New Mexico’s Proposed Ban On So-Called “Assault Weapons” Passes First Senate Hurdle

February 2, 2026
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New Mexico's Senate just gave the green light to SB 117, a draconian ban on so-called assault weapons, letting it clear its first hurdle amid a firestorm of opposition from Republicans and gun rights advocates. This isn't some minor tweak—it's a sweeping assault on firearms like AR-15s, AK-pattern rifles, and anything with a pistol grip or detachable magazine, effectively criminalizing millions of law-abiding owners overnight. Proponents cloak it in public safety rhetoric, but as GOP senators like Craig Brandt blasted, it's a direct hit on legal gun dealers, forcing them to shutter or go underground, while shredding privacy by demanding registration of existing firearms. The bill's poison pill? A mandatory state database that reeks of confiscation prep, turning New Mexico into a testing ground for East Coast-style gun control. Dig deeper, and this is classic feature-mislabeling tyranny: assault weapons are a made-up boogeyman, cosmetic bans that ignore ballistics (a .223 round is less lethal than many hunting calibers) and real crime data. FBI stats show rifles of any kind factor in just 3% of murders, while rifles like these are the top choice for self-defense—over 500,000 AR-15s legally owned in NM alone, per NSSF estimates. This push comes hot on the heels of failed red-flag expansions and mag bans in the state, fueled by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's post-Uvalde panic. Clever politics? Democrats timed it for a lame-duck session vibe, but with a narrow Senate majority (27-15 Dems), it's vulnerable—recall Virginia's 2020 flip after similar overreach. For the 2A community, the implications scream urgency: this could domino to purple states like Nevada or Colorado if not crushed. Rally points? Flood the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings (next week), sue preemptively under NM's strong preemption laws (echoing Bruen's victory), and hammer home the hypocrisy—cartel-fueled violence in NM kills far more via handguns, yet here we are banning the people's rifle. 2A warriors, this is your Alamo: donate to NM Shooters PAC, amplify via GOA alerts, and vote like your arsenal depends on it. Because it does.

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New Mexico’s Senate just gave the green light to SB 117, a draconian ban on so-called assault weapons, letting it clear its first hurdle amid a firestorm of opposition from Republicans and gun rights advocates. This isn’t some minor tweak—it’s a sweeping assault on firearms like AR-15s, AK-pattern rifles, and anything with a pistol grip or detachable magazine, effectively criminalizing millions of law-abiding owners overnight. Proponents cloak it in public safety rhetoric, but as GOP senators like Craig Brandt blasted, it’s a direct hit on legal gun dealers, forcing them to shutter or go underground, while shredding privacy by demanding registration of existing firearms. The bill’s poison pill? A mandatory state database that reeks of confiscation prep, turning New Mexico into a testing ground for East Coast-style gun control.

Dig deeper, and this is classic feature-mislabeling tyranny: assault weapons are a made-up boogeyman, cosmetic bans that ignore ballistics (a .223 round is less lethal than many hunting calibers) and real crime data. FBI stats show rifles of any kind factor in just 3% of murders, while rifles like these are the top choice for self-defense—over 500,000 AR-15s legally owned in NM alone, per NSSF estimates. This push comes hot on the heels of failed red-flag expansions and mag bans in the state, fueled by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s post-Uvalde panic. Clever politics? Democrats timed it for a lame-duck session vibe, but with a narrow Senate majority (27-15 Dems), it’s vulnerable—recall Virginia’s 2020 flip after similar overreach.

For the 2A community, the implications scream urgency: this could domino to purple states like Nevada or Colorado if not crushed. Rally points? Flood the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings (next week), sue preemptively under NM’s strong preemption laws (echoing Bruen’s victory), and hammer home the hypocrisy—cartel-fueled violence in NM kills far more via handguns, yet here we are banning the people’s rifle. 2A warriors, this is your Alamo: donate to NM Shooters PAC, amplify via GOA alerts, and vote like your arsenal depends on it. Because it does.

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