On Tuesday night, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) signed off on a statewide ban on “assault weapons” and high-capacity magazines. The ban itself is an amendment to Illinois House Bill 547 and is called the “Protect Illinois Communities Act.” Along with banning the sale, purchase, and possession of “assault-style” weapons, which include AR-15 and AK-47 rifles, long gun magazines will be limited to 10 rounds, and handguns will have a 15-round limit. It also prohibits the possession and use of devices that increase the firing rate of semi-automatic weapons.
Illinois residents who already own guns that are on the banned list will be allowed to keep them and can use them at gun ranges, in designated hunting areas, their own private property, and “other locations,” according to CBS Chicago. But there is a catch for those gun owners who have been “grandfathered” in: those guns must be registered with the Illinois State Police. The bill expedites the process for universal background checks but does not change the age for Firearm Owner ID cards. Read more…
