DENVER–A Democrat-sponsored bill in the Colorado legislature is taking aim at the sales and transfer of gun barrels. Under the legislation, firearm barrel transactions are criminalized unless done in-person and recorded, and then only with a federally licensed gun dealer (FFL).
Senate Bill 26-043 was introduced Jan 27 by Sen. Tom Sullivan and Rep. Meg Froelich, who also recently sponsored a bill drastically expanding who can file a court petition under Colorado’s so-called ‘red flag’ reporting law.
With the addition of Rep. Kyle Brown, Democrats are seeking to regulate more than the gun itself, but rather its parts.
Rep. Froelich says this bill is a companion to an 3D printer gun bill expanding regulation of so-called ‘ghost guns’ despite Colorado law already prohibiting 3D printing of a unserialized firearm,
“You’re required to go to an FFL to buy a firearm, but you can get a gun barrel on the internet or from a non-licensed dealer, so this [bill] closes that loophole,” Froelich told Complete Colorado.
Senate Bill 43 labels a firearm barrel as “the tube through which a projectile or shot charge is fired.” It then expands the definition to include “any forging, casting, printing, extrusion, machine body, or similar article that has reached a stage in manufacturing where it may readily be completed, assembled, or converted to be used as a firearm barrel.”
FFLs would be required to keep records of every firearm barrel sold or transferred for five years following the transaction. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is responsible for creating the form. Records must include the purchasers full legal name, address, phone number, date of birth, driver’s license number, the date of the transaction, make, model and caliber of the barrel, and the name of the employee who made the sale.
Huey Laugesen from Colorado State Shooting Association says this legislation layers redundant rules on responsible gun owners.
“A barrel is not a gun and cannot be turned into a gun unless it is paired with a lower receiver, an item already subject to transactional requirements,” Laugesen told Complete Colorado. “The combination of this bill’s redundant nature and the utter benignity of a metal tube makes this proposal useless beyond its unconstitutional affinity for giving businesses and gun owners headaches.”
A new class of crime
The bill criminalizes all private transactions of gun barrels, essentially creating an entirely new class of crime in Colorado.
“Unlawful sale of a firearm barrel and unlawful possession with intent to sell a firearm barrel are each an unclassified misdemeanor,” the bill reads.
If an FFL dealer fails to keep proper records, their license may be revoked and can only be renewed after a three-year waiting period.
Private citizens partaking in an “unlawful sale of a firearm barrel” is also considered an unclassified misdemeanor, with a $500 fine or 30 days imprisonment. A second offense is a class 2 misdemeanor punishable with a $750 fine or 120 days imprisonment.
The bill’s fiscal note says criminal fines and court fees could increase minimally, but alleges the legislation requires no new state appropriations or staff. As for the impact on local governments: “It is expected that any workload or cost increases for district attorneys to prosecute more offenses, or for county jails to imprison more individuals under the bill will be minimal.”
The fiscal note does not estimate what amount of money would be considered a “minimal” unfunded impact.
If passed and signed by Governor Polis, the law would take effect July 1, 2026. Due to the inclusion of the safety clause, the bill is not subject to a repeal effort at the ballot.
