2025 CO Assault Weapons Ban Bill Introduced: Everything You Need To Know
The first day of the 2025 Colorado Legislative Session, Senate Democrats introduced SB25-003: Semiautomatic Firearms & Rapid-Fire Devices their latest and greatest “Assault Weapons” semi-automatic firearm ban bill.
This bill is far worse than the two Colorado AWB bills that have died in prior years, although bill sponsors are claiming SB25-003 is not a gun ban, and instead that it’s an “extension of the magazine ban”. The fight against this bill is also far different this year – and that’s important.
Understanding the bill – A list of prohibitions:
• Banning all sales and transfers (except to an heir) of “specified semi-auto firearms
• Banning of specified semiautomatic firearms per the language of the bill will include ALL semi-auto rifles and shotguns with a detachable magazine.
• It will also include ALL gas-operated semi-auto pistols with a detachable magazine. This includes ALL AR, AK, or similar pistols that use impingement, piston, or any diverted gas to cycle the action. There are a number of handguns like the S&W 5.7 pistol or HK P7 which look like a normal handgun, but they would be banned by this because gas is utilized instead of simple blowback. In contrast, a blowback 9mm AR pistol would not be banned even though it looks identical to an AR chambered in a larger caliber.
• They do include an exemption for 22 and smaller rimfire calibers, “specified semiautomatic firearms” but if the firearm has an upper and lower receiver it would still be banned in 22LR, like an AR-22.
• Overall, all manual operated actions like bolt, pump, or lever action are exempt. Basic blowback handguns are not included as long as no gas is diverted for cycling and extracting the case. Roller-delayed blowback will be banned because of the diverted gas.
• Beyond going after semi-automatic firearms, they removed the existing definition of “machine gun conversion devices” and replaced it with broad language that makes any part, kit, etc designed to “increase the rate of fire” illegal. Bumpstocks, FRTs, Binary, rubber bands, belt loops, and Jerry Miculek’s finger would all be illegal to possess under the language of this bill.
This fight is going to look different this year:
Colorado has seen the rise and fall of similar attempts to ban semi-auto firearms the past two years and both failed. In 2023 and 2024, the AWB bill originated in the State House, which is always a bit of a circus. In 2023 it died in it’s first House committee hearing but in 2024 it eventually passed the full House chamber; where it stalled was the State Senate. Not only was it iffy then if they had the votes needed in the Senate, but Sen Tom Sullivan (D) was against the bill saying although he supported a federal assault weapons ban, he didn’t support one at the state level. He told the Washington Post then that he believed “It would inflame gun-rights supporters, was unlikely to be enforced and would not curb the vast majority of shootings.” Now this year Sen Tom Sullivan is sponsoring this bill, although he is pushing the narrative that this not an assault weapons ban, but an expanded magazine ban. During an interview with the Denver Post, he reiterated his opposition to a state-level assault weapons ban and In addition, there are 18 Senate sponsors between prime and co-sponsors on it as written – and they only need 18 votes in the Senate to pass this. If it passes the senate it will sail through the House.
We know this bill was written by Bloomberg and Everytown, and handed to Sullivan. Sullivan STILL claims to be against a state level AWB, reiterating this to both the Denver Post and the Colorado Sun. Were Sullivan and his 17 co-sponsors sold a line of straight up lies by Bloomberg’s lawyers and lobbyists that this wasn’t going to ban guns. Did they really believe this was an expanded magazine ban? It’s likely Sullivan didn’t even read the bill before it was introduced, nor did his fellow co-sponsors. They’re just acting as lapdogs to lobbyists.
Here’s what you can do right now:
We need you to contact all Democrat Colorado State Senators and tell them why you oppose this bill. Use plain language. Remember the people you are messaging to most likely don’t know anything about guns, so speak to them in that way. Teach them. CLICK HERE to email all Democrat State Senators at once.
Read the bill text: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2025A/bills/2025a_003_01.pdf
Read the Colorado Sun article: https://coloradosun.com/2025/01/08/colorado-semiautomatic-detachable-magazine-gun-ban
Read the Denver Post article: https://www.denverpost.com/2025/01/03/colorado-legislature-gun-control-tom-sullivan-assault-weapons-ban-strategy
WATCH: Worst “Assault Weapons” Ban in Colorado History Hits the Statehouse – Here’s What You Need to Know
This Bill includes ALL Semiautomatic pistols not just the ones listed in the above summary.
The actual text of the bill states:
(c) “GAS-OPERATED SEMIAUTOMATIC HANDGUN” MEANS ANY
SEMIAUTOMATIC HANDGUN THAT HARNESSES OR TRAPS A PORTION OF THE
HIGH-PRESSURE GAS FROM A FIRED CARTRIDGE TO CYCLE THE ACTION
USING ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
. . .
(V) A BLOWBACK-OPERATED SYSTEM THAT DIRECTLY UTILIZES
THE EXPANDING GASSES OF THE IGNITED PROPELLANT POWDER ACTING ON
THE CARTRIDGE CASE TO DRIVE THE BREECHBLOCK OR BREECH BOLT
REARWARD.
