Gun rights advocates clashed Monday with supporters of four bills in the Washington state legislature that ban “high-capacity” magazines and firearms made with three-dimensional printers, require law enforcement to seize guns and ammunition in domestic violence cases, and require training for those applying for concealed pistol permits.
In a packed hearing room in Olympia, residents pushing for more gun regulation told the Senate Law and Justice Committee that the measures would make the public safer. Opponents countered that the proposals would have no effect on criminals with guns and would infringe solely on the rights of law-abiding gun owners.
SB 5062 would bans firearm magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.
“High-capacity magazines enable those with criminal intent to maximize carnage,” said the bill’s led sponsor, Sen. Patty Kuderer, D-Bellevue, citing 2016 shootings in Mukilteo and Burlington that left eight dead. “Limiting magazine capacity to 10 rounds strikes a balance, allowing critical time for first responders to intervene and save lives while permitting magazines with enough ammunition to maintain self-defense.”
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Tom Kwieciak, a lobbyist representing the National Rifle Association, said magazines holding more than 10 rounds are “standard” and make up more than half the magazines owned in the United States.
“When we talk about large capacity or high-capacity magazines, we’re talking about magazines owned by a large majority of firearms owners in the state of Washington — your law-abiding constituents. While SB 5062 is unlikely to impact crime, it would undermine the ability of people to
