An Act Concerning Large Capacity Magazines And The Sale Of Ammunition.
HB 7052 revises Connecticut’s large-capacity magazine law and ammunition-sale exemptions. The bill changes the definition of a “large capacity magazine” from a device capable of holding more than 10 rounds to one capable of holding more than 15 rounds, while keeping existing exclusions for permanently altered devices, .22 caliber tube devices, lever-action tubular magazines, and permanently inoperable magazines. It also retains the state’s general prohibition on importing, selling, purchasing, or transferring large-capacity magazines, but updates the law to reflect the new 15-round threshold and continues to define who may lawfully possess or transfer such magazines.
The bill also expands the list of entities and circumstances exempt from the ammunition-sale restrictions in section 29-38m. In addition to existing exemptions for law enforcement, correctional agencies, military personnel, certain inspectors, nuclear facility security, and federally licensed firearm businesses, it adds a patron of a firing or shooting range, so long as the ammunition is sold, obtained, and discharged at the range. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025 and amends sections 53-202w and 29-38m of the general statutes.
If enacted, the bill would narrow the scope of Connecticut’s large-capacity magazine restrictions by raising the statutory capacity threshold from 10 rounds to 15 rounds, which would reduce the number of magazines covered by the felony and misdemeanor possession/transfer prohibitions. It would also preserve and clarify the existing framework for lawful possession, declaration, transfer, repair, inheritance, and law-enforcement/military exceptions. Separately, it would broaden ammunition-sale exemptions by allowing range patrons to buy ammunition for use at a firing or shooting range, affecting retailers, ranges, gun owners, and regulated public-safety agencies.
The committee vote suggests the bill was controversial and closely divided. The Public Safety and Security Committee reported it favorably by a narrow 15-14 vote, indicating substantial support but also significant opposition. The lack of transcript excerpts limits direct insight into debate, but the close vote implies the proposal was viewed as a meaningful change to firearm regulation rather than a routine technical update.
The main point of contention is the bill’s relaxation of existing firearm restrictions, especially the increase in the large-capacity magazine threshold from 10 to 15 rounds. Supporters likely view this as a recalibration of the law and a way to align restrictions more closely with current policy goals, while opponents likely see it as weakening gun-control measures and expanding access to higher-capacity magazines. The added ammunition-sale exemption for shooting-range patrons may also be disputed, as it creates a new carveout for civilian purchasers and could be viewed either as a practical range-use accommodation or as another erosion of ammunition controls.