FPC better have some spare inkjet cartridges handy, this is gonna get VERY spicy
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed Senate Bill 3 into law, banning the manufacture, sale and purchase of most semiautomatic firearms with detachable magazines, effective August 2026. The bill includes exemptions for military, law enforcement, prison guards and armored-vehicle businesses.
The bill allows individuals to purchase banned firearms if they acquire a “firearms safety course eligibility card,” which requires vetting by the local county sheriff, completing up to 12 hours of training, and passing a test.
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The coloradosun.com writes
Starting in August 2026, the manufacture of certain semiautomatic firearms that can accept detachable ammunition magazines will be outlawed in Colorado, and their sales will be significantly limited (we’ll get into that below).
That will include AR-15 and AK-47 rifles, as well as a long list of their popular variants. The law affects tactical shotguns and a small number of handguns.
The banned weapons would only be available for purchase by someone who is otherwise allowed to buy a gun if they come with a magazine with a maximum capacity of 15 rounds that is welded, epoxied or soldered on. Right now, those kinds of weapons are rarely made.
The bill also immediately bans so-called rapid-fire trigger devices, like bump stocks, which can make a semiautomatic weapon fire at a rate similar to that of an automatic gun.
Semiautomatic guns fire each time their trigger is pulled, while automatic weapons fire continuously when their trigger is pulled until they are out of ammunition.
There is a small carveout in the measure that allows for the banned weapons to be manufactured in Colorado for military, law enforcement, prison guards or an armored-vehicle business. Gunsmiths can also work on the weapons.
The banned weapons are generally not manufactured in Colorado, to begin with, so the effect of the manufacturing ban won’t be large.
How to get around the prohibition:
While the possession, sale and purchase of rapid-fire trigger devices are now prohibited no matter what, people will have the ability to purchase firearms banned under Senate Bill 3 if they get a “firearms safety course eligibility card.”
To get a card, a person would have to first be vetted by their county sheriff, which would include a background check.
Sheriffs will have broad authority to deny applications from people seeking to buy otherwise banned firearms, including those they believe may be a risk to themselves or others. Those who are rejected, however, could file a lawsuit seeking to reverse the decision.
Once someone gets an eligibility card, they must complete up to a dozen hours of training, depending on whether they have already completed a hunter education course, and pass a test. At that point, they would be allowed to purchase a weapon otherwise banned under Senate Bill 3.
What if I already own a weapon that will be banned under Senate Bill 3?
Senate Bill 3 doesn’t affect possession of any firearms. That means if you have a weapon that would be banned under Senate Bill 3, you can keep it once the measure goes into effect.
What are the penalties for violating Senate Bill 3?
Violating Senate Bill 3 would be a relatively low-level offense.
It would be a Class 2 misdemeanor punishable by up to 120 days in jail and a fine — or both. Subsequent offenses, however, would be a Class 6 felony punishable by up to 18 months in prison.
Possession of a rapid-fire trigger device is now a Class 5 felony, punishable by up to three years in prison. Subsequent offenses are a Class 4 felony.
What could stop Senate Bill 3 from taking effect?
Gun rights groups have vowed to file a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Senate Bill 3. That could prevent the measure from going into effect. It could also take years to be decided in the courts.
