U.S. Sen. Lautenberg Introduces High Capacity Gun Magazine Ban

Today is the first day for bills to be introduced in the 113th Congress and U.S. Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) has taken advantage of that opportunity. He has formally introduced a bill to ban high-capacity ammunition magazines holding more than 10 rounds. The proposal, which Lautenberg first introduced in January 2011, is a major component of the gun safety plan President Barack Obama announced last week.

The “Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act” would ban the manufacture and sale of ammunition magazines that have a capacity of, or could be readily converted to accept, more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

From 1994 to 2004, these high-capacity ammunition magazines were illegal as part of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which expired in 2004. Since that time, high-capacity clips holding more than 10 rounds at a time have been legal to manufacture and sell under federal law.

“The latest tragedy in Newtown was a wake-up call for our nation, and now we must now turn our grief into action to reduce further tragedies,” says Lautenberg. “It is clearer than ever that there is no place in our communities for military-style super-sized magazines like those used inside Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Aurora, and in Tucson, and I will keep working to reinstate the ban on them.”

A companion bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy and has the support of 48 cosponsors.

Lautenberg explains, “President Obama's bold plan to address gun violence included my common-sense proposal to ban high-capacity magazines holding more than 10 rounds, and we will get to work in Congress to pass this bill and other reasonable reforms that protect children and families. This is the kind of sensible reform that has the support of Democrats and Republicans, hunters and responsible gun owners, and it is time for Congress to listen to the American people and put this ban back in place.”