A US appeals court has ruled that military-style assault weapons are not protected under the US Constitution, dealing a blow to gun rights activists.

"Put simply, we have no power to extend Second Amendment protection to the weapons of war," wrote Judge Robert King of Richmond, Virginia.

The Second Amendment guarantees Americans the right to bear arms.

Legal battles have raged for years, however, over what the guarantee include -- or does not.

The ruling upheld a restrictive law from Maryland, one of the states in King's jurisdiction.

He ruled that "banned assault weapons and large-capacity magazines are not protected by the Second Amendment."

His assessment could be seen as fairly bold, considering that some judges previously said some automatic weapons were protected. They nevertheless excluded military style assault weapons.

Military-style assault weapons are often among those used in mass shootings across the United States.

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