A group of anti-gun U.S. Senators has introduced a measure that would outlaw firearm magazines that could hold more than 10 rounds and authorize a so-called “buyback” program to confiscate magazines holding more rounds.
The so-called Keep Americans Safe Act, introduced in both the House and Senate, would prohibit the sale or transfer of magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds to anyone except law enforcement and prohibit the possession of such magazines manufactured after the date of enactment by anyone except law enforcement; authorize magazine buyback programs; and empower law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and ATF, to seize and destroy magazines that are possessed illegally.
According to the text of the bill, “The term ‘large capacity ammunition feeding device’—‘‘(A) means a magazine, belt, drum, feed strip, helical feeding device, or similar device, including any such device, joined or coupled with another in any manner, that has an overall capacity of, or that can be readily restored, changed, or converted to accept, more than 10 rounds of ammunition;” and ‘‘(B) does not include an attached tubular device designed to accept, and capable of operating only with, .22 caliber rimfire ammunition.”
While the measure would not ban the manufacture of such magazines, the legislation specifies: ‘‘A large capacity ammunition feeding device manufactured after the date of enactment of the Keep Americans Safe Act shall be identified by a serial number and the date on which the device was manufactured or made, legibly and conspicuously engraved or cast on the device, and such other identification as the Attorney General shall by regulations prescribe.”
Interestingly, the measure also includes a program to “buy back” magazines—a ridiculous phrase since the government has never owned any of them.
“Section 501(a)(1) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 6 10152(a)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(J) Compensation for surrendered large capacity ammunition feeding devices, as that term is defined in section 921 of title 18, 11 United States Code, under buy-back programs for large capacity ammunition feeding devices.”
Of course, while the Democrats in Congress consider magazines that hold more than 10 rounds to be too dangerous for citizens to own, they are comfortable allowing law enforcement to continue possessing these devices. This situation would leave citizens at a disadvantage if we ever need to defend ourselves against a government gone rogue in the future.
According to the measure, the restrictions do not apply to: ‘‘(A) the importation for, manufacture for, sale to, transfer to, or possession by the United States or a department or agency of the United States or a State or a department, agency, or political subdivision of a State, or a sale or transfer to or possession by a qualified law enforcement officer employed by the United States or a department or agency of the United States or a State or a department, agency, or political subdivision of a State for purposes of law enforcement (whether on or off-duty), or a sale or transfer to or possession by a campus law enforcement officer for purposes of law enforcement (whether on or off-duty).”
During the Clinton gun ban from 1994 to 2004, so-called high-capacity magazines were banned along with so-called “assault weapons.” And while Democrats brag that the ban lowered the number of shootings,
A congressionally mandated study of the federal ban found it had no impact on crime, partly because “the banned guns were never used in more than a modest fraction of gun murders.”
Subsequent research conducted by the RAND Corporation found no conclusive evidence that banning “assault weapons” or “large-capacity” magazines affects mass shootings or violent crime.
