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A Colorado measure that would require gun barrels to be purchased from a licensed firearms dealer and the records of the purchase to be kept on file has prompted a state gun-rights group to take action.
SB 26-043, under consideration in the Colorado House of Representatives, would place the ridiculous restriction on gun barrels, despite the fact that it would do nothing to curb so-called “gun violence” as proponents suggest. It also requires firearm dealers to keep records of barrel sales or transfers for a minimum of five years, along with directing the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to create a form for retail record keeping.
Now, the Colorado State Shooting Association (CSSA) is circulating a petition in hopes of garnering opposition to the measure.
“It is designed to collect and keep records on more of Colorado’s millions of responsible gun owners by mandating a paper trail, not merely for firearm purchases, but also for the simple replacement of components,” CSSA Executive Director Huey Laugesen told The Center Square. Laugesen added that the measure would “further infringe on Coloradans’ Constitutionally-guaranteed Second Amendment freedoms.”
When the measure was being debated in the state Senate, some Republican lawmakers spoke out against the proposal.
“Even though we may think that it’s not a big thing—we’re only talking about barrels you know, like that—but there’s a real sense of worry in my district and all over the state about another opportunity to make us get in line, give our name, our address, our birth date over something that probably doesn’t need to be done,” Sen. Marc Catlin said. “There’s no serial numbers on these barrels, so all we’re doing is listing the people and what caliber of barrel they buy.”
The Senate passed the measure anyway by 19-16 margin, with four Democrats joining the Republican minority in voting against it.
According to a news report by the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), there are several other aspects of the legislation that make it problematic. Nort only would it outlaw private and online barrel sales, but it would also establish criminal and civil penalties for possession, transfer and sale, including civil infractions to misdemeanors, create an age requirement to purchase a barrel, and mandate FFLs to record all sales and transfers using a form supplied by the Colorado Bureau of Investigations, which must be kept for at least five years.
“This effectively establishes a permanent registry of firearm owners,” NRA-ILA wrote.
Of course, the barrel bill isn’t the only anti-gun legislation Colorado’s lawful gun owners have been fighting this session. On April 6, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed into law a measure that expands the state’s so-called “red-flag” law.
That law broadly expands who can request an extreme risk protection order to include “institutional petitioners.” This catch-all category is designed to be interpreted broadly by including anyone who is associated with a school, university, or healthcare facility, leaving lawful gun owners more exposed to confiscation of their firearms without due process of law.
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