it just sent the case back to the lower court. legal analysts are saying today's decision virtually guarantees that the court will overturn the ban the ruling also says some restrictions on guns may still indeed be unconstitutional on this ruling. james rosen sorting through it all before the supreme court tonight. >> for gun ownership advocates who have been seeking for decades to get the supreme court to recognize an individual's right to own a handgun under the second amendment, today's ruling is their brown vs. board of education, their roe v. wade. >> nra is going to make sure that we're going to continue to fight this at every level of government to make sure that cynical politicians and activist judges and defiant city councils do not transform this constitutional victory into a practical defeat. >> as so often the court was sharply split 5 to 4 with swing justice anthony kennedy the