Washington State Supreme Court Upholds Ban on High Capacity Magazines—Klog 100.7 News

It’s been a long time coming, but the Washington State Supreme Court issued a major ruling yesterday, upholding the state’s ban on gun magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.

The 7-2 decision marks a significant milestone in a legal battle with strong local ties. Gator’s Custom Guns in Kelso was previously sued for selling high-capacity magazines after the law first went into effect in 2022. In April 2024, Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge Gary Bashor ruled the law unconstitutional, briefly legalizing the sale of such magazines. That ruling lasted less than two hours before the Washington Supreme Court stepped in with an emergency stay to keep the ban in place during the appeal.

In its 19-page decision released yesterday, the court stated that the ban does not violate either the Washington or U.S. Constitutions, asserting that high-capacity magazines are not “arms” themselves and are not essential for self-defense.

Justices Sheryl McCloud and Helen Whitener dissented, arguing that the law restricts how people use and possess firearms, placing it at odds with Second Amendment protections.

This may not be the end of the road for the case—there is 90 days to petition the U.S. Supreme Court to take it up.