The Mass Shooting Prevention Act of 2023.
Following a landslide victory in Colorado’s state elections last year, the now-majority Democrats have drafted the “Mass Shooting Prevention Act of 2023.” Let's take a look at what this bill says.
Excerpt From the Ban
Like its counterparts in states such as Illinois, the bill aims to define the term "assault weapon" and prohibits the "possessing, manufacturing, importing, purchasing, selling, offering to sell, or transferring ownership of an assault weapon." A bill summary from Complete Colorado goes on to state, "A violation of the new law would be considered a class 2 misdemeanor, but if that weapon is then used in the commission of a felony or a crime of violence the seller could then be charged with a class 6 felony."
Consensus on Limitations of Ban
But what exactly does the proposed 16-page bill intend to ban? The conclusion is that it seeks to ban any rifle that does not rely on a bolt-action system. Some of the features or theoretical modifications listed in the bill that would classify a firearm as an "assault weapon" include:
- A pistol grip.
- Any feature capable of functioning as a protruding grip that can be held by a non-trigger hand.
- A folding, telescoping, thumbhole, or detachable stock that is otherwise adjustable in a manner that functions to reduce the length, size, or any other dimension, or otherwise increases the ability to conceal the weapon.
- A flash suppressor.
- A functional grenade launcher.
- A shroud attached to the barrel, or that encircles the barrel in some capacity, allowing the bearer to hold the firearm with the non-trigger hand without being burned, but excluding a slide that encloses the barrel.
- A threaded barrel.
- A semiautomatic rifle with a fixed large-capacity magazine.
- A .50 caliber rifle.
- A semiautomatic pistol that has the ability to accept a detachable magazine or that may be easily modified to accept a detachable magazine if the semiautomatic pistol meets another set of circumstances (Outlined in the bill).
- A semiautomatic shotgun that meets another set of circumstances (Outlined in the bill).
- A semiautomatic firearm that has the capability to accept a belt ammunition feeding device.
- A semiautomatic firearm that has been modified to operate as an assault weapon as defined.
- Any part or combination of parts created or intended to convert a firearm into an assault weapon as defined.
Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams believes this bill shows a lack of understanding. He stated, "Whoever authored the bill has some familiarity with guns, but not complete familiarity. The nomenclature they use doesn’t make any sense, including the things they are using to describe an assault rifle."
Of course, others believe that this bill is a good thing. The bill's main sponsors are Larimer County Rep. Andrew Boesenecker, Denver Rep. Elisabeth Epps, and Adams County Sen. Rhonda Fields. They feel that this ban will prevent mass shootings.
Whatever side you fall on, this is what we currently know about the proposed bill. We will have to wait and see what happens next.
If you are interested in learning more about firearms, DCF Guns is a great place to start. One of the driving factors in DCF Guns’ mission is to provide a higher caliber of service and education through a comprehensive firearms experience. DCF Guns strives to educate regardless of color, race, creed, sexual orientation, or political affiliation and humbly invites any and all to visit any of their locations to take a class with some of the industry’s top instructors.
We here at Our Community Now, along with our friends at DCF, stand behind our fellow citizens and believe that together we can build safer and stronger communities for the future. We hope you are eager to learn more about these topics!
Additionally, if you are interested in reaching out to Colorado's legislatures, you can do so here.
