Should high-capacity magazines be banned to limit how many bullets can be fired? (2024)

CINCINNATI (WKRC) - Should high-capacity magazines be banned so they can't be used in mass shootings like what happened in Uvalde, Texas?

The idea is not that banning high-capacity magazines (anything more than 10 or 15 rounds) would stop mass shootings. The hope is that it would at least limit the number of people killed when these attacks happen.

Tuesday, House Democrats unveiled a series of measures aimed at curbing gun violence, including banning the import, sale, manufacture and possession of large-capacity magazines.

Ben Cooper is an attorney representing several families of victims of the 2019 Dayton mass shooting who are suing the manufacturer of the magazine the attacker used.

"A gunman was able to kill so many people in around 30 seconds because he had a 100-round magazine," Cooper said.

Cooper says there's no need for a magazine that large.

"The only thing that that those can truly be used for are for war, and that's essentially what he turned the Oregon District into was a war zone," Cooper said.

He says they should be banned outright, but he knows even if they were and they all disappeared, he knows that wouldn't solve the mass shooting problem.

“I think it would prevent the number of casualties that occur, the number of people that are able to be murdered by the shooters because just take the Dayton [shooting], for example. Police responded very quickly to the shooting. I mean, they were there very quickly after the shooting started, and, yet, he was still able to kill so many people because he could get off so many shots in a very short period of time,” Cooper said.

Joe Eaton with Buckeye Firearms Association agrees something needs to be done to stop these attackers, but he says banning high-capacity magazines won't have an impact.

“We hear calls for these type of restrictions and other ones after every time, after one of these horrific events, but our past history is shown that they really make no difference,” Eaton said.

He points to the federal assault weapons ban from 1994 to 2004.

“We had the federal assault weapons ban for over 10 years, which included a restriction on magazine capacities, and we had one of the first and most horrific school shootings, Columbine, during that period of time. The state of New York has severe magazine restrictions, and, yet, in Buffalo, we just saw that that does not stop criminals who are already breaking laws. Another law is not going to impact them any at all," Eaton said.

CBS reports the House Judiciary Committee will consider the eight pieces of gun control legislation, known as the "Protecting Our Kids Act" and could be voted on by the full House next week.

Should high-capacity magazines be banned to limit how many bullets can be fired? (2024)

FAQs

Should high-capacity magazines be banned to limit how many bullets can be fired? ›

Firearms equipped with high-capacity magazines make instances of violence exceptionally deadly. High-capacity ammunition magazines, commonly defined as those capable of holding more than 10-rounds, are a threat to public safety and should be prohibited.

Why should we ban high-capacity magazines? ›

Such weapons have no place on America's streets. more people are shot in incidents where assault weapons or large-capacity magazines are used. When an assault weapon and/or a large-capacity magazine is used in a public mass shooting, nearly 14 times as many people are injured, and twice as many people are killed.

Is it constitutional to ban high-capacity magazines? ›

“Every court in Washington and across the country to consider challenges to a ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines under the U.S. or Washington Constitution has either rejected that challenge or been overruled. This law is constitutional.

How many rounds does a high-capacity magazine hold? ›

California. The Golden State doesn't allow more than 10 rounds.

How many bullets are you allowed to have in a clip? ›

The following states have implemented capacity-based magazine bans: California – 10 rounds, Colorado – 15 rounds, Connecticut – 10 rounds, Hawaii – 10 rounds, Maryland – 10 rounds, Massachusetts – 10 rounds, New York – 10 rounds; New Jersey – 10 rounds (previously restricted to 15 rounds); Vermont – 10 rounds for ...

What guns should be banned? ›

Some firearms and ammunition represent an unacceptable level of risk to public safety and should be banned for personal use. These should include, at a minimum, fully automatic firearms, semi-automatic assault rifles, semi-automatic shotguns and semi-automatic submachine guns.

Will I get in trouble for having more than a 10 round mag? ›

LCMs are defined as any ammunition-feeding device that can hold more than 10 rounds. PC 32310 violations can be charged as misdemeanors or felonies. PC 32310 has some limited exceptions, such as for law enforcement and military personnel in certain circ*mstances.

Why is 25 caliber prohibited? ›

25 cartridges, but the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms banned these truncated-cone bullets for their ability to pierce armor. The . 25 ultimately became a last-resort caliber. That means it was used only when larger guns were not available or in conditions where bigger guns couldn't be carried easily.

Can I own a 15 round magazine in California? ›

With that decision, gun magazines with more than 10 rounds remain illegal to purchase, sell or transfer in California.

What state in America has the strictest gun laws? ›

Leading states for gun law strength in the U.S. 2024

California led the way in gun safety in the United States as of January 2024, with a composite score of 89.5 based on the presence of 50 key gun safety policies. New York followed, with a score of 83.5, while Illinois rounded out the top three with a score of 83.

Is hoarding ammo illegal? ›

There are no laws anywhere limiting how much ammunition one may possess.

What states don't have magazine bans? ›

Introduction
StateMagazine RestrictionsGun Ownership Rate
MontanaNo0.33%
NebraskaNo0.59%
NevadaNo0.94%
New HampshireNo0.42%
46 more rows

Why not ban high-capacity magazines? ›

Advocates for larger magazines say they are important for self-defense because gun owners can't predict how many rounds they may need when facing a threat.

Are magazine bans unconstitutional? ›

The constitutionality of high-capacity magazine bans has been repeatedly upheld by the courts, including the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the First Circuit, Second Circuit, Third Circuit, Fourth Circuit, Seventh Circuit, Ninth Circuit, and D.C. Circuit.

What states have a magazine limit? ›

The federal ban on large-capacity magazines has ended. However, nine states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws banning large-capacity magazines. These states are California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont.

Why should the U.S. ban assault weapons? ›

Assault weapons make shootings more lethal.

This means that each round from an assault weapon inflicts greater damage to the human body than a round from a typical handgun. Moreover, semiautomatic weapons can load and fire subsequent rounds much faster than manually operated firearms.

Is it bad to keep magazines fully loaded? ›

According to Aimingexpert.com, it's generally fine to keep magazines loaded without ruining them. This is the consensus among notable gun experts who've voiced opinions on this topic. In fact, one gun owner shared a story about testing a very old gun with a loaded magazine that hadn't been fired for at least a century.

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