shipping semi-automatic rifles and standard-capacity magazines to Virginia addresses again on Tuesday. The date wasn’t the company’s pick: July 21 is when a Washington County judge’s statewide injunction against Virginia’s new “assault firearm” and magazine ban took effect.
The retailer had the date in writing before it arrived. “Thanks to the state-wide injunction, we will resume processing and shipping affected firearms to Virginia,” the company told customers. “We will begin shipping these orders on July 21, 2026.”
Who this hits: Virginia buyers who’ve spent the month looking at a shipping-restriction banner. Rifles and magazines holding more than 15 rounds are back in the cart.
How the calendar got here: Governor Abigail Spanberger signed the ban on May 14 with an effective date of July 1. It has spent every week since losing somewhere. Twice, formally.
On June 25, Lancaster County Circuit Judge John S. Martin blocked enforcement in Crump v. Katz, brought by Gun Owners of America, the Virginia Citizens Defense League and their affiliated foundations against State Police Superintendent Col. Jeffrey S. Katz. That order reached the State Police.
Four days later, Washington County Circuit Judge Jeffrey L. Campbell granted a second preliminary injunction in Santolla v. Katz, the NRA-backed suit, finding the plaintiffs likely to succeed on their claim that the ban violates Article I, Section 13 of the Virginia Constitution.
Why July 21 and not July 7: Campbell ruled on July 7 that his injunction binds “all law enforcement agencies of the Commonwealth and its localities” along with Commonwealth’s Attorneys, not just the parties in his courtroom. He then held the statewide start date back two weeks so court clerks could notify every agency and prosecutor’s office in Virginia.
So the day Virginia gun sales restarted was set by how long it takes to send the mail. Nobody drafted that into the bill.
Springfield SAINT Victor V2 (5.56 NATO, 16 in., 30-round)
A semi-automatic AR-15 that ships with a 30-round magazine, which is the exact combination Virginia's law put out of reach and the injunction put back. Street prices ran $1,099 to $1,250 across our retailers on July 23.
The Attorney General isn’t conceding: Jay Jones said Campbell’s “statewide declaration is wrong, reaches far beyond the case before him, and is unsupported by Virginia precedent,” adding that his office “will continue defending Virginia’s assault weapons ban and remains confident the law will be upheld.”
What he’s asking for now is a delay. Jones has asked the judges hearing the four pending challenges to pause those cases until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on semi-automatic rifle bans, arguing that a stay “will support the equal and fair application of the law and prevent conflicting outcomes.”
Read that clock carefully. The Supreme Court granted review on June 30 in Viramontes v. Cook County (No. 25-238) and Grant v. Higgins (No. 25-566), consolidating them for one hour of argument on whether the Second and Fourteenth Amendments protect AR-15-platform rifles. Argument is expected this fall, with a decision by June 2027.
A pause on those terms would leave two injunctions standing and nobody in a Virginia courtroom trying to lift them. His procedural luck has been thin either way: on July 6, a three-judge panel appointed by the Supreme Court of Virginia declined to consolidate the four suits before a single judge.
Two more dates for the calendar: New Jersey’s rifle and magazine bans come off the board July 31, the effective date State Police gave dealers for the Third Circuit’s 10-5 en banc ruling in ANJRPC v. Platkin. Colorado runs the other direction on August 1, when SB25-003 starts requiring a sheriff’s permit and a state-verified safety course for most semi-autos.
For Virginia buyers, the window is open and no court date is currently pointed at closing it. Whether it’s still open next summer is the Supreme Court’s call.
Ordering again after three weeks off? Tell us what went in the cart first, rifle or magazines, in the comments.
If this restarted a build you had on hold, start with our guide to the best AR-15s, then check today’s verified gun deals before you order.
Sources: Palmetto State Armory customer notice; NRA-ILA on the statewide injunction in Santolla v. Katz; WSET on Judge Campbell’s July 7 order; Virginia Scope on the Attorney General’s stay request; Gun Owners Foundation docket for Crump v. Katz; Second Amendment Foundation on the Supreme Court cert grants; New Jersey State Police notice to dealers.
Justin Trump is the managing editor and owner of CAT Outdoors. The son of a Vietnam veteran, he’s a Certified Glock Armorer, an avid gun enthusiast and 2A advocate. He holds two firearm patents for the CAT M4 and Talon tools. When not managing CAT Outdoors, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, rooting for Michigan sports teams, and serving his church.