The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to take a case which argued that the Second Amendment entitles ordinary, law-abiding citizens to carry handguns outside the home for self-defense in some manner, including concealed carry when open carry is forbidden by state law.

The justices turned away an appeal from gun rights advocates who argued that most law-abiding gun owners in San Diego, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay area are wrongly denied permits to carry a weapon when they leave home.

The refusal to hear the case upholds a ruling from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals which held last year that the "Second Amendment does not preserve or protect a right of a member of the general public to carry concealed firearms in public."

In dissent, Justice Clarence Thomas said the court's action "reflects a distressing trend" in the treatment of the Second Amendment as a disfavored right. Justice Neil M. Gorsuch also dissented.

Shares of major gun firms including American Outdoor Brands ( AOBC) andSturm Ruger & Company ( RGR) were falling over 1% during mid-morning trading on Monday.

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Supreme Court Refuses Case Challenging Second Amendment Rights - TheStreet.com