Now, I don’t know what IS meant by “Gas-Operated Semiautomatc Handgun” means:
(c) “GAS-OPERATED SEMIAUTOMATIC HANDGUN” MEANS ANY
SEMIAUTOMATIC HANDGUN THAT HARNESSES OR TRAPS A PORTION OF THE
HIGH-PRESSURE GAS FROM A FIRED CARTRIDGE TO CYCLE THE ACTION
USING ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
. . .
(V) A BLOWBACK-OPERATED SYSTEM THAT DIRECTLY UTILIZES
THE EXPANDING GASSES OF THE IGNITED PROPELLANT POWDER ACTING ON
THE CARTRIDGE CASE TO DRIVE THE BREECHBLOCK OR BREECH BOLT
REARWARD.
. . .
(d) (I) “SPECIFIED SEMIAUTOMATIC FIREARM” MEANS ANY OF THE
FOLLOWING, EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (1)(d)(II) OF THIS
SECTION:
. . .
(II) “SPECIFIED SEMIAUTOMATIC FIREARM” DOES NOT INCLUDE:
. . .
(D) A SINGLE OR DOUBLE ACTION SEMIAUTOMATIC HANDGUN
THAT USES RECOIL TO CYCLE THE ACTION OF THE HANDGUN;
If I read the above, I get that a “Gas-Operated Semiautomatc Handgun” both includes AND does not include Blowback, because to me Blowback and Recoil are the same?
I’ve read the entire Bill and now I’m confused!
“(c) “GAS-OPERATED SEMIAUTOMATIC HANDGUN” MEANS ANY
SEMIAUTOMATIC HANDGUN THAT HARNESSES OR TRAPS A PORTION OF THE
HIGH-PRESSURE GAS FROM A FIRED CARTRIDGE TO CYCLE THE ACTION
USING ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
. . .
(V) A BLOWBACK-OPERATED SYSTEM THAT DIRECTLY UTILIZES
THE EXPANDING GASSES OF THE IGNITED PROPELLANT POWDER ACTING ON
THE CARTRIDGE CASE TO DRIVE THE BREECHBLOCK OR BREECH BOLT
REARWARD.
. . .
(d) (I) “SPECIFIED SEMIAUTOMATIC FIREARM” MEANS ANY OF THE
FOLLOWING, EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (1)(d)(II) OF THIS
SECTION:
. . .
(II) “SPECIFIED SEMIAUTOMATIC FIREARM” DOES NOT INCLUDE:
. . .
(D) A SINGLE OR DOUBLE ACTION SEMIAUTOMATIC HANDGUN
THAT USES RECOIL TO CYCLE THE ACTION OF THE HANDGUN;”
Aren’t Blowback and Recoil both the same?
They are different, go to Wikipedia and type in the query box “Action {Firearms)”, “Blowback (Firearms)”, and “Recoil operation”, and you will know more about firearm operations than all the sponsors of SB 5-003 together. It is a little complicated good luck – ltartaglia@comcast.net)
The full text of SB 25-003 can be found at:
https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2025A/bills/2025a_003_01.pdf
I wish I could delete comments so that I don’t feel like a dufus as I learn the ins and outs of this website!
An actual comment:
I believe that the very confusing language [to me] for “gas-operated semiautomatic pistols” is very much intended. They have now added pistols to the list of firearms they want to ban BUT made a distinction that EXCLUDES most 9mm and above pistols, i.e.: blowback versus recoil operated. This is a ploy to add a very small subset of PISTOLS to the list but hopefully avoid being declared unconstitutional because of “banning pistols”. Then, if this law is not declared unconstitutional, the simple amendment to delete SECTION 2 (1)(d)(II)(D) would add all semiautomatic PISTOLS with detachable magazines to the list of those banned by this law.
NEW COLORADO ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN INTRODUCED!
[CO 2025A SB 25-003: Semiautomatic Firearms & Rapid-Fire Devices]
The MAGA cult has elected a president that was: impeached twice, convicted of 34 felony crimes and found to have committed Insurgency by 3 independent government inquiries (including the Colorado Supreme Court). Even though, the Republican president elect has clearly shown his authoritarian goals, the Colorado Democrats are still trying to outlaw all semiautomatic rifles and shotguns, and have now included semiautomatic pistols in that quest. Do the Democrats actually believe they are trying to make us safer or are they really pursuing their separate authoritarian goals, but also, believe they need to effectively disarm the people before they can do that!
That was a rhetorical question and I believe they just want to ban all firearms and we can all guess at the reason! And yes, the fear of inducing panic buying is real, but is it really PANIC buying or, in this case, is it the realization that having something and NOT needing it is far far better than needing something and NOT having it!
I understand that this is the governments attempt to get a handle on the gun violence. I feel the government is over stepping its authority. If the government wants to get a handle on the out of control gun violence the maybe it needs to look at its own personal first. If the police officers would quit shooting innocent people the gun violence would decrease. Instead of banning the firearms we need to start banning our own government.