Colorado’s statute requires semiautomatic rifles and pistols to have fixed magazines that comply with the state’s ban on so-called large-capacity magazines.
Colorado state Sen. Tom Sullivan believes a new law may be the way to stop the proliferation of “assault weapons” nationwide.
Sullivan, a Democrat, is one of the lawmakers behind SB25-003, which was signed into law by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on April 10. The law, which is set to become effective on Aug. 1, 2026, has been called a de facto gun ban by Second Amendment advocates.
Rather than banning specific guns, the law lists the characteristics of certain firearms and requires that those firearms must now have a fixed, permanent magazine that holds no more than 15 rounds.
Under the new law, popular AR- and AK-style rifles, as well as other semiautomatic centerfire rifles, pistols, and shotguns with detachable magazines, would be prohibited with some exemptions for educational institutions, gunsmiths, law enforcement, and military units.
In addition, the law imposes a process for purchasing the specified guns that involves firearms training, background checks, and the payment of a fee. According to Sullivan, who along with fellow Democrats Sen. Julie Gonzales, Rep. Andrew Boesenecker, and Rep. Meg Froelich, sponsored the new law, the permit-to-purchase provision keeps the law from being a ban.
“I’ve been on record for several years and made it very clear that I do not support an ‘assault weapons’ ban,” Sullivan told The Epoch Times. “You can still have all the features the present AR has, except the magazine will be attached.”
Second Amendment advocates, meanwhile, oppose the new law, including Ray Elliot, president of the Colorado State Shooting Association, who says members of his group “are resolute in our response” to the new law.
“Our legal team is preparing to contest Senate Bill 3, and we are committed to pursuing justice through every available avenue,” Elliot told The Epoch Times via email.
California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia have all banned so-called assault weapons. These states ban semiautomatic rifles, shotguns, and pistols with specific characteristics such as pistol grips, threaded barrels, flash suppressors, and bayonet lugs, among others.
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, some gun manufacturers have produced rifles that use the same action as the banned guns, but don’t have the prohibited features. For example, a rifle may use the same internal parts as an AR-15, but without a pistol grip, hand guards, flash suppressor, or other prohibited features.
This doesn’t change how the firearms work, but it does change their appearance in order to comply with the law. These guns are often marketed as “California compliant” or “New York compliant.”
