Clarification on Magazine Compliance

[mckenzied]

A friend recently purchased a firearm from a local gun store here in southern Washington that came with two standard (15) round magazines. Before they sold it to him, he had added a couple of mag blocks to the magazines to limit them to 10 rounds.

My question is if it's legal for him(or anyone) to remove those mag blocks once they get possession of them from the LGS?

The way the law reads it says no one can "manufacture, import, distribute, sell, or offer for sale any large capacity magazines", none of which I believe took place.


Thanks in advance

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[Camelfilter]

You answered your own question.

 

[Nwcid]

A friend recently purchased a firearm from a local gun store here in southern Washington that came with two standard (15) round magazines. Before they sold it to him, he had added a couple of mag blocks to the magazines to limit them to 10 rounds.

My question is if it's legal for him(or anyone) to remove those mag blocks once they get possession of them from the LGS?

The way the law reads it says no one can "manufacture, import, distribute, sell, or offer for sale any large capacity magazines", none of which I believe took place.


Thanks in advance

In WA, no, that would be "manufacture" your "friend" manufactured a 15rd mag from a 10rd mag. If you were in a free state then yes it would be legal.

 

[mckenzied]

Not sure he manufactured anything by definition. Altered might seem more accurate

 

[WAYNO]

outa here...

 

[bradsteen]

The magazines were "standard capacity" when they were transferred to him by the FFL due to the mag blocks. Therefore if he removes the blocks he is "manufacturing" a "high capacity" magazine.

 

[Nwcid]

Not sure he manufactured anything by definition. Altered might seem more accurate

Call it what you like, do what you like. I think the whole thing is BS, but the only thing that matters legally is what the law says.

https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.41.010 (32) "Manufacture" means, with respect to a firearm or large capacity magazine, the fabrication, making, formation, production, or construction of a firearm or large capacity magazine, by manual labor or by machinery.

So in your example of "altered", by definition that would be considered, "manufacture" by "formation".

I am not a lawyer. Ask you "friend" to seek on out and get an answer, better yet, take the mag after being altered to the State Patrol, or other law enforcement agency that may actually enforce this law and fight it in court.

 

[Alexx1401]

This is another great example of why you should not ask legal advice on the net. It is easy to see the answer is no but, the only reason to ask is hoping someone will tell you go for it. If you ignore common sense and do this chances are slim you will get in a bind BUT, you know full well you are breaking the law. Do you really think that if you do end up in front of some black robe saying "well someone on the net told me.............." will work?

 

[mckenzied]

Again, not me, just a friend. I said I didn't have an answer but could ask the community on what their overall interpretation is.

 

[Alexx1401]

Again, not me, just a friend. I said I didn't have an answer but could ask the community on what their overall interpretation is.

Really, did your "friend" ask you any other legal advice since you are who he comes to for this kind of advice? Sure. Again since your "friend" bought this gun did he ask the FFL who he bought the gun from? Then since he did not like that answer come to you for and advanced legal opinion? You know full well what the law says. Since you want to try to get around it go for it. Chances are slim you will get in a bind but do you really think telling some black robe you read it on the net will get you anywhere? Maybe tell the black robe your "friend" told you the black robe was wrong. Surely at that point they will bang the gavel and say your "friend " is right and case dismissed.

 

[mckenzied]

Nope just casual conversation. He hadn't heard of this forum before so I offered to post on his behalf. I don't think he's purchased the gun yet, but the FFL ordered it for him from their distributer. Either way, not looking for any one on here's legal advice, just their opinion on how the law reads.

 

[WAYNO]

 

[sobo]

Nope just casual conversation. He hadn't heard of this forum before so I offered to post on his behalf. I don't think he's purchased the gun yet, but the FFL ordered it for him from their distributer. Either way, not looking for any one on here's legal advice, just their opinion on how the law reads.

My opinion, and I think it's reinforced here, is that the law is pure, unadulterated böölscheet, but that the answer to your friend's question would be "no" if you read the law as written.

That being said, in the absence of any date markings on the mags, who's to say when those mags were purchased? Your friend can do whatever he wants to with them, but as @Alexx1401 said, the chances of your friend getting in a bind are slim, but not zero.

 

[Knobgoblin]

This is another great example of why you should not ask legal advice on the net. It is easy to see the answer is no but, the only reason to ask is hoping someone will tell you go for it. If you ignore common sense and do this chances are slim you will get in a bind BUT, you know full well you are breaking the law. Do you really think that if you do end up in front of some black robe saying "well someone on the net told me.............." will work?

Well,

It's not the ONLY reason...

 

[1775usmc]

Fishing pretty hard.

Go ask the cops. They probably know the equal amount of information.

 

[mckenzied]

Fishing?

 

[Certaindeaf]

Fishing?

You could drop a dime on the bad man that sold them and then destroy them with a sledgehammer.. for your friend.

 

[mckenzied]

Sorry I'm not understanding.

 

[spookshack]

Folks are insinuating that you are undercover LEO (Fed, local, etc.) with the intent to solicit a response to a seemingly benign legal question, with the hopes of then entrapping said respondents.

I will now wait patiently for the black helicopters to circle and my front door to be bashed in. Fortunately for me, I don't own a dog…..

 

[mckenzied]

Ha too funny. I assure you I am not but that's what a cop would say