Several gun groups are challenging Maine's 72-hour waiting period for gun purchases, arguing that it’s unconstitutional.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Bangor asserts that the new law needlessly delays exercising of the 2nd Amendment without determining whether a gun buyer should possess a firearm.

Maine's new 72-hour waiting period for gun purchases was expected to face a court challenge similar to those playing out in other states.

Gun rights groups filed a lawsuit Tuesday that seeks to overturn the 72-hour waiting period law that Maine lawmakers passed after last year's mass shooting.