Interesting statistical information has just been published in the United States about... magazines used there. Via independent research and a direct survey of firearms and magazine manufacturers, combined with annual reports to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the report on this topic puts the number at approximately 963,772,000 detachable pistol and rifle magazines manufactured between 1990 and 2021. Of these, approximately 74 percent, or 717 million magazines, have a capacity of more than 11 rounds.

Going further into the numbers, approximately 209,145,000 pistol magazines are in the 11+ capacity category, while the rest being rifle magazines, of which an estimated 448,369,000 have a capacity of 30 rounds or more.

In terms of the source, the study estimates that approximately 29 percent of the magazines were provided "in the box" with each newly manufactured firearm, with the remaining 71 percent were distributed to the consumer market as aftermarket accessories. The data, compiled by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a US firearms industry trade group, reveals that magazines with a capacity of over 10 rounds are definitely the national standard, even taking into consideration that in some states (including the most populous - California and New York) there are limits on the maximum capacity of magazines.

"The data establishes that law-abiding gun owners overwhelmingly choose magazines that have a capacity to hold more than 10 rounds for lawful purposes including self-defense, target shooting, and hunting,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President & General Counsel.

Importantly, the 1991-2021 study period does not include thousands of magazines manufactured and distributed over the past three years, or older pre-1989 magazines that are still in circulation. Many of them fall into the 11+ round capacity category.

AR-15 and AR-18/180 rifles have been distributed since the 1960s with standard 20 and 30-round magazines. An older rifle, the Winchester 1907, had 15 and 20-round magazines available for purchase since as far back as the 1920s. As for the pistols, the Browning Hi-Power, which dates back to 1935, came with standard 13-round magazines, and the S&W 59 appeared on the market in 1967 with 15-round magazines.

Currently, 14 states and the District of Columbia have arbitrary magazine capacity limits that range from 10 to 20 rounds of ammunition.

Source: Guns.com