The Supreme Court heard the first challenge to the Second Amendment in nearly a decade Monday, raising party-line concerns about New York City’s restrictive ban on transporting firearms.

The justices weighed a challenge against a regulation in New York City that prevented licensed firearm owners from transporting their weapons in and out of the area.

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The legal battle was brought by gun rights activists after a federal appeals court upheld a city ordinance that allowed licensed residents to take their firearms outside of their homes to only seven shooting ranges within the city, thus prohibiting them from transporting the weapons to a second home or a range outside of the city.

New York City, though, changed the regulation, amending it so that licensed firearm owners can transport their handguns to shooting ranges and second homes outside of the city limits. The officials contend that move settles the lawsuit and want the court to dismiss the challenge as “moot.”

That argument was welcomed by several of the Democrat-appointed justices, who suggested the gun rights groups got what they wanted with the change in laws. . . .

Justice Neil M. Gorsuch and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., though, thought there was still a controversy to be examined, asking whether a stop for coffee or to help a relative would run afoul of the city’s strict rules when moving licensed firearms in and out of the city limits.

New York amended the regulation to allow firearms to be transported to second homes, so long as its legal to possess the firearm there, and also gun ranges outside the area.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. quizzed the attorney representing the city as to what prejudices the gun rights groups may face if the case were dismissed.

Observers on both sides of the issue are watching closely for clues as to whether the high court could use the case to expand gun rights, as it is the first time since 2010 the court will really grapple with the reach of the constitutional right to keep and bear arms.

In 2008, the court in its 5-4 Heller ruling held the Second Amendment guarantees the right to keep and bear arms, striking down a regulation in the District of Columbia restricting the licensing of firearms and requiring gun owners to keep their weapons inside the home, dismantled.

(Excerpt from The Washington Times. Article by Alex Swoyer and David Sherfinski.)