Minnesota ‘Assault Weapon’ Ban Includes ‘Fixed Magazine’ .22s Holding More Than 10 Rounds

“[Minnesota’s] House File 3570 was referred to the House Committee on Public Safety Finance and Policy and would ban so called ‘assault weapons by expanding upon an existing statute used to define these firearms,” NRA-ILA reported Wednesday. “The bill would also prohibit the sale or transfer of ‘assault weapons’, establish a buyback program, and call for an appropriation from the general fund.”

“HF 3570 uses a broad list of different firearms to define ‘semiautomatic military-style assault weapon’,” NRA continued. “Additionally, varying models of a specific gun or models similar to those listed in the bill are prohibited. Modifications and accessories like protruding grips and barrel shrouds, are features that would also cause a gun to be banned. The transfer of semiautomatic military-style assault weapons is prohibited, with very limited exceptions for law enforcement and the military.”

It’s like Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party Second Amendment haters have taken all the various iterations of semi auto bans from “by name” to “by characteristics” and added steroids to the mix.  Whereas 1994’s federal ban included semi-automatic rifles able to accept detachable magazines with two or more of the “evil” mods like folding stocks, pistol grips, flash hiders and the like, taking a page from California, HF 3570 reduces rejection criteria to “one or more.”

It also lines out a section ceding that “a firearm is not a ‘semiautomatic military-style assault weapon’ if it is generally recognized as particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes under United States Code.” While Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership was the first to warn about the Nazi origins of the “sporting purposes” term, the elimination of even that tells us much about the authoritarian mindset of Minnesota’s violence monopolists.

HF 3570 adds another curious disqualifier, “thumbhole stocks.” That’s because initially, thumbhole stocks were offered as stability and comfort workarounds to the federal pistol grip ban. So, California and other Democrat states decided their priority was for firearms to be less steady and therefore less accurate, ludicrously in the name of “commonsense gun safety.”

And naturally, no attack on armed citizens would be complete without special carveouts for the “Only Ones” expected to enforce the infringements.

There’s one other disqualifier though that should clear up ATF Director Steve Dettelbach’s inability to define what an “assault weapon” is, itself reminiscent of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson taking a pass on defining “woman.” He should have just said “A Marlin 70620 Model 60 .22 Long Rifle.”

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	Model 41 22 Long Rifle Semi-Auto Handgun - Model 41 22 Lr 7" Bbl (2)10rd Mags Black	Brownells.com	$ 1529.99
	Model 41 22 Long Rifle Semi-Auto Handgun - Model 41 22 Lr 5.5" Bbl (2)10rd Mags Black	Brownells.com	$ 1529.99
	Model 617 K-Frame 22 Long Rifle Revolver - Model 617 K-Frame 22 Long Rifle 6" Bbl 10rd Ss/Black	Brownells.com	$ 929.00
	S&W Magazines: 22 Long Rifle: Model 41 10rd Capacity - 19050	Palmetto State Armory	$ 39.99 $ 28.99

After all, the bill text says on line 2.26:

(b) Semiautomatic military-style assault weapon also includes any…

Then go down to line 3.5 and it includes:

…rimfire rifle with a fixed magazine that has the capacity to accept more than ten rounds of ammunition;

And the Marlin advertises a 14 + 1 capacity.

This is what these maniacs are demonizing as a “weapon of war” that “has no business on our streets” and no other purpose but the mass slaughter of innocents. After all, you can’t hunt deer with it!  All that’s missing is some lefty vet saying it’s the same gun he carried in Iraq and Afghanistan.

No matter how much they scoff, deny, and lie, of course they’re talking about taking your guns.

And Minnesota’s not alone—California’s right with them on “large capacity magazines,” albeit they exempt “.22 caliber tube ammunition feeding devices or tubular magazines contained in a lever-action firearm” (emphasis added)—at least until the grabbers decide otherwise. And it would appear to be the same in New York, while Illinois, surprisingly, hasn’t “caught up” yet.

It’s interesting to note the backgrounds of the bill’s authors, Leigh Finke, Esther Agbaje, Alicia ‘Liish’ Kozlowski, Larry Kraft, and Samantha Sencer-Mura, DFL stalwarts and darlings of the prohibitionists all, and not a farmer or a laborer in the bunch. (That’s OK—it’s not like Antifa is comprised of those workers” they say they champion.) Ask them about the specifics of what they’re banning, aside from “everything,” and it’s highly likely that an on-the-spot challenge would result in a “shoulder thing that goes up” answer.

While HF 3570 is in its initial stages and has a long way to go, the dominant DFL is using momentum it gained getting due process-denying “red flag” gun confiscations mandated beginning this year. Meanwhile, Minnesota’s denying 18 to 20-year-old adults their right to carry firearms is being challenged.

Don’t look to formerly NRA-endorsed Gov. Tim Walz to honor any of the promises he made before he decided he didn’t need them anymore. That’s what happens when gun owners are led to believe a Democrat Fudd believes in their rights or has anyone’s interests at heart but his own.

The question now is, when is the Supreme Court going to use Bruen to put a stop to this nonsense? They will, won’t they?

About David Codrea:

David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating/defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament. He blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” is a regularly featured contributor to Firearms News, and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.