What it means for N.C.

The Supreme Court's decision is not likely to have any effect in North Carolina. Residents here who don't have a felony conviction and who aren't subject to any federal prohibitions can legally own handguns with a permit. Law-abiding residents can also legally own shotguns and rifles.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

"I agree with the court, because I believe it's my right to own a gun and protect myself."

-- Carl Ammons, a volunteer at Jim's Gun Shop in Raleigh

"I think that having a personal right doesn't mean having an absolute right. We're happy that [the court] found the Second Amendment wasn't absolute."

-- Roxane Kolar, executive director of North Carolinians Against Gun Violence, a nonprofit group

"The Second Amendment is the only thing that law-abiding citizens have to give them equal footing against the bad guys. It's a responsibility of citizens to use the Second Amendment to protect their families."

-- Mike Tilley, president of the Personal Defense and Handgun Safety Center Inc. in Raleigh

"The decision is unequivocally a victory for gun ownership."

-- Walter E. Dellinger III, Duke University law professor and an attorney for the District of Columbia who argued to revive the district's ban on handguns before the Supreme Court

"The most effective way to prevent firearm-related injuries to children and teens is to keep guns out of homes and communities. The safest home for a child is a home without guns."

-- Dr. Kathleen M. Clarke-Pearson, a Chapel Hill pediatrician and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which encouraged the Supreme Court to reinstate the handgun ban

COMPILED BY STAFF WRITER TITAN BARKSDALE