As to State's rights...
Before the 14th Amendment it was universally accepted that the Federal Constitution applied to FEDERAL authority only. States were not effected by it outside the very specific powers granted by section 8 article 1.
After the 14th that began to change. Now it is generally accepted that the Federal Constitutions Bill of Rights and other Amendments apply with in the States also. That they are individual not just Federal.
The 2nd Amendment has largely been ignored in this process and of course the argument it is a collective not a individual right has muddied the water as well.
So in answer to the question about whether it is a State's rights issue, it is not, if one uses the last 150 years rulings on what the 14th changed.
Before the 14th Amendment it was universally accepted that the Federal Constitution applied to FEDERAL authority only. States were not effected by it outside the very specific powers granted by section 8 article 1.
After the 14th that began to change. Now it is generally accepted that the Federal Constitutions Bill of Rights and other Amendments apply with in the States also. That they are individual not just Federal.
The 2nd Amendment has largely been ignored in this process and of course the argument it is a collective not a individual right has muddied the water as well.
So in answer to the question about whether it is a State's rights issue, it is not, if one uses the last 150 years rulings on what the 14th changed.