High-Capacity Magazines From The U.S. Used in Norway Mass Killing

Earlier this week, we reported that Anders Behring Breivik legally obtained the Ruger Mini-14 assault rifle that was the primary weapon used in the Utoya youth camp mass shooting. Today, Reid Epstein is reporting that Breivik's 1,500-page manifesto indicates that he obtained 10 high-capacity magazines for his Ruger Mini-14 from the United States via mail order.

The Ruger Mini-14 Breivik used can accept high-capacity magazines of up to 30 rounds. High-capacity magazines last made the news when Jared Loughner used one in his attempted assassination of Rep. Garbrielle Giffords (D-AZ). Loughner fired 33 bullets before bystanders tackled him. The gunmen in Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, and several other mass shootings also employed high-capacity magazines.

Under the Federal Assault Weapons Ban in place in the United States between 1994 and 2004, magazines of greater than ten rounds were prohibited, but they have been legal since the ban expired. In his manifesto Breivik wrote of U.S. gun laws:

I envy our European American brothers as the gun laws in Europe sucks ass in comparison.