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Old April 25, 2013, 06:37 PM   #1
Aguila Blanca
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Magazine Capacity Limits?

Is there any reliable compilation of what states have magazine capacity limits in force as of now? I'm trying to help a friend with an article, but I'm not up to speed on all the other states.

Connecticut = 10?
California = 10?
New York = 7?
Colorado = 15?
Massachusetts = ___
New Jersey = ___
Maryland = ___

Can anyone confirm the numbers I have, and help me fill in the blanks? Have I missed any states that have magazine capacity limits?

Thanks
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Old April 25, 2013, 06:45 PM   #2
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Massachusetts is 10. I'm also fairly sure that NY is 10, as the 7 round limit has been suspended indefinitely the last I heard.
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Old April 25, 2013, 07:01 PM   #3
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Note and confirm !!

On Rifle magazine capacity, I am indicating 10 for CT, MA, MD, NJ & NY.
I am also indicating 10 "fixed" for California.

Kindly take the time to confirm .....

Be Safe !!!
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Old April 25, 2013, 07:02 PM   #4
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NJ is 15
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Old April 25, 2013, 07:10 PM   #5
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_law...tates_by_state

Hawaii: Handgun 10 rounds
DC = 10
New Jersey = 15

Illinois: Some local governments have magazine capacity limits for both pistols and long guns, including Chicago (12 rounds), Oak Park (10 rounds), Aurora (15 rounds), and Cook County (10 rounds).

Maryland: Illegal to sell or manufacture magazines with a capacity of greater than 20 rounds within Maryland. However, possession of magazines greater than 20 rounds is legal

Massachusetts: Illegal to possess magazines of over 10 rounds capacity unless manufactured prior to 09/13/1994, and one has a LTC-A. Does not apply to tubular and .22 rimfire magazines.
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Old April 25, 2013, 07:20 PM   #6
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New York only allows you to load your 10 rd mags to 7. There is an exception to load your 10rounders to capacity at a range or competition. New York dealer can still sell 10 round magazines
-George
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Old April 25, 2013, 07:36 PM   #7
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Virginia does have a limit of 20 rounds but it is limited to certain towns and counties and does not apply to hunters, rimfire, target shooters or CHP holders

Quote:
§ 18.2-287.4. Carrying loaded firearms in public areas prohibited; penalty.

It shall be unlawful for any person to carry a loaded (a) semi-automatic center-fire rifle or pistol that expels single or multiple projectiles by action of an explosion of a combustible material and is equipped at the time of the offense with a magazine that will hold more than 20 rounds of ammunition or designed by the manufacturer to accommodate a silencer or equipped with a folding stock or (b) shotgun with a magazine that will hold more than seven rounds of the longest ammunition for which it is chambered on or about his person on any public street, road, alley, sidewalk, public right-of-way, or in any public park or any other place of whatever nature that is open to the public in the Cities of Alexandria, Chesapeake, Fairfax, Falls Church, Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond, or Virginia Beach or in the Counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Henrico, Loudoun, or Prince William.

The provisions of this section shall not apply to law-enforcement officers, licensed security guards, military personnel in the performance of their lawful duties, or any person having a valid concealed handgun permit or to any person actually engaged in lawful hunting or lawful recreational shooting activities at an established shooting range or shooting contest. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

The exemptions set forth in § 18.2-308 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the provisions of this section.
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Old April 25, 2013, 08:21 PM   #8
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What dustind said is correct. Wasn't long ago 30 round mags were in the majority of LGS. Not so much anymore........
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Old April 25, 2013, 10:26 PM   #9
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NJ is currently 15, but they are trying to screw us and drop it to 10.
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Old April 26, 2013, 08:40 AM   #10
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Maryland: Illegal to sell or manufacture magazines with a capacity of greater than 20 rounds within Maryland. However, possession of magazines greater than 20 rounds is legal
So, it would be legal for a MD resident to cross one of its many boundaries with other states, buy a number of "illegal" high cap magazines, and transport them back to MD, as long as he does not sell them? Is this effective also under the newly passed legislation?
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Old April 26, 2013, 09:23 AM   #11
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Quote:
Have I missed any states that have magazine capacity limits?
Ohio has a limit of 31 rounds. There is no per se "ban" on larger magazines, but inserting a larger magazine (or belt) into a firearm causes the firearm to be deemed a "machine gun" under state law. It is a silly, little-known and little-enforced law.
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Old April 26, 2013, 09:30 AM   #12
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The only limits Arkansas has are Game & Fish regulations. For example, you're only allowed 3 shotgun shells for most (if not all) bird hunting, and your shotgun has to actually have a plug in it so that it cannot accept more.
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Old April 26, 2013, 09:41 AM   #13
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Spats, if that bird hunting is waterfowl, that's a 3 shell limit (none of which can be lead pellets) and it's federal, so applies to ALL states.
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Old April 26, 2013, 09:55 AM   #14
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Oops.
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Old April 26, 2013, 10:51 AM   #15
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Quote:
Maryland = ___
Was 20 to manufacture, purchase or transfer, now reduced to 10 to manufacture, purchase, or transfer.

