Are high-capacity magazines prohibited under federal law?

In 1994, Congress enacted a prohibition on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, but it expired in 2004.¹Public Law 103-322, Title XI (1994). Part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Act prohibited semiautomatic assault weapons designated by specific make or model or by a combination of specific characteristics, such as a folding or telescopic stock or a pistol grip that extends below the action of the weapon (former 18 USC § 921(a)(30)(B)). It also prohibited ammunition magazines with more than 10 rounds (former 18 USC § 921(31)). The law took effect September 13, 1994, and expired on September 13, 2004. Vivian S. Chu, “Federal Assault Weapons Ban: Legal Issues,” Congressional Research Service, February 14, 2013, https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R42957.pdf. Despite public support, the prohibition was not renewed. As a result, high-capacity magazines are currently legal under federal law.