Columbus, OH – On Friday, The Buckeye Institute filed its amicus brief in Viramontes v. Cook Co. and Grant v. Higgins, calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to tell Cook County and other jurisdictions that arbitrary firearm bans violate the U.S. Constitution. 

“Contrary to popular belief, detachable magazines are nothing new. The public’s visceral reaction against them does not give Cook County, or other jurisdictions, a license to violate the constitutional rights of Americans,” said David C. Tryon, director of litigation at The Buckeye Institute. 

In its brief, The Buckeye Institute provides background on the history and development of detachable and non-detachable magazines, arguing that people have long improved weaponry for hunting and self-defense and that the history of “large-capacity magazines” dates back hundreds of years. Although the common perception is that firearms and magazines capable of holding multiple rounds are a new contrivance, they have, in fact, been around for decades, even centuries, in various formats.

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