Boulder - Gun rights advocates planning huge high capacity magazine giveaway in Colorado [View all]

[Peter cotton]

Boulder Police say the giveaway is legal, even if it's not popular with everyone. Savant Suykerbuyk is the event organizer. If his event goes as planned, he'll be giving away hundreds of high capacity gun magazines. "That's one of the great things about this nation, is that -- if you really care about something, you can make a stand for it. No matter what it is," said Suykerbuyk.

Suykerbuyk is stepping straight into the cross-hairs of the gun rights debate. He's organizing a massive gun magazine giveaway in the parking lot of a Boulder gun store in two weeks on Sat., March 16. "Donation, fundraiser, giant give-away," said Suykerbuyk. "It's all of the above." He's already received donations from as far away as Pennsylvania.

"Is it legal? asked 7NEWS. "It is completely legal. We're not distributing ammunition. We're not distributing firearms. The only thing that we're distributing is the one little tiny inanimate object itself -- the magazine," said Suykerbuyk. The give-away is legal because the magazines are not for sale. But, the event certainly has its detractors. In particular, the sponsor of the bill that would ban high capacity magazines. "Why in the world does someone need to have a high capacity magazine?" said state Rep. Rhonda Fields, the sponsor of the bill that aims to ban high capacity magazines. "When we know what that is going to do is someone is going to be able to kill a high amount of people in a short amount of time."

"I don't see anybody explaining why they're picking a certain number," said Suykerbuyk. "Why 15 makes us safer, or 10, or New York's seven makes us safer, or Denver's current 20?" "I absolutely do understand the other side," said Suykerbuyk. "And there are people that have opposing opinions, and I totally respect those opinions. I'm just as upset over the violence that's happening, but I feel like maybe they're taking it out in the wrong place. You're legislating the law-abiding, you're not legislating criminals."

Organizers will be asking participants to make a small donation to Rocky Mountain Gun Owners. Police say brandishing weapons at the event will not be tolerated, but the magazine give-away is legal under Colorado law.