Colorado’s Firearm Barrel Bill Sacrifices Minority Families for Gun Control Lobby

“No new crimes!”  “The people have had it!”  “It is time for reform at the highest levels.”

These are sentiments that resonate with many Democrats and Democratic-leaning unaffiliated voters, even this writer. Voters are seeing campaign speeches about this very thing, and we hear intellectual discourse on why legislating new crimes only pushes greater disparity. We hear all of these things from those we’d expect to be champions of this ideology. 

We should examine if their words match their actions. 

While it would be easy to make a blanket assertion here as to motives, I invite the reader to examine the recent past and the present proposed action to see if the concepts of words and action truly align. Especially with more compliance bills coming out of the 2026 Colorado legislative session, such as SB26-043, critical thought over herd mentality is key to true progress.

Analysis of Colorado Conviction Data related to “High Capacity Magazine” Violations (FY 2021 – FY 2024)

From Fiscal Year 2021 through 2024, a total of 203 individuals in Colorado, a state with a population exceeding 6 million, were convicted and sentenced for possessing a “high capacity magazine”. This is the most comparable existing crime data when predicting a future where gun barrels become contraband, and a new crime category created to imprison those who may dare step out of compliance, as would be the case under SB26-043. This “high capacity magazine” data point is significant when contrasted with the rhetoric surrounding this type of legislation. While proponents often cite the potential to prevent mass shootings and suggest the issue is widespread, the conviction data indicates that this type of law currently affects a mere 0.0034% of the state population.

Legislators frequently dismiss such a small impact as a “small price to pay” for increased safety. However, examining the effect of the legislation versus its theoretical purpose reveals a critical disconnect. Given that multiple gun control sources indicate mass shooters are typically white males in their 30s, one would expect the conviction data to reflect this targeted demographic.

Instead, an interesting finding emerges from the 203 convictions: legislation of this type has already been proven to disproportionately impacts the Black community. The evidence, therefore, suggests that this law, contrary to its stated goals, may be creating more potential harm than productive results.

Total convicted/sentenced for “High Capacity Magazine” violations: 203

Race breakdown:

• White: 102
  
• Black/African-American: 86
  
• Hispanic: 9
  
• Asian: 3
  
• American Indian: 2
  
• Other: 1
  

The conclusion that we can draw from this data is that Black defendants were 42.4% of convictions for possession of “high capacity magazines” in that time period, when we would expect them to be proportional to the population and track national trends (about 5 to 5.5%). The additional conclusion we can draw from the silence regarding this grossly disproportionate figure is that the Colorado legislature effectively regards Black Coloradans as expendable fodder to protect the white comfort sensibilities espoused by white suburban moms. The term sensibilities is used because we cannot determine from such a low sample size of 203, or even the 423 POWPO data, that there is any large-scale beneficial effect since compliance bills such as these are enhancements, meaning the crime that is theoretically prevented by the proposed legislation has already been committed. Data suggests that none of these crimes were actual mass shootings. 

The actions of those supporting these bills strongly suggest a detachment from reality, operating within a bubble defined by their own comfort, perceptions, and experiences of trauma. When confronted, they typically resort to privileged silence, hoping the criticism will ‘go away’. If pressed, they often double down on vapid claims of “colorblindness” and quickly dig into their ‘bag of coloreds’ to use paid minority mascots as a shield. A tactic akin to saying, “See, we have a Black friend, too!” This behavior only reinforces the earlier point: the majority of the Colorado General Assembly views minorities as tools rather than actual living breathing people.

SB26-043 is a prime breeding ground for this pattern to flare up, creating the very police interactions its creators publicly decry. But it’s okay, because they won’t bear the full or even partial cost of its impact as ‘others’ will. This bill will be advancing through the legislative process in Februrary…Black History Month, where they parade around exposing the convenient parts of black history and whitewashing the rest. For anyone tracking the Colorado Legislature, this colonial approach is unsurprising; they have a track record of adopting racist policies while simultaneously co-opting minority causes as a defense mechanism. It’s their nature, as long as Coloradans allow it.

For many readers, this topic is distant, but for others, it is deeply personal. Regardless of whether one views racism, bigotry, and discrimination as interchangeable or distinct concepts, their effects are now demonstrably measurable. Legislators such as Senator Tom Sullivan are not bigots, but they are racists. They perpetuate racism through the way they structure and apply the law, thereby exacerbating systemic disparities. Meanwhile, supporting legislators like Rep. Meg Froelich are both racist and bigoted, raising the question of why they hold a position in the Colorado legislature, yet they somehow remain, enacting policies in their best efforts to invoke the 1800s. Together, their actions can be construed to unintentionally (or intentionally) advance Donald Trump’s agenda more than oppose it. From this author’s perspective, Colorado ought to uphold its stated values by ensuring that racists and bigots are compelled to reconsider their conduct.

*Data referenced can be found on the Fiscal Note for Colorado SB25-003, page 5, under Comparable Crime Analysis (High Capacity Magazines): https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/83305/download