Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Delay Sought on Allowing High-Capacity Ammo Magazines
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
April 3, 2019

Share

SACRAMENTO — It appears the shipment of high-capacity ammunition magazines into California has started for the first time in nearly two decades after a judge tossed out a ban on sales and purchases of the items, the state attorney general said Tuesday.

“We are getting prepared to send a whole lot of freedom to our friends in California.”South Carolina-based Palmetto State Armory
Attorney General Xavier Becerra asked a federal judge to delay implementing the ruling while he appeals it.
U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez in San Diego said Friday that a law that bans possessing, buying or selling any magazines holding more than 10 bullets infringes on the Second Amendment right to bear arms.
With the ban lifted, even temporarily, Becerra said in a court filing that “there is evidence that sales have begun already.”
His office cited a Facebook ad from an out-of-state, online dealer saying it will ship the large-capacity magazines to California. The ad urged buyers to be patient because of an expected increase in orders.
“We are getting prepared to send a whole lot of freedom to our friends in California,” reads the post from South Carolina-based Palmetto State Armory. The company did not immediately respond to telephone and email messages.
Chuck Michel, an attorney for the NRA and the California Rifle & Pistol Association who filed the lawsuit that led to the ruling, agreed with Becerra that it allows individuals to legally acquire high-capacity magazines.

The State Has Prohibited Such Magazines Since 2000

“There’s dealers advertising them now and there are chat rooms where people are discussing buying them and we’re getting calls from dealers asking what’s legal to acquire,” Michel said.
“The gray area is, what will the status of these magazines acquired during this window be if the stay is reinstated?” Michel said.

“There’s dealers advertising them now and there are chat rooms where people are discussing buying them and we’re getting calls from dealers asking what’s legal to acquire.” — Chuck Michel, an attorney for the NRA and the California Rifle & Pistol Association
If the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstates the ban and a 2016 law outlawing possession, Michel said, buyers could be legally required to give up their newly acquired high-capacity magazines.
However, Becerra warned in his court filing that it would be difficult for the state to remove the magazines, even if the ban is reinstated.
Becerra said in a statement that California leads the nation when it comes to gun safety and refuses to go backward.
The state has prohibited such magazines since 2000, though people who had such magazines before then were allowed to keep them.
Benitez threw out both the 2000 law and then 2016 law and ballot measure banning possession.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

UP NEXT

Trans Athlete in Political Storm Earns, and Shares, First Place in Event

Fresno Unified’s Misty Her Says She Was Assaulted. Police Have No Reports

20 minutes ago

Fresno County Active Wildfire Grows to 45 Acres

43 minutes ago

Fresno Police Arrest Parolee After Officer-Involved Shooting, Standoff

A 23-year-old parolee was arrested Sunday evening in southeast Fresno after a standoff and officer-involved shooting that began when he bran...

4 minutes ago

A Fresno parolee, Andrew Garcia, 23, was arrested Sunday, June 1, 2025, after brandishing a replica handgun at officers and leading police on a vehicle rampage that ended in a standoff and his peaceful surrender. (Fresno PD)
4 minutes ago

Fresno Police Arrest Parolee After Officer-Involved Shooting, Standoff

12 minutes ago

Schwarzenegger Tells Environmentalists Dismayed by Trump to ‘Stop Whining’ and Get to Work

16 minutes ago

‘Lilo & Stitch’ Passes ‘Sinners’ to Become 2nd Highest Grossing Film of 2025

20 minutes ago

Fresno Unified’s Misty Her Says She Was Assaulted. Police Have No Reports

A wildfire in Yokuts Valley, known as the FORD Incident, has grown to 45 acres on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, after initially being reported at 10 acres with a moderate rate of spread. (Shutterstock)
43 minutes ago

Fresno County Active Wildfire Grows to 45 Acres

49 minutes ago

In Wake of Deep Cuts, NOAA Says It Will Hire for ‘Mission-Critical’ Weather Service Positions

59 minutes ago

Texas Tech Ends Oklahoma’s 4-Year Run as WCWS Champ With Walk-Off Win

1 hour ago

Versatile Jerar Encarnación Returns to Giants After March Surgery on His Broken Left Hand

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend