High Capacity Magazine
 High capacity magazines are magazines with a certain capacity. This is a general term, the only definition given is that of the media and government legislators. Originally intended as an extended pistol which holds higher capacity than the “standard capacity”, a high capacity magazine is illegal in several jurisdictions. |
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The Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which was effective from 1994-2004, defined high capacity magazines as holding more than 10 rounds if removable, and 5 rounds if fixed. On September 13, 1994, domestic gun manufacturers were required to stop production of semi-automatic assault weapons and ammunition clips holding more than 10 rounds except for military or police use. Imports of assault weapons not already banned by administrative action under Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush were also halted. Assault weapons and ammunition clips holding more than 10 rounds produced prior to September 13, 1994, were "grandfathered" in under the law and can still be possessed and sold.
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The bill bans, by name, the manufacture of 19 different weapons:
- Norinco, Mitchell, and Poly Technologies Avtomat Kalashnikovs (all models)
- Action Arms Israeli Military Industries UZI and Galil
- Beretta Ar70 (SC-70)
- Colt AR-15
- Fabrique National FN/FAL, FN/LAR, and FNC
- SWD M-10; M-11; M-11/9, and M-12
- Steyr AUG
- INTRATEC TEC-9, TEC-DC9, AND TEC-22
- Revolving cylinder shotguns such as (or similar to) the Street Sweeper and Striker 12.
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The bill also bans "copies" or "duplicates" of any of those weapons. The failure to include a ban of these "copies" or "duplicates" would have opened the door for widespread evasion of the ban. Even so, some unscrupulous gun manufacturers have tried to evade the law by making minor changes to their assault weapons in order to skirt the restrictions.
California
California law prohibits anybody from manufacturing, importing, keeping for sale, offering or exposing for sale, giving, or lending any large capacity magazine. What is “large capacity magazine”? California defines “large capacity magazine” as any feeding device with the
capacity to accept more than ten rounds, but does not include any .22 caliber tube ammunition feeding device.
California Penal Code12020-12040 clearly states…
12020. (a) Any person in this state who does any of the following is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one
year or in the state prison:
(2) Commencing January 1, 2000, manufactures or causes to be manufactured, imports into the state, keeps for sale, or offers or exposes
for sale, or who gives, or lends, any large capacity magazine.
Hawaii
Hawaii Statute 134-8(c) states…
“The manufacture, possession, sale, barter, trade, gift, transfer, or acquisition of detachable ammunition magazines with a capacity in
excess of ten rounds which are designed for or capable of use with a pistol is prohibited”
Illinios
In the state of Illinois each municipality has their own statuettes regarding high capacity magazines. Aurora, Chicago, Franklin Park, Oak Park, Riverdale
Maryland
Maryland Criminal Law Code 4-305(b) states…
“A person may not manufacture, sell, offer for sale, purchase, receive, or transfer a detachable magazine that
has a capacity of more than 20 rounds of ammunition for a firearm”
This section does not apply to a .22 caliber rifle with a tubular magazine
Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York all have similar large capacity feeding device bans. Punishable by up to a year in jail and varying fines.