The contentious issue of Colorado lawmakers attempting to put ownership of popular semi-automatic rifles out of reach for many citizens culminated with Gov. Jared Polis (D) signing the bill into law on Thursday.

That settled the issue—but only for now.

Polis did not indicate his position on Senate Bill 25-003 until the signing. He earlier broke with his party’s position by voicing misgivings about the original proposal, which led to several changes.

In a sure sign of sharp feelings on both sides of the Second Amendment issue, Polis signed SB 3 without fanfare or the normal ceremonial trappings.

Instead, the atypical gathering was held behind closed doors, and attendance was by invitation only. 

The National Rifle Association (NRA) was quick to blast the unusual act. NRA-ILA Executive Director John Commerford criticized the new and misguided restrictions on Second Amendment freedoms.

“Behind closed doors, Governor Polis cowardly signed into law the most anti-gun, anti-freedom bill in Colorado’s history,” Commerford charged. “Instead of respecting the individual liberties of gun owners and hunters in his state, he bent the knee to the radical gun control element of his party. In Jared’s Colorado, you need a Polis permission slip to exercise your constitutional rights. If this proposal was popular with his citizens, it would not need to be enacted in secret.”

Though watered down from the original proposal, the new law will give the state one of the most sweeping bodies of restrictions on Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs), the most popular long guns in the U.S.

Whether it will last is another story.

The Colorado State Shooting Association (CSSA) is the NRA’s state organization. CSSA President Ray Elliot declared that his group is preparing to fight the controversial new law.

“We are resolute in our response,” Elliot said after the signing. “The Colorado State Shooting Association is actively exploring every legal option to challenge this unconstitutional law. Our legal team is preparing to contest Senate Bill 3, and we are committed to pursuing justice through every available avenue.”

CSSA officials delivered a petition with 40,000 signatures to Polis before the bill went to his desk. Though this clearly demonstrated the sentiment of the state’s ample shooting community, it did not sway the governor.

The original text of SB 3 closely followed California’s lead in attempting to eradicate MSRs from the state. But Polis, who is known for bucking his colleagues from time to time, indicated that he was unwilling to go that far.

Still, the law that goes into effect August 1, 2026, is a giant step in the wrong direction and another obstacle erected by Colorado’s increasingly influential anti-gunners.

At that time, barring a successful legal challenge, prospective Colorado gun buyers must qualify for a “firearms safety course eligibility card.” Local sheriffs will dispense these, and citizens are required to pay a fee, be fingerprinted, and submit to a background check.

When that card is obtained, the prospective buyer must choose either a “basic firearms safety course” or an “extended firearm safety course.” The former is available to cardholders who already possess a hunter education certification and consists of four hours of mandatory instruction.

Without hunter training, the citizens must undergo the latter, which consists of 12 hours of training over two days.

Applicants must score at least 90% on the test, and the process is repeated every five years if the applicant continues to purchase semi-automatic weapons.

SB 3 further restricts firearm accessories. Lawmakers targeted bump stocks, binary triggers, and other standard devices popular in the shooting community.

The ban affects what the bill describes as “rapid-fire” devices. Legislators defined these as any product that results in “increasing the rate of fire of a semi-automatic firearm above the standard rate of fire.”

Lawmakers also toughened penalties for the state’s existing ban on standard capacity magazines.

The result was not the outright ban sought by anti-Second Amendment forces. However, it still radically infringes on the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms in Colorado. 

Observers will not have to wait long for a strong legal challenge.

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