Suit filed May 2026 Updated 166 days ago
Where it stands
Justice Department sued Colorado over its 15-round magazine limit.
In legal terms
Some states cap how many rounds a magazine can hold, commonly at 10 or 15. Many popular handguns and rifles are built for magazines that hold more.
States say high-capacity magazines make shootings deadlier. Challengers say they are ordinary equipment, owned by millions of people, and that Heller protects arms in common use.
What this means, in plain English
Some states cap how many rounds a magazine can hold, commonly at 10 or 15. Many popular handguns and rifles are built for magazines that hold more.
States say high-capacity magazines make shootings deadlier. Challengers say they are ordinary equipment, owned by millions of people, and that Heller protects arms in common use.
Capacity limits are in force in a number of states, and the Supreme Court has not yet ruled on one. A decision would set the standard for all of them.
Timeline
Key terms
- Heller (2008)
- The Supreme Court case that held the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep a firearm for self-defense, and struck down D.C.'s handgun ban. It also said the right covers arms "in common use" for lawful purposes.
- Bruen (2022)
- The Supreme Court case that struck down New York's rule requiring a special reason to get a carry permit. It set the test courts use today: if the Second Amendment's text covers what you did, the government must show its law fits the country's historical tradition of firearm regulation.
- "Common use"
- A Heller idea: arms commonly owned by law-abiding people for lawful purposes are protected. Challengers to rifle and magazine bans lean on it. Governments argue the real test is history, not popularity.
States affected
Related
Duncan v. Bonta
California's magazine limit. Distributed for the Sep 28 conference; no order confirmed yet.
Gator's Custom Guns v. Washington
Washington magazine limit. Distributed for the Sep 28 conference; no order confirmed yet.
Sources: court dockets, the Federal Register, DOJ releases and Congress.gov. Informational only, not legal advice. Items marked Unverified are awaiting review.