KELSO, WA (AP) – In the short span of time between a judge ruling a ban on high-capacity magazine sales unconstitutional and the state filing an emergency appeal, one gun store owner in Washington state capitalized on the moment.

Wally Wentz, owner of Gator’s Custom Guns in Kelso, opened his store Monday, April 8 when he heard about the ruling.

He claims that he was able to sell hundreds of the high-capacity ammunition magazines just before state Attorney General Bob Ferguson successfully filed an emergency appeal.

Wentz is behind the court challenge to the state’s high-capacity magazine ban, with the help of the Silent Majority Foundation in eastern Washington.

Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge Gary Bashor ruled that Washington’s ban on magazines that hold more than ten rounds violates both the Washington state and U.S. constitutions.

He issued an immediate injunction to stop the state from enforcing the ban, which has been in place since 2022.

Ferguson then filed an emergency appeal to the state Supreme Court seeking to keep the law in effect during the appeals process. which was granted Monday evening.

Wentz says that he’s lost up to 40% of business because of the ban and that he will not hesitate to appeal all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court.