All of the possible positive effects depend on a win. I agree that a win would make passing very restrictive gun control laws more difficult. HOWEVER, the Heller ruling was not very general. Basically it said that it was unconstitutional for DC to prevent people from owning a handgun that was kept ready to be used for self-defense in the home. So if this case extends that to the states, all it does is prevent a state/local govt from passing a law that says you can't own a handgun that is kept in a ready state for self-defense in your own home.
Some day in the far distant future that may prevent laws from being passed in the free states but not any time soon. None of the free states are contemplating any laws like that and they are highly unlikely to do so in the foreseeable future. So it might one day prevent a very restrictive law from being passed but the only near-term effect on the vast majority of the country would be to inform anti-gunners that they can pretty much restrict firearm ownership any way they want--to include the elimination of all concealed carry laws, passing laws requiring firearm registration, etc. They'll just know they will have to stop short of actually outlawing and entire general class of firearms completely.
will automatically call into question the constitutionality of any further restrictive gun control laws passed at ANY level, federal, state, or local.
There are a very few very limited areas (2 or 3 cities, primarily) that would have to adjust their current laws, but that's the extent of laws that would be overturned if we win the case. Only tthe most restrictive gun control laws in the country would be in danger of being overturned.
On the other hand, a loss would be catastrophic. It would be a green light for any state or local government to pass any gun control--upt to and including a law that would make it illegal to have a handgun in your own home that is kept ready for self-defense. Basically the Supreme Court saying that DC is the only place in the nation that guarantees your right to have a handgun in your own home. That would really energize the anti-gunners. They would have the assurance of the Supreme Court that any gun control law they manage to pass will not be overturned by the courts.
In other words a HUGE loss if we lose but only a relatively small gain if we win--a small gain that would really only come into play in the distant future for 99.9% of the country.
