A city ban on large-capacity magazines in firearms is enforceable, a federal appeals court ruled this week.
The ruling could have far-reaching consequences for the future of local gun-control ordinances. A ban of large-capacity magazines in Los Angeles is headed toward a City Council vote, and San Francisco already has passed a law to outlaw the ammunition devices.
Sale of the magazines is already prohibited by state law. The local ordinances in Sunnyvale and San Francisco also make their possession illegal.
“Sunnyvale's interests in promoting public safety and reducing violent crime are substantial and important government interests," Judge Michael Daly Hawkins wrote for the court.
Gun owners challenged the law, saying the local ordinance was a violation of Second Amendment rights.
But the fight is not over. Chuck Michel, a lawyer for the National Rifle Assn., said gun owners would appeal the decision and file another suit against the city.