Gun-rights group sues to stop 'burdensome' Colorado law requiring firearm training for many purchases

Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post on Sep 2, 2025

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DENVER — A gun-rights group filed an expected legal challenge of Colorado’s landmark new gun restrictions on Tuesday in hopes of overturning training requirements and bans on rapid-fire trigger devices and high-capacity magazines.

The Colorado State Shooting Association, an affiliate of the National Rifle Association, filed the complaint in federal court.

The other plaintiffs include a U.S. Air Force veteran who was severely burned in Afghanistan and relies on banned accessories to shoot guns; a 19-year-old who won’t be able to buy a semiautomatic gun before the training requirements go into effect in 2026; a domestic violence survivor whose preferred pistol would be affected by the regulations; and others who allege the “burdensome” law infringes on their Second Amendment rights.

All take umbrage at Senate Bill 3, one of a litany of laws passed in Colorado since 2018 — and one of the most restrictive. That law, signed by Gov. Jared Polis earlier this year, institutes sweeping training requirements before Coloradans can purchase most semiautomatic firearms with detachable magazines.

“Colorado gun owners can be confident that we will not stand idle while their freedoms are trampled,” shooting association president Ray Elliott said in a statement. “With top legal talent and the Constitution on our side, we are in a strong position to fight this unjust law.”

Democrats passed the law as part of a broader effort to crack down on gun violence in the state and push for responsible gun ownership.

A spokesperson for Polis declined to comment on the litigation. In his April signing statement, Polis disputed that the law was a ban, while defending “proper gun safety education and training” as “key components of public safety and responsible gun ownership.”

“This bill ensures that our Second Amendment rights are protected and that Coloradans can continue to purchase the gun of their choice for sport, hunting, self-defense, or home defense,” Polis wrote then. “I am confident that this bill as passed contributes to improving public safety in our state.”

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