The magazine capacity issue is a non-issue as far as I am concerned. It's an easy one to point the finger of blame. I will state the following without empirical data but based on anecdotal evidence and my experience.

The high capacity magazine issue was raised as an issue with the Clinton ban in the '90s in the "Brady Bill". It banned high capacity magazines nationwide. Of course there were many, many pre-existing high caps in circulation already. When they were banned, I certainly don't think violent crime decreased nor did the number of mass killings decrease. Did the ban prevent crime? No. When the "Brady Bill" sunsetted and high capacity magazines were allowed federally (some states enacted state bans) I don't think violent crime and mass killings suddenly increased.

These are not spurious correlations. The fact is that magazine capacity has nothing to do with preventing crime, specifically mass killings. I would venture to say that the level of violent crime and the number of mass killings was unaffected by either the ban or the expiration of the ban. I would bet that the rates stayed relatively constant. The magazine ban is just another "feel good", "look how proactive I am as a legislator" kind of law.

The theory that if Laughner, or any other mass killer, had a smaller magazine fewer people would have been shot is a fallacy and far too simplistic a conclusion. Many factors come into play including the person's proficiency with the weapon and the person's state of mind. If one is proficient and calm enough to effectuate magazine changes, magazine capacity is irrelevant. The limit in California is 10 rounds so it just means 10 shots before a magazine change.

Laughner was overcome when he was changing magazines and I believe that the 33 round magazines he was using actually worked against him and slowed him down. The extreme length of the 33 round Glock 9mm magazines actually makes them more difficult to manipulate, draw, and insert into the weapon. I have not used ultra extended magazine much but the ones that I have tried are awkward to use.

Look how fast these guys can change magazines and be back online shooting.



Here is something more logical to think about:

Arizona has some of the least restrictive gun laws in the country. For instance, there is a new law that allows anyone over the age of 21 who is not otherwise prohibited, to carry a concealed firearm. Prior to that, state law was a "shall issue" policy for the issuance of concealed weapons permits. Basically, if you applied, took a class, and was not a felon or had other prohibiting convictions you would get a permit.

There are hundreds of thousands or even millions of guns in Arizona. People routinely carry concealed firearms. How many mass shootings have occurred in Arizona? Does this ONE INDIVIDUAL reflect the hundreds of thousands of Arizonians who carry concealed firearms? Absolutely not. In fact, an argument can be made that the prevalence of firearms REDUCES crime. How many car jacking are there in a place where the victim could shoot back. "An armed society is a polite society." True statement? Maybe. Also, an armed citizen could terminate a mass shooting like Laughner's if necessary. One of the people who wrestled him to the ground was armed with a concealed firearm and he said that he reached for his gun but was able to tackle Laughner instead.

Obviously I am a firearms owner and a proponent of the Second Amendment. Obviously there are many who will disagree with me. I am honestly not opposed to REASONABLE and SENSIBLE gun laws but what we see too often today with respect to any hot button issue is the knee jerk reaction to enact more laws that are based on emotion and rhetoric.

So to answer your question: No, magazine capacity does not need to be regulated.

PS: For everyone's information, "magazine" and "clip" are not the same thing in gun technical terms. A "magazine" is an enclosed container that holds ammunition and from which ammunition is fired. A "clip" is a metal device that holds ammunition that is used to load ammunition into a magazine. A "clip" goes inside a "magazine". That's a basic explanation. Just one of my gun pet peeves....

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