Colorado Gun Owners - Options for compliant magazines?

[Jacket67]

Given there is a 15 round restriction in Colorado, what avenues are there to abide by these laws? Are restricted magazines sold? If so, what brand(s) are available? If you have had to limit magazines greater than 15 rounds, what products have you used to do that?

Would a fixed mag, 10 round SKS be a good alternative to getting an AR to avoid going through the hassle of getting 15 round magazines?

I am asking because 15 round magazines aren't commonplace among semiautomatic rifles. I want to build or buy an AR15 for range use/as a fun gun, but having to deal with limiting magazines or finding restricted-capacity ones seems aggravating.

 

[ndking1126]

I USED to live there and know a few people that still do. I was in a more conservative city and what I'm hearing is that the rule is essentially ignored, to include businesses selling 30 round magazines in their store, on their shelves. It may just depend on where you live. Other places may not be so understanding.

Of course, I'm not a lawyer and don't recommend breaking the laws, especially when it comes to guns. YMMV and my information may be old. Hopefully someone else who still lives there can provide more information.

 

[Tom Servo]

This is the rifle subforum, so let's keep responses germane to the technical aspects of the situation, not the legal ones.

Also, let's not have posts about breaking the law, even if many people may be doing so.

 

[Schlitz 45]

The magazine restrictions are an unenforceable farce here in Colorado. The ONLY time they have come into play is as an additional charge to someone that was being arrested/searched for separate illegal activities. If charged it becomes the states burden to prove the magazines in question were manufactured after the law was enacted on July 1st, 2013.
The law hasn’t saved any lives, just sold a lot of high capacity magazine “kits” & also forced Magpul to relocate jobs & tax dollars to more friendly states.
It hasn’t effected me at all.

 

[Jacket67]

Sorry, my intention wasn't to create a post about breaking the law, just on the reality of life there as a gun owner. I will keep to technical aspects with future posts.

 

[MarkCO]

If Tom would move this to Law and Civil Rights, I'd be happy to address some of the technical aspects of the law and the law suits. I was the subject matter expert for RMGO which was the only lawsuit to make it to the Supreme Court.

As for 15 round magazines, you can buy 15 round magazines from several manufacturers, most of which have some sort of a limiter in them.

Here is a company that caters to folks wanting to buy specific state legal magazines. https://www.charliecoopers.com/magp...-pmag-m3-223-5-56-15-round-from-30-ar-rifles/

 

[GarandTd]

Try HexMags. I accidentally bought one that was limited to 15 rounds. They are full 30 round sized mags with a shorter spring and a plug to limit the rounds. They can be converted to a 30 round capacity by removing the plug and replacing the spring. Also, there are metal bodied magazines in 5 and 10 round capacities for the AR platform. I think I even remember seeing 15 round mags before.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

15 rounds is an unusual limit -- elsewhere found (I think) only in New Jersey. But a number of states have a 10-round capacity limit, and that was the limit under the old Federal AWB. You should have no difficulty finding 10-round magazines.

 

[Fishbed77]

15 rounds is an unusual limit -- elsewhere found (I think) only in New Jersey.

Likely because it is a completely arbitrary infringement on one's civil rights.

 

[2damnold4this]

While SKS rifles are fun, I'd prefer an AR15 over an SKS, even if the AR is limited to ten or fifteen round detachable magazines.

 

[HiBC]

First,let me clearly state I believe the mag restriction laws are crap.

Now,getting back to the OP.

I'm not a lawyer. I offer things to consider, not advice you can count on.

For as long as restrictions on shotgun capacities when hunting migratory waterfowl have been in effect,the game warden has accepted removable plugs to be acceptable compliance.

It does not necessarily follow that a removable magazine filler blocking a 20 round magazine down to a 10 will satisfy a 15 round limit law.

If your state restricts semi-autos to 5 round magazines for hunting,a magazine filler block MIGHT satisfy the game warden but it likely won't satisfy the Hi-cap mag ban if you can restore the mag to hi-cap.

For myself,I prefer the 20 round size over the 30's or more just because IMO,the gun is a little handier I'm not in combat.

IMO,MagPul might do well to come out with a Colorado 15 round AR mag.

 

[GarandTd]

I agree that the 20 rounders are ideal. And I also agree that a full bodied magazine with a plug to limit rounds may be questionable in a non"free state", but I don't live there so I don't know. Those type of mags exist and are easy enough to get so it might worthwhile for the OP to look into it

 

[kymasabe]

I'm restricted to 5 rounds for hunting, so I use a 10 round pmag with magpuls -5/longer follower. I suppose you could use same in a magpul 20 round mag to drop capacity to 15.

 

[Sharkbite]

Also, my understanding is that if 30 round mags were in the state prior to the date the mag restriction was adopted they are grandfathered in. So maybe you could find someone willing to sell you a couple of "pre-ban" mags.

