Second Amendment Alert – Colorado Passes Most Restrictive Gun Laws in the United States

After turning on my TV this morning, the first news story to hit my ears was about how Colorado had just passed the most restrictive gun laws in the United States. I must admit it made me both a bit sad and angry at the same time.

My last duty station was at FT Carson in Colorado, just outside of beautiful Colorado Springs. It was a gunslinger’s paradise. Hell, the place was named after the legendary Kit Carson, who was known for using many firearms in his career as a trapper, scout, soldier, and explorer. Among these were the renowned Hawken rifles, highly regarded among mountain men for their reliability and craftsmanship. And folks, if you’ve never been there, there are many mountains in Colorado.

Historically, firearms have been deeply ingrained in Colorado’s culture, reflecting its frontier roots and diverse communities. Firearms were essential tools for Indigenous peoples, early settlers, and ranchers for hunting and self-protection. When Colorado became a state in 1876, the right to bear arms was enshrined in its constitution, emphasizing their significance in daily life and community defense.

Limiting firearms in Colorado is like limiting plastic surgery clinics in California.

And Still, It Happened

In a move that had me do a spit-take with my coffee and has left gun owners reeling and civil liberties advocates sharpening their legal knives, Colorado’s Democrat Governor Jared Polis signed Senate Bill 3 into law on April 10, 2025. This legislation, set to take effect in August 2026, imposes sweeping restrictions on the sale and manufacture of semiautomatic firearms equipped with detachable magazines. The bill targets popular models like the AR-15 and AK-47, as well as certain shotguns and handguns, effectively making Colorado the state with the most stringent gun control measures in the nation.

A Bureaucratic Labyrinth for Gun Buyers

Under the new law, purchasing a semiautomatic firearm with a detachable magazine will require navigating a complex bureaucratic process. Prospective buyers must obtain a special permit (at the super-salty cost of $400), complete a 12-hour long state-approved safety training course (with a score of 90 or above), and pass multiple background checks (including vetting by the local county Sheriff). Additionally, the law mandates that magazines be fixed and limited to 15 rounds, significantly slowing down reloading time.​

Critics argue that these requirements effectively amount to a ban, as the hurdles are so onerous that few will be able to comply. Taylor Rhodes, spokesman for the Colorado-based National Association for Gun Rights, stated, “This is going to prohibit right around 50 percent of the common market.” His group is preparing to file a lawsuit once the law takes effect.​

The Political Calculus Behind the Law

Senate Bill 3 was championed by State Senator Tom Sullivan, whose son was killed in the 2012 Aurora theater shooting. Sullivan argued that traditional “assault” weapons bans have been ineffective and that focusing on magazine capacity and reloading ease would be more impactful.​

Initially, Governor Polis had reservations about the bill, particularly its blanket prohibition on the sale of rifles with detachable magazines. However, after lawmakers added provisions allowing limited acquisitions through licensing, he supported the amended bill.

Oh, and did I mention that the law immediately bans rapid-fire trigger devices like bump stocks and binary triggers, which increase firing rates? It does.  ​

A Legal Battle on the Horizon

​Gun rights advocates in Colorado aren’t backing down after the recent signing of Senate Bill 3. Several prominent groups, including Rocky Mountain Gun Owners (RMGO) and the Colorado State Shooting Association (CSSA), have already announced plans to challenge the law in court. Both organizations argue that Senate Bill 3 blatantly violates the Second Amendment and unfairly targets law-abiding gun owners. RMGO has been especially vocal, calling the new law arbitrary and an outright attack on constitutional freedoms. Meanwhile, the CSSA has confirmed it is exploring all available legal options to overturn the legislation.

Opponents of the new law say it threatens fundamental rights, particularly the ability of citizens to defend themselves and their families. They argue that Senate Bill 3 won’t do much to stop criminals — who, by definition, don’t follow gun laws — but it will absolutely make life harder for responsible gun owners who follow the rules.

Resistance isn’t just coming from gun rights groups, either. Some local government officials in Colorado have openly criticized the law as well. County commissioners and sheriffs in places like Douglas County have expressed serious concerns about the bill’s impact on their communities. They argue that the law is an example of government overreach, one that piles enforcement responsibilities onto local agencies without providing the necessary resources or funding to make it work.

At the same time, gun rights organizations are working hard to rally support from Colorado residents and sympathetic lawmakers. They’re warning that this bill could set a dangerous precedent for future firearm restrictions, not just in Colorado but potentially across the country.

While Senate Bill 3 is scheduled to go into effect in August 2026, this legal battle is likely to stretch on for years. If the courts side with gun rights advocates, the law could be delayed or even struck down entirely. But if it survives these challenges, Colorado’s sweeping new gun restrictions could become a blueprint for similar legislation in other states.

Why Colorado’s Senate Bill 3 Should Have Every Gun Owner in America Paying Attention

Colorado’s new Senate Bill 3 isn’t just a local issue — this thing has real teeth, and its bite could be felt all across America.

We’re talking about some of the most popular firearms in the country — AR-15s, AK-47s, and countless others. If you think this kind of legislation is going to stay locked away in the Rocky Mountains, think again. Other states, especially those run by Democrats, are already taking notes. Colorado just became the testing ground for what could become the new playbook for gun control nationwide.

Of course, this isn’t going down without a fight. Gun rights groups like Rocky Mountain Gun Owners and the National Rifle Association are already lawyering up. They argue that this bill is a blatant violation of the Second Amendment, and they’re ready to take it all the way to the Supreme Court if they have to. Whatever the courts decide could set new legal precedents that affect gun laws far beyond Colorado’s borders.

But it’s not just about lawsuits. This law could rattle the entire firearms industry. Manufacturers and gun retailers everywhere are watching this closely. If these kinds of restrictions catch on, companies might be forced to redesign firearms altogether — think fixed magazines and more hoops for buyers to jump through just to own what used to be standard equipment.

Then there’s the money issue — and I’m not just talking about gun sales. Critics of SB3 are sounding the alarm about what this could do to conservation funding. Thanks to the Pittman-Robertson Act, taxes on guns and ammo help pay for wildlife conservation programs across the country. If fewer people are buying new guns or heading out to hunt because of laws like this, that could mean less money for preserving the great outdoors — and that’s a problem that extends far beyond Colorado.

At the end of the day, SB3 is more than a misguided law — it’s a potential cultural flashpoint. It’s Colorado’s latest entry into the never-ending battle over gun rights in America. And like every fight worth paying attention to, both sides are already gearing up for war.

Whether you love it or hate it, what happens next in Colorado is going to shape the gun debate in this country for years to come.

Buckle up; this is going to be a bumpy ride.