Colorado Passes Trailblazing Law Banning Guns With Detachable Magazines

Colorado has enacted a trailblazing gun-control law that bans the sale of firearms equipped with detachable magazines, a significant step in the state’s efforts to curb mass shootings.

The new measure restricts magazines to a maximum of 15 rounds and requires them to be permanently affixed to the firearm. By making it more difficult and time-consuming to reload, lawmakers hope to reduce the number of casualties in mass shooting incidents. Detachable magazines, a common feature on AR-15-style rifles, often hold up to 30 rounds and enable shooters to fire dozens of bullets in rapid succession before pausing to reload.

The law comes at a time when Republican dominance in Washington has led to a freeze on gun control measures nationally. House Speaker Mike Johnson recently said that gun violence was “caused by the human heart,” not firearms.

Supporters of the new law emphasize its potential to save lives. State Senator Tom Sullivan (D) said, “It’s the number of bullets that put the mass in mass shooting.” While acknowledging that full firearm bans are often ineffective or difficult to implement, Sullivan believes this law represents a practical and life-saving approach.

Alison Shih, senior counsel for Everytown for Gun Safety, also praised the law, noting, “The moment when a shooter takes a pause to reload is the thing that can save lives and the research certainly bears that out.” 

However, the law has sparked backlash from gun-rights advocates. Taylor Rhodes, spokesperson for the Colorado chapter of the National Association for Gun Rights, criticized the legislation as one of the most extreme in the nation. “This is going to prohibit right around 50 percent of the common market,” he said, arguing that citizens now face excessive barriers to purchasing firearms.