The Second Amendment has been discussed at length. It has been discussed from both rationally objective and irrationally emotional points of view. Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution has not been discussed at all, however.
This part of the Constitution grants Congress the power to provide for organizing, arming and disciplining the militia. Congress also has the implied power to refrain from exercising these powers, but there is no implied power of disorganizing, disarming or disbanding the militia entirely or in part. There is no implied power of reducing the effectiveness of the militia or of militia arms.
This part also grants the states the power of training the militia according to the prescribed federal discipline. There is no implied power of the states, however, to define reducing the effectiveness of militia arms as an aspect of training.
No reduction in the effectiveness of the militia can be construed as discipline or training. Any federal or state reduction in effectiveness is therefore unconstitutional.
Royce Soanes Waterford