High-capacity magazine
A high-capacity magazine (or hi-capacity or large-capacity magazine) is a magazine capable of holding more rounds of ammunition than the standard magazine for a particular firearm.[1]
A magazine may also be defined as high- or large-capacity in a legal sense, based on the number of rounds that are allowed by law in a particular jurisdiction.[2] These are defined in high-capacity magazine bans.[3]
Definition, history, and types
Definition
A magazine stores and feeds ammunition to firearms. While some are built-in or "fixed", high-capacity (or hi-capacity [4] or large-capacity) magazines are generally detachable and designed for use with automatic or semi-automatic weapons. The standard capacity for semi-automatic pistol magazines is 15 to 18 rounds;[1] for AR-15s it is 20 to 30 rounds.[5] In 2019, it was reported that rifle magazines are now available in 40- to 100-round capacities.[5]
In the United States, the expired Federal Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 and the Blue Book of Guns glossary define "high-capacity" as a magazine capable of holding more than ten rounds.[6] In 2024, the National Rifle Association (NRA) published an article in its America's 1st Freedom magazine that said magazines with capacities greater than nine rounds are often "mislabeled" as high- or large-capacity.[7] However, a 2026 article on the NRA's Shooting Sports USA website said, "More than 50% of the firearms used at the 2025 USPSA Race Gun Nationals were high-capacity 1911-style firearms."[8]
History
By the late 1700s, high-capacity magazines were well established, including for the Girandoni air rifle, which could hold 20 or 22 rounds. Modern high-capacity magazines trace their origin to military demands for "superior firepower". These devices provide soldiers, law enforcement officers, and hobbyists with the most firepower they can handle,[9] although some jurisdictions set capacity limits for civilian use.[1]
Types
Box magazines, which hold cartridges in either a single- or double-stack configuration, are the most popular magazines for semi-automatic pistols and rifles.
Drum magazines are cylindrical high-capacity magazines that are available on the civilian market in the United States.[10] Manufacturers include KCI USA and Magpul Industries; the latter produces the same drum magazines for both civilian and military use. Drum magazines traditionally malfunction more often than regular (box) magazines, though experts say their functionality has improved.[10] The shooter in the 2012 Aurora theater shooting used an AR-15 with a 100-round drum magazine whose malfunctioning saved lives.[11] The gunman's similarly configured weapon in the 2019 Dayton shooting likewise jammed.[10]
See also
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Strah, Beck M. (2022). Schildkraut, Jaclyn; Carter, Greg Lee, eds. Guns In American Society: An Ecyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law. pp. 426–29. Retrieved May 5, 2026. Search this book on
- ↑ Rose, Veronica (January 24, 2013). "Laws on High Capacity Magazines". cga.ct.gov. Connecticut General Assembly. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
- ↑ Migliaccio, Jessica Trapassi (2022). Carter, Greg Lee; Schildkraut, Jaclyn, eds. Guns In American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law. pp. 423–426. Retrieved May 5, 2026. Search this book on
- ↑ SAR Staff (April 16, 2011). "RUGER 1022 HI-CAPACITY MAGAZINE EVALUATION FORTY YEARS OF RIMFIRE FIREPOWER INNOVATION". Small Arms Review. Archived from the original on January 13, 2026. Retrieved May 8, 2026. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 Stephens, Alain (June 12, 2019). "The Gun Industry Is Betting on Bigger High-Capacity Magazines". The Trace. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Blue Book of Gun Values: Glossary" (PDF). Bluebook Publications, Inc. March 12, 2026. p. 46. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 7, 2026. Retrieved May 7, 2026. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ O'Leary, Garrett (April 29, 2024). "These Magazines are the Standard". National Rifle Association. Archived from the original on January 23, 2026. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
Firearms magazines capable of holding 10 or more rounds, often mislabeled as 'high-capacity' or 'large-capacity' magazines, are overwhelmingly preferred nationally by law-abiding gun owners, according to a recent report from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).
Unknown parameter|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Martens, Jake (March 12, 2026). "Review: GP Arms Patriot Rebel: The GP Arms Patriot Rebel is a purpose-built USPSA Limited Optics contender". National Rifle Association. Archived from the original on May 7, 2026. Retrieved May 7, 2026. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Lake, David (February 15, 2023). "High Capacity Magazines: As Essential to Repeating Arms as the Trigger". Small Arms Review. Archived from the original on August 16, 2025. Retrieved May 5, 2026. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Ben Kesling & Zusha Elinson, Mass Shootings Draw Attention to 'Drum Magazines', Wall Street Journal (August 16, 2019).
- ↑ Candiotti, Susan (2012-07-22). "Source: Colorado shooter's rifle jammed during rampage". CNN. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
Further reading
- Jonsson, Patrik (January 16, 2013). "Gun debate 101: Time to ban high-capacity magazines?". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
- Richman, Josh (March 12, 2014). "Sunnyvale gun law: Supreme Court justice refuses to stay ban on large-capacity magazines". San Jose Mercury News. San Jose, California. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
- Shermer, Michael (2013). "The Sandy Hook Effect". Skeptic. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
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