It was a welcome sight on Saturday when hundreds of Second Amendment supporters rallied at the Virginia State Capitol. Many of the citizens were armed, and videos of a particular feature of the peaceful gathering spread wildly on social media.
A member of the weapons industry made a strong statement in the shadow of the State Capitol.
Thankful attendees gobbled up the free magazines
Magpul arrived with some of its most popular inventory, standard-capacity AR-15 magazines. Advocates distributed these polymer 30-round attachments to appreciative attendees as a direct counterpoint to legislation now awaiting Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s (D) signature.
Approximately $30,000 worth of merchandise sent a powerful message to Virginia’s anti-gunners. Elections have consequences, and their side narrowly won, but the Constitution and Bill of Rights do not change with the nameplates on legislative doors or the governor’s desk.
The proposed ban would take effect on July 1, 2026. Those who already own these common weapons may legally keep them, as anti-gunners know this law will slowly reduce ownership through attrition.
Gun rights in Virginia are under organized attack in 2026
One of the gun rights supporters who distributed the soon-to-be-illegal magazines, Todd Askins, told reporters that he and his colleagues came out to make a point after contacting officials at Magpul.
“I said our rights are being assaulted, and we want to hand out magazines,” Askins recalled. “They sent me a whole pallet full.”
Another 2A advocate, Jason Redman of TurboVets, blasted the proposal as yet another attack on individual rights. “Here in Virginia, right now we are seeing drastic attempts to erode one of our most important freedoms: Our Second Amendment.”
Supporters of the prohibition claimed that banning modern sporting rifles would somehow keep these weapons away from the criminal element. That, of course, is grossly inaccurate at best.
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