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Another Ban on “High-Capacity” Magazines?

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Another Ban on “High-Capacity” Magazines? ® NSSF FAST FACTS ANOTHER BAN ON “HIGH-CAPACITY” MAGAZINES? THE EVIDENCE SHOWS IT WOULD NOT REDUCE CRIME RATES Magazines for firearms in suggest “relatively few attacks common use on America’s shooting involve more than 10 shots fired” ranges, kept at home, or lawfully and that studies on the number of carried by millions of citizens today shots fired “show that assailants fire vary in their ammunition-carrying less than four shots on average.”iii capacity. Depending on the make Further, research has shown that magazine capacity and model of firearm, magazines criminal misuse with pistols is not limitation had reduced provided by manufacturers as significantly more likely to result in crime.vii standard equipment for handguns injuries or fatalities than in cases Another study, commissioned and rifles often accommodate 15 to involving revolvers.iv by Congress, found that these bans 30 rounds of ammunition. While so-called “assault rifles” were not effective in reducing crime These magazines offer are rarely used in crime, those because “the banned weapons recreational and competitive criminals using them were actually and magazines were never used shooters, as well as those citizens less likely to have fired the gun than exercising their right to carry a those carrying a single-shot firearm.v • According to studies by the Centers firearm or keep one at home for self- Banning magazines for for Disease Control (CDC) and the defense, the choice of magazine firearms based on an arbitrary Urban Institute the “Assault Weap- that should be theirs to make. limit on capacity has often been on Ban” (AWB), which restricted The average number of rounds proffered as a “common sense” magazine capacity, did not reduce fired in the course of a criminal measure to reduce crime rates, crime rates. shooting involving a semiautomatic especially following deplorable and pistol is between 3.2 and 3.7 rounds.i highly publicized tragedies. But • Since the AWB and its magazine This falls well below the arbitrary a dispassionate look at the facts capacity restriction expired in 2004 the U.S. 10 round limit imposed during demonstrates that limiting magazine violent crime rate has fallen by almost 21%. the misleadingly named federal capacity by some arbitrary number “Assault Weapon Ban” (AWB) of of rounds of ammunition it can hold • Since 2004, magazines with a 1994-2004, and is even less than will not reduce the crime rate. capacity of more than ten rounds the capacity of an ordinary revolver. As part of the expired federal are again common and standard In fact, this average number of AWB, between 1994 and 2004, the with most semiautomatic rifles rounds fired is only about one shot production of newly manufactured and pistols sold. Millions of these higher than in the case of criminal magazines for both rifles and magazines are safely and responsi- misuse of revolvers.ii A separate handguns was limited to a capacity bly owned and used by law-abiding Americans. study, conducted for the National of ten cartridges.vi A comprehensive There are already roughly 304 million detachable Institute of Justice, found that data magazines. Almost 80 million of study by the these can accommodate more Centers for than 30 rounds. Violent Crime Rate Disease Control 500 (CDC) in 2003 • Criminals misusing pistols dis- looked at 51 charge on average fewer rounds studies covering than are held in an ordinary the full panoply revolver and only about one more shot than those misusing revolvers. of gun-control 400 measures, including the continued AWB, and was unable to show that the 300 AWB and its in more than a modest fraction violent crime in mass shootings. The constitutional questions confiscation of all gun murders.”viii Since the authors found, based on FBI data from raise, how could a magazine round- AWB expired in 2004, the nation’s 2000 to 2017, that there is a higher up ever be practically achieved? The violent crime rate has continued to correlation between a shooter using answer is simple: it couldn’t. drop by almost 21 percent and is multiple firearms and a high casualty What the media and gun control now at the lowest levels since the count, than the type of firearm used. proponents label “high” or “large early 1970s.ix Advocates of “high- This study reinforces the fact that capacity” magazines are, in fact, capacity” magazine bans claim that magazine capacity limits would standard capacity magazines shipped the elimination of possession or sale do nothing to limit a criminal since with commonly owned firearms would reduce the rate of homicides they can circumvent that limitation across the pistol and rifle spectrum. by firearm. What they do not care to by bringing multiple firearms. Law There are already roughly 304 million mention is that this topic has been abiding citizens, however, would