The battle over Washington’s ban on so-called “large-capacity” magazines has reached the U.S. Supreme Court, and it’s drawing national attention.
In Gator’s Custom Guns v. Washington, a coalition of 27 states—led by Montana and Idaho—filed an amicus brief urging the justices to strike down the Evergreen State’s restriction on magazines holding more than ten rounds.
The Stakes
At the heart of the case is whether Washington’s ban conflicts with the Second Amendment.
The Washington Supreme Court upheld the ban earlier this year, ruling that magazines aren’t “arms” protected by the Constitution and that plaintiffs failed to show they’re “commonly used for self-defense.”
But the states’ brief argues this turns the law—and the Constitution—on its head. The amici point out that more than 30 to 159 million of these magazines are in circulation nationwide, with nearly half of American gun owners possessing them.
By any measure, that makes them both common and constitutionally protected.
Defiance of SCOTUS Precedent
The states accuse lower courts in anti-gun jurisdictions of openly defying Supreme Court precedents in Heller and Bruen.
Instead of applying the Court’s clear “common use” standard, the Washington ruling “contorted the meaning of arms” to exclude magazines and shifted the burden onto citizens instead of the government.
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This, the amici warn, creates a dangerous precedent: if a state can dismiss a firearm component as a mere “accessory,” then virtually any part—magazines, bolts, triggers—could be banned, gutting the right to bear arms.
History and Tradition
The brief further underscores that multi-shot firearms and magazines exceeding ten rounds existed even before the Founding era, citing repeating arms dating to the 16th century.
The claim that Washington’s ban aligns with America’s tradition of gun regulation, they argue, simply doesn’t hold up.
What Comes Next
If the Court grants certiorari, this case could be one of the most consequential Second Amendment battles since Bruen.
The ruling will determine not only the future of Washington’s magazine ban but also set the tone for challenges to similar laws in California, New York, Illinois, and beyond.
For now, gun rights advocates view the united front of 27 states as a powerful signal to the Court: the Second Amendment is not a regional right, and Americans across the country expect it to be enforced consistently.
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