Assault Weapons and Large-Capacity Magazines

An “assault weapon” refers to a semi-automatic firearm originally designed for military use. Assault weapons are uniquely lethal because of features including their rapid rate of fire and high muzzle velocity.

These firearms are often coupled with large-capacity magazines, which attach to a firearm and allow numerous bullets to be fired without the need to reload. A large-capacity magazine is typically defined as any magazine or drum that is capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition, however, some large-capacity magazines can hold 100 rounds of ammunition. 

Assault weapons and large-capacity magazines are weapons of war and exist only to inflict maximum destruction. They are not useful for lawful self-defense or hunting sports. There’s simply no reason that everyday Americans need access to assault weapons.

From the tragic shooting that killed 20 students and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012 to the massacres in Buffalo, NY, and Uvalde, TX, that left 31 dead a decade later, easy access to these uniquely lethal weapons and large-capacity magazines has proven a tragically consistent factor in mass shootings. Such weapons have no place on America’s streets.

155%

more people are shot in incidents where assault weapons or large-capacity magazines are used.

Ban Assault Weapons Maxwell Frost 384
Rep. Maxwell Frost calls for an assault weapon ban with Brady and Team ENOUGH in Florida
Ban Assault Weapons Maxwell Frost 384
Rep. Maxwell Frost calls for an assault weapon ban with Brady and Team ENOUGH in Florida

When an assault weapon and/or a large-capacity magazine is used in a public mass shooting, nearly 14 times as many people are injured, and twice as many people are killed. 

In 2023, 18% of mass shootings in which four or more people were killed involved an assault weapon. However, these mass shootings represented 28% of all firearm-related deaths and 40% of all firearm-related injuries during mass shootings in which four or more people were killed.

Assault weapons, paired with large-capacity magazines, are often the weapon of choice for public mass shooters. Assault weapons were been used in:

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Demand Congress Ban Assault Weapons!

We know that regulating assault weapons can save lives: during the time the national assault weapon ban was in effect, there was a 37% decline in gun massacres and a 70% decline in the percentage of assault weapons traced to gun crimes. 

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63%

of Americans support a ban on assault weapons

FEDERAL LEGISLATION TO BAN ASSAULT WEAPONS

  • Ban assault weapons

    The Assault Weapon Ban of 2023

    In 2023, Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI 1) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) introduced the Assault Weapon Ban of 2023. This live-saving legislation would ban the sale, manufacture, transfer, and importation of 205 military-style assault weapons by name, as well as outlaw any other assault weapon that can accept a detachable magazine and has one or more military characteristics. But under the leadership of Speaker Mike Johnson, Congress has failed to bring this live-saving legislation up for a vote. Now, in the 118th Congress, we’re calling on the U.S. House and Senate to pass S. 25 and H.R. 698, the Assault Weapon Ban of 2023.

    The proposed Assault Weapon Ban of 2023 is similar to the 1994 assault weapon ban but is notably different in that it requires only one additional military feature instead of two. It also bans any large-capacity magazine that can accept any more than 10 rounds of ammunition, along with bump stocks and other devices that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire at a rate that mimics fully automatic weapons. Any gun or large-capacity magazine that is lawfully possessed at the day of enactment will be grandfathered in and exempted from the ban.

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    GOSAFE Act

    In 2023, Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced the GOSAFE Act. The GOSAFE Act differs from the Assault Weapons Ban of 2023 in how it defines what characteristics qualify a firearm as a restricted assault weapon. This bill prohibits importing, selling, manufacturing, transferring, receiving, or possessing a gas-operated semi-automatic firearm, if done knowingly or with reasonable cause to believe the firearm fits that definition. The GOSAFE Act also bans any large-capacity ammunition-feeding devices that can accept more than 10 rounds of ammunition. Like with the Assault Weapons Ban, any gun or large-capacity magazine that is lawfully possessed at the day of enactment will be grandfathered in and exempted from the ban.

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STATE & LOCAL LEGISLATION BANNING ASSAULT WEAPONS

Currently, 10 states and Washington, D.C., and numerous localities, ban assault weapons, and two more regulate elements of their possession or purchase. These laws are all slightly different but all work to prevent these weapons of war from being readily available to the general public.

Additionally, 14 states and Washington, D.C. have banned large-capacity magazines — though, the magazine capacity these laws ban differ by state.

States with Assault Weapon and Large-Capacity Magazine Bans

  • California
  • Colorado (large-capacity magazines only)
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Hawaii
  • Illinois
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Oregon (large-capacity magazines only)
  • Rhode Island (large-capacity magazines only)
  • Vermont (large-capacity magazines only)
  • Washington, D.C.
  • Washington State

Some counties and municipalities, such as Highland Park, IL, and Superior, CO, also have such bans.

THE FEDERAL ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN OF 1994

In 1994, Congress enacted a federal assault weapons ban as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, commonly known as the “crime bill.” A ban on assault weapons was supported by former Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan. The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act named 19 guns (and their copies) as well as other semi-automatic firearms with two or more specified features listed above. It was signed into law by President Bill Clinton.

The federal assault weapon ban expired on September 13, 2004. Congress did not renew it. When it expired, assault weapons and large-capacity magazines were suddenly legalized, unless banned by state or local laws.

We know that assault weapon bans work because data proves it. During the 10-year period the federal assault weapon ban was in effect, mass shooting fatalities were 70% less likely to occur compared to the periods before and after the ban. Additionally, after Congress let the ban expire, mass shootings in which six or more people were killed increased by 347%.

The end of the ban led to a surge in the number of assault weapons produced and owned in the US. In 2004, only 100,000 assault rifles were manufactured in the country; yet, in 2013, less than ten years later, nearly 2 million were manufactured. As of 2020, there were 20 million AR-style firearms in the United States.

70%

During the 10-year period the federal assault weapon ban was in effect, mass shooting fatalities were 70% less likely to occur. Additionally, after Congress let the ban expire, mass shootings in which six or more people were killed increased by 347%.

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  • Download the Fact Sheet

    Learn more about assault weapons and large-capacity magazines.

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  • Listen to the Podcast

    Listen to Red, Blue, and Brady episode 30: This is a Tool Designed to End Human Life.

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  • Learn from Experts

    Kyleanne Hunter, a former Brady Vice President and Marine Corps combat veteran, talks about AR-15s and weapons of war.

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