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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 15, 2013 04:05 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Kevin J. Boyle and Rep. Madeleine Dean |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Limit on Ammunition |
| In the near future, I will be introducing legislation that will amend Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to limit the amount of ammunition in magazine clips to 10 rounds for firearms. Large capacity magazines are frequently used in horrendous mass shootings, including those which occurred in Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut, and at Tucson, Arizona, Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, and Fort Hood, Texas. In some cases, large capacity magazines can hold up to 100 rounds of ammunition. Although detachable large capacity magazines are typically associated with machine guns or semi-automatic assault weapons, such devices are generally available for any semi-automatic firearm that accepts a detachable magazine. Because of their ability to hold so many rounds of ammunition, large capacity magazines significantly increase the lethality of the automatic and semi-automatic firearms using them. Large capacity magazines are a relatively new phenomenon. Prior to the 1980s, the most popular handgun design was the revolver. However, during the 80s, the firearms industry shifted design and marketing toward high-capacity semiautomatic pistols. In 1980, semiautomatic pistols accounted for only 32 percent of the 2.3 million handguns produced in America. By 1991, however, such pistols accounted for 74 percent of the 1.8 million handguns produced that year. My bill would allow Pennsylvania to follow in the footsteps of other states such as New Jersey, New York, Maryland, California, Hawaii, and Massachusetts that have limited the amount of ammunition in firearm magazine clips. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation. |