Lungren Backs Bill to Limit Capacity of Ammunition Clips

Republican Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren joined Democratic state Sen. David A. Roberti on Monday in urging passage of a bill that would outlaw possession of rifle or pistol ammunition clips that hold more than 15 bullets.

The proposed law, which comes in the wake of the July 1 San Francisco high-rise massacre, would also outlaw shotgun ammunition magazines that hold more than six shells. The measure has passed the Senate and goes to the Assembly Safety Committee today.

“The cheap and easy access of military-style firearms is a national disgrace,” said Roberti (D-Van Nuys). “These assault weapons endanger our citizens and outgun our police officers.”

Roberti’s statement at a Capitol news conference was reminiscent of a debate in 1989 when he co-authored a measure outlawing possession of specific assault weapons, whose brand names were placed on a banned list. Since then, however, some weapons makers have manufactured and marketed knockoffs or “copycat” versions of the banned weapons, making slight modifications and using new brand names.

Two such copycat weapons, each holding 50-round ammunition clips, were used by Gian Luigi Ferri in the San Francisco attack that left nine dead, including the gunman. Authorities say Ferri wielded two Intratec DC-9 semiautomatic assault pistols, which are copies of the outlawed TEC-9 and can be purchased legally in California--although Ferri bought the weapons out of state.

“The only conceivable difference is the name change,” Roberti said of the 9-millimeter weapons.

Lungren can petition the courts to include copycat assault weapons on the state’s banned list, but a lawsuit involving the new Colt Sporter rifle has stymied such action.

The case of the Sporter, which the state claims is a copy of the banned Colt AR-15 assault rifle, is scheduled for an Oct. 15 hearing. Until the case is resolved, Lungren said, attempts to ban other copycat weapons, such as the DC-9, would face similar delays.

James Norris, a senior criminalist for the San Francisco Police Department, joined Roberti and Lungren in supporting legislation to limit the size of ammunition clips, but Norris acknowledged that small clips can be changed so quickly that a gunman will only be slowed by a matter of seconds.

“It would slow me down a little bit,” he said of outlawing large ammunition clips.

“The difference between life and death can be a couple of seconds,” added Lungren, who said he had attended a meeting at the site of the San Francisco massacre only an hour before the killings.

Handgun Control Inc. supports the Roberti measure and is urging Lungren to seek an earlier hearing on the Sporter case so that other assault weapons can be more quickly added to the banned list.

Gun Owners of California opposes the proposed legislation.