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Open Menu Join Take Action Prohibit Assault Weapons

What does it solve?

Assault weapons are exceptionally deadly firearms commonplace in mass fatality shootings. They are generally capable of firing far more bullets, far faster than manual-action hunting rifles. Prohibiting assault weapons can prevent mass shooting injuries and deaths.

Assault Weapons and High-Capacity Magazines Report

Assault weapons and high-capacity magazines are frequently used in the violence that plagues our nation. From 2015 to 2022, mass shootings with four or more people killed where an assault weapon was used resulted in nearly six times as many people shot, more than twice as many people killed, and 23 times as many people wounded on average compared to those that did not involve the use of one. Some states and Washington, DC, have enacted legislation to prohibit assault weapons.

Assault Weapons Prohibited

Which states prohibit assault weapons?

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY

Alabama has not adopted this policy

Alaska has not adopted this policy

Arizona has not adopted this policy

Arkansas has not adopted this policy

California has adopted this policy

Colorado has not adopted this policy

Connecticut has adopted this policy

Delaware has adopted this policy

Florida has not adopted this policy

Georgia has not adopted this policy

Hawaii has not adopted this policy

Idaho has not adopted this policy

Illinois has adopted this policy

Indiana has not adopted this policy

Iowa has not adopted this policy

Kansas has not adopted this policy

Kentucky has not adopted this policy

Louisiana has not adopted this policy

Maine has not adopted this policy

Maryland has adopted this policy

Massachusetts has adopted this policy

Michigan has not adopted this policy

Minnesota has not adopted this policy

Mississippi has not adopted this policy

Missouri has not adopted this policy

Montana has not adopted this policy

Nebraska has not adopted this policy

Nevada has not adopted this policy

New Hampshire has not adopted this policy

New Jersey has adopted this policy

New Mexico has not adopted this policy

New York has adopted this policy

North Carolina has not adopted this policy

North Dakota has not adopted this policy

Ohio has not adopted this policy

Oklahoma has not adopted this policy

Oregon has not adopted this policy

Pennsylvania has not adopted this policy

Rhode Island has adopted this policy

South Carolina has not adopted this policy

South Dakota has not adopted this policy

Tennessee has not adopted this policy

Texas has not adopted this policy

Utah has not adopted this policy

Vermont has not adopted this policy

Virginia has not adopted this policy

Washington has adopted this policy

West Virginia has not adopted this policy

Wisconsin has not adopted this policy

Wyoming has not adopted this policy

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How it works

Assault weapons make shootings more lethal.

Assault weapons are generally high-powered semiautomatic firearms where each round has up to four times the muzzle velocity of a handgun round. This means that each round from an assault weapon inflicts greater damage to the human body than a round from a typical handgun. Moreover, semiautomatic weapons can load and fire subsequent rounds much faster than manually operated firearms. When combined with high-capacity magazines—commonly defined as magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition—they allow a shooter to fire more rounds over a short period without pausing to reload.

These guns are often used in mass shootings and recovered at crime scenes, but research shows a prohibition on assault weapons can prevent mass shooting fatalities and active shooter events. A study found that the federal prohibition on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines was associated with a significant decrease in public mass shootings and related casualties, preventing at least 11 public mass shootings during the 10 years it was in effect. The researchers also estimated that had the law remained in effect from 2005 through 2019, it would have prevented 30 mass shootings that resulted in the death of 339 people and wounded 1,139 more.

Lawmakers should act urgently to prohibit these excessively dangerous firearms.

By the numbers

>1,400

Researchers estimate that if the federal law prohibiting assault weapons and high-capacity magazines was in effect from 2005 through 2019, it would have prevented 30 mass shootings that resulted in 1,478 people shot and killed or wounded.

stat

6x

Between 2015 and 2022, mass shootings with four or more people killed where assault weapons were used resulted in nearly six times as many people shot per incident on average.

stat

>2x

Between 2015 and 2022, mass shootings with four or more people killed where assault weapons were used resulted in more than twice as many people killed per incident on average.

stat

23x

Between 2015 and 2022, mass shootings with four or more people killed where assault weapons were used resulted in 23 times as many people wounded per incident on average.

stat

Victories

  • VICTORY FOR GUN SAFETY: Everytown, Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Applaud Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee for Signing Assault Weapons Ban in Rhode Island 6.26.2025
  • VICTORY FOR GUN SAFETY: Everytown, Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Applaud Passage of Assault Weapons Ban in Rhode Island 6.21.2025
  • VICTORY FOR GUN SAFETY: Surrounded by Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action Volunteers, Governor Jay Inslee Signs Slate of Gun Violence Prevention Bills 4.25.2023

You might be wondering…

  1. 1 Do laws regulating assault weapons reduce gun violence?

Learn More

Assault Weapons and High-Capacity Magazines Resource Mass Shootings in the United States Resource Misogyny, Extremism, and Gun Violence Resource The Smoking Gun Resource 4x

Did you know?

Assault weapons rounds have up to 4x the muzzle velocity of a handgun round.

Rhee P. M., et al. “Gunshot wounds: A review of ballistics, bullets, weapons, and myths”. The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery. (2016). https://doi.org/10.1097/TA.0000000000001037

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