Quote:
So, it would be legal for a MD resident to cross one of its many boundaries with other states, buy a number of "illegal" high cap magazines, and transport them back to MD, as long as he does not sell them? Is this effective also under the newly passed legislation?
Yes, because they wouldn't be "illegal" where you bought them, unless you went to somewhere like NY to do it. Bringing owned magazines into MD is not "importing" so it is legal.
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Old April 26, 2013, 11:29 AM   #16
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Yes, because they wouldn't be "illegal" where you bought them, unless you went to somewhere like NY to do it. Bringing owned magazines into MD is not "importing" so it is legal.
Stating the obvious for the casual reader, laws may differ on this by state.
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Old April 26, 2013, 11:32 AM   #17
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Yes, because they wouldn't be "illegal" where you bought them, unless you went to somewhere like NY to do it. Bringing owned magazines into MD is not "importing" so it is legal.
Thank goodness for Marylanders their legislators didn't have their little authoritarian beanies completely screwed on tight and didn't make it a possession ban - though no doubt someone will point out to them the error of their ways and the legislature will "tighten up the loophole" in the next legislative session.
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Old April 26, 2013, 12:10 PM   #18
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Parts of the UK no mag limit for handguns. Yet.

Last edited by manta49; April 26, 2013 at 01:30 PM.
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Old April 26, 2013, 12:29 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wogpotter
Yes, because they wouldn't be "illegal" where you bought them, unless you went to somewhere like NY to do it. Bringing owned magazines into MD is not "importing" so it is legal.
Bringing an item into a jurisdiction from another jurisdiction is NOT "importing"? What is Maryland's definition of "importing"?
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Old April 26, 2013, 02:03 PM   #20
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"Ohio has a limit of 31 rounds. There is no per se "ban" on larger magazines, but inserting a larger magazine (or belt) into a firearm causes the firearm to be deemed a "machine gun" under state law. It is a silly, little-known and little-enforced law. "


What if you own a legally registered machinegun that uses magazines in excess of 31 rounds ? Is that OK since it actually is a machinegun ?

Another questions: you are saying that possession of magazines larger than 31 rounds is legal as long as you don't insert them into the weapon ?

Do you have any links to where I can read more about this ?
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Old April 26, 2013, 02:52 PM   #21
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Here in NYC the handgun mag limit is 10 (downloaded to 7) and the rifle/shotgun limits capacity to 5, doesn't matter if it's a mag or a tube or any other feeding device.
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Old April 26, 2013, 03:29 PM   #22
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You're trying to make sense of this, aren't you?
Thats not going to happen in MD.
Quote:
Bringing an item into a jurisdiction from another jurisdiction is NOT "importing"? What is Maryland's definition of "importing"?
First let me say catagorically I think this is utterly ludicrous too, but I didn't write, vote on, or pass the rules, thats our rulers job in MD.


"Importing" is bringing in for sale or distribution, as opposed to transporting personal property. BTW.
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Old April 26, 2013, 03:44 PM   #23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wogpotter
"Importing" is bringing in for sale or distribution, as opposed to transporting personal property. BTW
wogpotter, do you have a citation for that definition? I've browsed the MD statutes and cannot find anything applicable to that effect.

I found a definition as it relates to alcholic beverages:
Quote:
(12) “Import” means to transport or ship, or to order or arrange for the transportation or shipment of, alcoholic beverages into this State from any other state, district, territory or country.
I could not find anything related to firearms that defines "import" as you have, though.
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Old April 26, 2013, 03:52 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wogpotter
"Importing" is bringing in for sale or distribution, as opposed to transporting personal property. BTW.
Is that the legal definition applicable to the Maryland magazine law, or is that your definition?

The legislative intent of the law, certainly, was (and is) to limit the number of evil, "large capacity" magazines to the existing supply already in the state. If that is the legislative intent, then leaving a "loophole" by which MD residents can go out of state, purchase magazines they cannot purchase in MD, and then just cross back into MD would be rather contraproductive. I think the intent of "import" as used in the law is simply "to bring in from outside."

The Webster's definition of "import" as it applies to this context is

Quote:
2
: to bring from a foreign or external source: as
a : to bring (as merchandise) into a place or country from another country
b : to transfer (as files or data) from one format to another usually within a new file
You may be correct in your interpretation, but I think I wouldn't want to volunteer to become the test case.
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Old April 26, 2013, 04:07 PM   #25
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FWIW I believe that the NYS, CT, and MA laws all specifically exempt integral tubular .22-caliber rimfire magazines from the normal 5 or 10rd limits. The NY law limiting the number of rounds placed in the magazine still applies, but the magazines (and the guns they're attached to) can still be brought into MA, NYS, and CT.
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