Magazine bans typically don't ban magazines outright. Not yet, at least, though I fully expect to see such a bill in either California or New York any day now.

What bans do is limit how many rounds your magazine can hold. Anything above this rate is called a "high capacity" magazine. The idea here is to paint these magazines as something...extra, something particularly dangerous and deadly.

The issue with that, though, is these laws arbitrarily limit the number of rounds someone can carry all while ignoring what's actually standard in most firearms.

According to the NSSF? These laws actually restrict standard-capacity magazines, not limit people to those.

NSSF, the Firearm Industry Trade Association, revealed in a report that detachable magazines with a capacity exceeding 10 rounds are the overwhelming standard for firearm owners in the United States. The report, which surveyed 30-plus years of detachable magazine production and distribution, demonstrated that of the conservatively estimated 963,772,000 detachable magazines supplied from a firearm manufacturer and in the aftermarket, at least 717,900,000 have a capacity exceeding 10 rounds, the limit some states place for lawful magazine possession.

The Detachable Magazine Report (1990-2021) confirms what NSSF has known — that the national standard for magazine capacity for America’s gun owners is greater than 10 rounds. With nearly 1 billion detachable magazines in circulation, for both rifles and pistols, they are unquestionably commonly owned and commonly used for lawful firearm use, including recreational target shooting, hunting and self-defense. They are “arms” within the meaning of the Second Amendment. Detachable magazines are integral to the design of, and necessary for the proper functioning of, today’s modern semi-automatic firearms.

...

About 46% of the magazines estimated in this study are rifle magazines with 30+ round capacity. The percentage of detachable magazines at 11+ capacity is about 55% of total pistol magazines. The amount of 10 and below capacity rifle magazines supplied from the manufacturer is over one and a half times the amount of 30+ capacity rifle magazines. The consumer market totals of rifle magazines show 30+ capacity magazines, over 413 million, are over 30 times the amount available than 10 and below capacity rifle magazines, about 13 million.

Why does this matter?

It matters because anti-gun lawmakers often frame magazine restrictions as simply prohibiting especially dangerous, aftermarket goods like a 15-round magazine for a Glock 19.

Which is exactly what came with my Glock 19 when I bought it.

See, what magazine bans do isn't do away with something particularly dangerous, but a standard accessory that comes with most semi-automatic firearms, be they rifle or pistol. This is the norm that these laws are attacking.

It matters because this is a blatant restriction of our right to keep and bear arms, all disguised as an attempt to mitigate harm.

Of course, if you have 10 rounds and you want to hurt someone, if that magazine isn't enough, you can just swap them out. The chances are good that a bad actor will have the advantage in an armed encounter and be able to switch magazines pretty easily.

Where it matters, though, is if you're in the defensive role. You may not have the luxury of being able to change magazines, so having an actual standard capacity magazine is probably for the best.

Not that it'll matter to anti-gun lawmakers, but it's the truth.