NRA Asks Supreme Court to Strike New Jersey’s Magazine Ban

[Charlie T Waite]

Fairfax, Va. - The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, in partnership with its state affiliate, the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs (ANJRPC), asked the Supreme Court of the United States on Monday to hear their challenge against New Jersey’s prohibition on magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition.  

 “The fact that magazines holding 10 or more rounds of ammunition are standard in many of the most common firearms in America, and that millions of Americans own these kinds of magazines and hundreds of millions of them are in circulation are precisely the reasons the gun control lobby and their politicians are clamoring for a ban. This magazine ban is one of their first steps toward banning guns and eventually outlawing self-defense,” said Amy Hunter, NRA spokeswoman. “Arbitrarily restricting these magazines is unconstitutional, and does nothing to increase public safety.” 

New Jersey began restricting magazines in 1990 by outlawing those capable of accepting more than 15 rounds. In 2018, the legislature arbitrarily redefined “large capacity ammunition magazine” to have a 10-round limit. The petition argues these magazines have a long historical tradition, whereas restrictions on them do not.   

This is the second time that the NRA-ILA has asked the high court to take a case in the last five months. In December, it asked the court to review a challenge to New York’s restrictive process for issuing carry permits. The court granted that request today. This is also the second time that NRA-ILA and ANJRPC have brought a case to the court in recent years. In 2018, the groups brought a case challenging the New Jersey’s may-issue concealed-carry regime. It was one of many cases that the Court declined to take last summer. It was, however, the case that drew a scathing dissent form Justices Thomas and Kavanaugh. 

“NRA is hopeful we can get more than a dissent in this case,” Hunter concluded.

 The case is called Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs, Inc., v. Gurbir S. Grewal.