D.C. Officials Weigh Keeping Semi-Auto Pistols Illegal Following the recent Supreme Court decision that ruled the Washington, D.C., handgun ban unconstitutional, officials in the District of Columbia are attempting to circumvent the high court by outlawing semi-automatic pistols in reluctant acceptance of revolvers. "The D.C. ban of semi-automatics is unjustified," said Smith & Wesson's Paul Pluff. "With all the safety features and reliability of today's semi-auto pistols, they have become an integral component for personal protection. With the adjunct of higher capacity revolvers and quality speed reloading devices, semi-automatic capacities should not be the excuse for the ban of these personal protection firearms." NSSF, which filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the Heller case that was cited during oral arguments and in Justice Scalia's opinion, will continue to fight any ban on firearms ownership for law-abiding citizens.