President Joe Biden and other gun-ban advocates like to tell Americans that firearms magazines that hold more than 10 rounds are “evil.” What they don’t tell you, however, is that these magazines, which they want to ban, make up the vast majority of mags owned by Americans.
As recently as Feb. 14 Biden called for a ban on what he calls “high-capacity” magazines, which are actually standard-capacity magazines that come stock with most semi-auto firearms sold today.
“I ask the country to stand with me,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House. “To make your voice heard in Congress so we finally act to ban assault weapons, to limit high-capacity magazines, strengthen background checks, keep guns out of the hands of those who have no business owning them or handling them. We know what we have to do, we just need the courage to do it.”
While all that might sound good to some who don’t understand the truth about “assault weapons” and “high-capacity” magazines, a recently released report from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) revealed how widespread such magazines truly are. And according to that report, magazines that hold 11 rounds or more are the “national standard.”
According to the report, which surveyed over 30 years of detachable magazine production and distribution, revealed that of the conservatively 963,772,000 detachable magazines supplied from a firearm manufacturer and in the aftermarket, at least 717,900,000 have a capacity exceeding 10 rounds.
“The Detachable Magazine Report (1990-2021) confirms what NSSF has known—that the national standard for magazine capacity for America’s gun owners is greater than 10 rounds,” the organization stated in a news item detailing the report. “With nearly 1 billion detachable magazines in circulation, for both rifles and pistols, they are unquestionably commonly-owned and commonly-used for lawful firearm use, including recreational target shooting, hunting and self-defense. They are ‘arms’ within the meaning of the Second Amendment. Detachable magazines are integral to the design of, and necessary for the proper functioning of, today’s modern semi-automatic firearms.”
According to the report, about 46 percent of the magazines estimated in this study are rifle magazines with 30-plus round capacity. The percentage of detachable magazines at 11-plus capacity is about 55 percent of total pistol magazines. The amount of 10 and below capacity rifle magazines supplied from the manufacturer is over one and a half times the amount of 30-plus capacity rifle magazines. The consumer market totals of rifle magazines show 30-plus capacity magazines, over 413 million, are over 30 times the amount available than 10 and below capacity rifle magazines, about 13 million.
Lawrence Keane, NSSF senior vice president & general counsel, said the report should be eye-opening to those trying to ban such magazines.
“The data establishes that law-abiding gun owners overwhelmingly choose magazines that have a capacity to hold more than 10 rounds for lawful purposes including self-defense, target shooting and hunting,” Keane said.
Digging deeper, the report indicated that of the 717,900,000 detachable magazines for pistols and rifles with a capacity greater than 10 rounds, 209,145,000 pistol magazines are in circulation from combined sales through firearm manufacturers (those magazines included with the firearm) and aftermarket production. Rifle magazines with a capacity greater than 10 rounds accounted for 508,755,000 and rifle magazines with a capacity of 30 rounds or greater totaled an estimated 448,369,000 from combined sale of those included with a firearm at sale and the aftermarket.