Gun Grabber: Magazines over 10 rounds are only for 'domestic terrorists and gangsters'

Gun Grabber: Magazines over 10 rounds are only for 'domestic terrorists and gangsters'

By Washington Times (DC) February 18, 2014

In New Jersey, the most stringent firearms laws in the country don't satisfy the rabid activists there. They are pushing to lower the legal magazine size from 15 to 10.

"Our top priority is a 10-round limit on magazine size," Bryan Miller, executive director of Heeding God's Call, told NJ.com on Friday. The group's sole purpose is pushing for more gun control. Its primary tactic is to hold "prayer vigils" outside firearms stores.

"Nobody needs a 15-round ammunition magazine unless they are a domestic terrorist or a gangster," Mr. Miller claimed.

Mr. Miller neglected to mention that virtually all law enforcement uses firearms with more than 10 rounds. And of course, so do millions of law-abiding Americans.

Frank Jack Fiamingo is the president of the New Jersey Second Amendment Society, a grass-roots gun rights group that opposes the magazine ban.

"We want the innocent homeowners to be able to defend themselves against a group of thugs determined to invade their home and hurt or kill them and their family," he told me.

"If it takes that individual 30-round magazines to offer a proper defense, families are certainly well within their rights to own them."

The firearms industry has been fighting back against these new limits to magazine size that have passed in the past year in states such as New York (seven rounds) and Colorado (15 rounds).

Larry Keane is the general counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which represents firearms and ammunition manufacturers.

"The Justice Department studies of the federal ban on modern sporting rifles - which also restricted magazine capacity - showed that restricting the size of a magazine by an arbitrary number, such as 10, does not reduce crime," Mr. Keane said, referring to the industry's preferred term for so-called assault weapons.

"It simply limits the ability of law-abiding citizens to defend themselves and their families."

In New Jersey, gun-grabber activists have been effective in getting new laws because they have strong allies in the Democrat- controlled Legislature.

It is expected that political pressure will increase to pass more gun-control bills in order to put Gov. Chris Christie in a tight spot. Mr. Christie is considering a run for president as a Republican, which is a nonstarter for someone who is viewed as anti- gun.

The political battles have already started.

Mr. Miller told NJ.com that he expected the leadership in the state Legislature to "get behind" the 10-round magazine limit and "the governor to see some sense."

Last year, Mr. Christie called for more gun-control laws after the Newtown tragedy, but six months later, changed his tune and vetoed the most ridiculous laws that came out of the Legislature, such as a ban on .50-caliber guns, which have never been used in a crime.

Mr. Fiamingo and the thousands in the Second Amendment rights group anticipate having to fight the magazine ban all the way to the governor's desk.

"The majority of our legislators focus on the so-called 'gun problem,' but ignore the real issue, which is the violence caused by gangs, drug dealers and career criminals," he said. "To hide their incompetence and impotence, our legislators just pass a barrage of useless bills."

Mr. Fiamingo added, "Does our governor truly care enough about the individual residents of New Jersey to block the gun-control bills? I honestly don't know the answer to that question. I guess we will have to see."

Mr. Christie should do the right thing for public safety and Second Amendment rights and veto any bill that limits magazine size any further in New Jersey.

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