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Colorado’s sweeping new law regulating the sale of many semiautomatic firearms is officially in effect. And gun stores are already seeing the fallout.
According to reporting by Denver7, the buying frenzy that preceded the law has been replaced by noticeably quieter showrooms as customers try to figure out what they can still buy and what hoops they’ll now have to jump through.
“It’s pretty quiet,” employees at Englewood’s The Shootist told Denver7 after weeks of record-breaking sales leading up to the Aug. 1 deadline.
What Changed?
Senate Bill 25-003 doesn’t outright ban ownership of AR-15s and other popular semiautomatic firearms. Instead, it makes buying many of them significantly more complicated.
Under the new law, many semiautomatic rifles with detachable magazines, certain semiautomatic shotguns and some gas-operated semiautomatic handguns can no longer be purchased the same way they were just a week ago.
Instead, prospective buyers generally must first:
- Obtain a firearm safety course eligibility card from their county sheriff.
- Pass a background check for that card.
- Pay applicable fees.
- Complete a state-approved firearms safety course (or qualify through certain exemptions, such as recent hunter education combined with additional training).
- Have their course completion verified before an FFL can transfer the firearm.
The law includes exemptions for law enforcement, the military, certain government agencies, gunsmiths, museums, film productions and several other limited situations.
For everyone else, the process now includes several additional steps before many of the state’s most popular firearms can legally be purchased.
Gun Stores Are Adjusting
Denver7 spoke with the manager at The Shootist, who said employees are now spending much of their day explaining the new law to confused customers.
“We hear the word infringement all day long,” he told the station.
The store is also working to become certified to offer the required firearms training classes so customers can eventually meet the new state requirements.
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Even so, employees say many buyers aren’t happy.
“I wouldn’t be against training,” the manager explained. “The thing I’m against with the law changes is making it a mandatory thing. When you make that a requirement, it kind of feels like a punishment for the people who have already been doing it the right way.”
Will It Stop Criminals?
Supporters say SB 25-003 adds another layer of screening before someone can purchase certain semiautomatic firearms.
Critics aren’t convinced it’ll have much effect on violent crime.
The Shootist manager says he doubts criminals will suddenly decide to follow a law that law-abiding gun owners now must navigate.
“People who are okay with committing a crime, especially a violent crime with a firearm, they’re already willing to break these laws,” he said.
That’s an argument opponents of the legislation made repeatedly as the bill moved through the Colorado Legislature earlier this year.
A New Business Reality
For gun dealers, the challenge now is adapting.
The Shootist says it plans to shift more of its focus toward hunting rifles, handguns and other products while it works through the certification process to offer the state’s required training classes.
Colorado’s new law has already changed the buying process. And if Denver7’s interviews are any indication, it’s also changing how gun stores do business.
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is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
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– Concealed Carry Permit Holder (NYS & AZ) – Trained and licensed to carry in multiple states.
– 2A Journalist – Covering firearms legislation, Second Amendment issues, and gun rights for over a decade.
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