New Mexico Senate Democrats just rammed through a sweeping semiautomatic firearm ban on Saturday, proving once again that common-sense gun control is code for total disarmament in blue strongholds. The bill doesn’t just target AR-15s or other scary-looking rifles—it’s a broad assault on anything with a detachable magazine and the ability to accept more than 10 rounds, slapping new mandates on licensed dealers like enhanced background checks, inventory tracking, and serialization requirements that turn FFLs into de facto government snitches. This isn’t incrementalism; it’s a page ripped straight from California’s playbook, where assault weapon bans have ballooned into registries and confiscation schemes, all while violent crime in Albuquerque skyrockets—FBI data shows New Mexico’s murder rate jumped 36% from 2019 to 2022, yet Democrats ignore root causes like soft-on-crime policies and focus on law-abiding gun owners.
The implications for the 2A community are stark: this is a direct challenge to Bruen’s mandate for historical analogs, as semiauto rifles have been civilian staples since the 1903 Winchester, with zero founding-era precedent for such blanket bans. Expect lawsuits from groups like the NRA and FPC to hit federal courts fast, potentially tying up the bill in appeals while testing New Mexico’s Republican Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s veto pen—she’s waffled on guns before but faces a veto-proof Democratic supermajority in the Senate. Nationally, this fuels the red-state sanctuary movement, where places like Missouri and Texas are passing laws to nullify federal overreach, signaling a deepening divide. Gun owners nationwide should stock up on compliant builds now, ramp up advocacy, and vote like your Second Amendment depends on it—because in places like Santa Fe, it does.
For the pro-2A faithful, this is rally cry material: share this story, hit the donation buttons for legal warriors, and remember, every ban passed is one step closer to the Supreme Court slapping it down like they did New York’s concealed carry restrictions. Stay vigilant, New Mexico—your fight is our fight.
