Gun Laws & Legislation

Pittsburgh Residents Challenge Ban On Standard Capacity Magazines

Rick Wilking

NRA ILA Contributor
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With assistance from the NRA, Pittsburgh residents filed a lawsuit today challenging the city’s ban on publicly carrying loaded magazines that accept more than 10 rounds of ammunition. Pittsburgh’s recently enacted ordinance misleadingly describes these magazines as “large capacity” even though they come standard with many of the nation’s most popular firearms and are commonly used in handguns carried for self-defense.

“Pittsburgh residents have a right to carry the self-defense tool that best suits their needs and the NRA is proud to support this challenge to the city’s magazine ban,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director, National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action. “Restricting law-abiding citizens from exercising their constitutional rights will do nothing to stop violent criminals.”

“Pennsylvania law is very clear that the power to regulate firearms is the exclusive province of the General Assembly, not local governments,” said David Thompson, an attorney for the plaintiffs. “Pennsylvania courts have repeatedly struck down Pittsburgh ordinances that attempted to regulate firearms in defiance of state law, and we are confident that this latest ordinance will meet the same fate.”

The case is Anderson v. City of Pittsburgh and was filed earlier today in the Allegheny Court of Common Pleas.

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the “lobbying” arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Be sure to follow the NRA on Facebook at NRA on Facebook and Twitter @NRA.