Not quite. The mags must have been in your possession since before the ban. It is illegal to buy, sell, or transfer any mag with a capacity of more then 15 rounds.

The magazine plug idea wont fly either. If a mag can be converted to hold more then 15 it is also banned.

It is true that most small gun shops have 20 & 30 round mags sitting on the shelf for sale. You wont find em at the big chain stores like Cabelas, but the little guys in my town have AR & AK mags new in the wrappers by the dozens plainly displayed

 

[HiBC]

I might have heard a rumor about a guy,I forget his name,who noted the "grandfather clause" and ordered enough magazines to meet his needs for a lifetime.

At least for long guns.

 

[MarkCO]

If a mag can be converted to hold more then 15 it is also banned.

Thus is the crux of the lawsuit and my expert testimony in the case. ALL magazines with removable base pads can be "readily converted" to hold more rounds. The majority of the (detachable box type rifle and pistol) magazines made since the 1990s were in fact "designed" to accept after-market (high capacity) base-pads.

Likewise, the majority of shotguns tubes are designed so as to readily accept after-market extensions. The 28.5" was in fact based on evidence I provided during hearings.

Thus, the law, as written "outlaws" firearms in common use since 1. Their magazines are readily convertible to higher capacity and 2. Magazines require maintenance such as different springs and 3. Magazines are a non-durable appurtenance that need to be replaced over the lifetime of a firearm.

There, now you have the jist of a 9 page report.

 

[doofus47]

Aquila Blanca

15 rounds is an unusual limit -- elsewhere found (I think) only in New Jersey.[/QUOTE
That wasn't an accident.
If you have an SKS, a built in 10 round magazine might be the easiest long term solution unless you already have a black rifle. And the SKS with its built in magazine will probably avoid a whole lot of magazine-related what-ifs (until they start to limit the sizes of reloading strips to 7 rounds)...
MarkCO has already pointed out some good sources for 15 round magazines to plug your open mag well.
Sorry for the hassles, welcome to the land of the read-the-fine-print-before-you're-free.

 

[Adventurer 2]

Hmmm - not sure if this is relevant but I have bought magazines in 2019 at the Centennial gun store off of Arapahoe which exceeded 15 rounds - the magazines were disassembled at purchase and I had to reassemble them on my own. The counter guy said they could sell plus 15 round magazines based on the Hickenlooper Loophole (lawyers - shaking my head).

 

[old roper]

This is whats happening

https://www.9news.com/article/news/...zines/73-70cc4e1d-8b68-4d8f-ac82-71d28beb4af7

 

[Aguila Blanca]

What's happening and what's legal are not necessarily the same thing. Here's the link to the actual text of the law:

http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/cl...E62E6F87257B0100813CB5?open&file=1224_enr.pdf

18-12-302. Large-capacity magazines prohibited - penalties - exceptions.

(1) (a) EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED IN THIS SECTION, ON AND AFTER JULY 1, 2013, A PERSON WHO SELLS, TRANSFERS, OR POSSESSES A LARGE-CAPACITY MAGAZINE COMMITS A CLASS 2 MISDEMEANOR.
(b) ANY PERSON WHO VIOLATES SUBSECTION (1) OF THIS SECTION AFTER HAVING BEEN CONVICTED OF A PRIOR VIOLATION OF SAID SUBSECTION (1) COMMITS A CLASS 1 MISDEMEANOR.
(c) ANY PERSON WHO VIOLATES SUBSECTION (1) OF THIS SECTION COMMITS A CLASS 6 FELONY IF THE PERSON POSSESSED A LARGE-CAPACITY MAGAZINE DURING THE COMMISSION OF A FELONY OR ANY CRIME OF VIOLENCE, AS DEFINED IN SECTION 18-1.3-406.

(2) (a) A PERSON MAY POSSESS A LARGE-CAPACITY MAGAZINE IF HE OR SHE:
(I) OWNS THE LARGE-CAPACITY MAGAZINE ON THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION; AND
(II) MAINTAINS CONTINUOUS POSSESSION OF THE LARGE-CAPACITY MAGAZINE.

I am not a lawyer, but I did study expository writing in college. Words have meaning, and the words of this law say that it is illegal to possess a high-capacity magazine unless you owned it as of the effective date of the law AND you maintained continuous possession of it since the effective date of the law.

So the gun shops can argue that they are not selling "magazines" but rather "parts." That may (or may not) get them off the hook. That doesn't help the buyers. Once they put the spring and the follower back into the tube, they have a magazine. They have a high-capacity magazine, which they did NOT possess as of the effective date of the law.

That's illegal.

Unless someone has a legal citation that discusses how buying a "parts kit" is legal under Colorado's law, let's not have any more posts suggesting that it's okay to buy them. Read it. It may be okay to sell the parts. It is NOT okay to possess newly-created, large-capacity magazines.