detachable magazines. Almost 80 independently studied, producing be dramatically affected across million of these can accommodate outcomes that do not support their the nation in their ability to defend more than 30 rounds.xii Magazines ideology. These independent studies themselves and exercise their Second manufactured before the 1994 ban have reached the conclusion “that Amendment rights.xi remained widely available while the there is inconclusive evidence for the Any capacity-based ban on the ban was in effect. We estimate that effect of high-capacity magazine bans manufacture and sale of magazines since 2004 several million more on firearm homicides.” The efforts to would be utterly arbitrary. Experience magazines of varying sizes of capacity pass magazine capacity legislation and independent studies have shown have been manufactured and sold under the guise of reducing rates of that it is not an effective means for to law abiding Americans and used firearm homicides and/or violent crime reducing crime and keeping our lawfully. These magazines are are disingenuous and deceptive.x communities safer. A ban would, standard equipment for handguns Instead of appropriately focusing however, limit the ability of millions and other firearms commonly owned on the actions of mentally-disturbed of Americans who participate in by tens of millions of Americans. individuals, the focus is again being the shooting sports to choose for Should law-abiding Americans be shifted to legislation affecting law- themselves the firearm and magazine able to choose magazines for their abiding citizens. Like all Americans, that meets their needs. It would rifles or self-defense pistols, as we abhor the criminal misuse of infringe upon the Second Amendment they feel appropriate, or have that firearms. Recent tragedies, however, rights of Americans by having the right infringed by arbitrary capacity were not caused by the characteristics government limit their ability to defend limitations that contribute nothing to of firearms, ammunition or magazines. themselves, their loved ones and their improving public safety? Sadly, they were caused by the insane property. America tried this gun control actions of the perpetrators. Some have even called for the experiment for ten years. We already Research was conducted into the government to confiscate all lawfully know it does not work. Why limit our actions of these criminals with respect owned magazines above a certain freedoms again when we know it will to lethality and items used to commit capacity. Aside from the serious not make our communities safer? i Christopher S. Koper, “Impact of Handgun Types on v Caroline Wolf Harlow, Department of Justice, Bureau of 1994,” The Urban Institute, March 13, 1997. p. 2. Gun Assault Outcomes: a Comparison of Gun Assaults of Justice Statistics Special Report, “Firearm Use by ix NSSF analysis of Federal Bureau of Investigation, involving Semiautomatic Pistols and Revolvers,” Injury Offenders: Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics, “Estimated Crime Prevention, 2003;9, p.151. Correctional Facilities,” NCJ 189369, November in the United States,” http://www.ucrdatatool.gov/. Last 2001.p.11. ii Christopher S. Koper, “Impact of Handgun Types on accessed December 20, 2012. Gun Assault Outcomes: a Comparison of Gun Assaults vi The Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use x Morral, A. R. (2020, April 22). Effects of Assault involving Semiautomatic Pistols and Revolvers,” Injury Protection Act, Title XI, Subtitle A, of the Violent Crime Weapon and High-Capacity Magazine Bans on Violent Prevention, 2003;9, p.152. Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, P.L. 103- Crime. RAND Corporation. https://www.rand.org/ 322, 108 Stat. 1996-2010. iii Christopher S. Koper, “An Updated Assessment of research/gun-policy/analysis/ban-assault-weapons/ the Federal Assault Weapons Ban: Impacts on Gun vii Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “First violent-crime.html Markets and Gun Violence, 1994-2003,” Report to the Reports Evaluating the Effectiveness of Strategies for xi Blair JP, Sandel WL, Martaindale MH. Correlates National Institute of Justice, United States Department Preventing Violence: Firearms Laws. Findings from of the Number Shot and Killed in Active Shooter of Justice, June 2004. p.90. the Task Force on Community Preventative Services”, Events. Homicide Studies. November 2020. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWR); iv Christopher S. Koper, “Impact of Handgun Types on doi:10.1177/1088767920976727 52(RR14), October 3, 2003. Gun Assault Outcomes: a Comparison of Gun Assaults xii NSSF estimates involving Semiautomatic Pistols and Revolvers,” Injury viii Christopher S. Koper, “Impact Evaluation of the Public Prevention, 2003;9, p.153. Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act © 2020 National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved 10/20.
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