Denver has become a new flashpoint in the national fight over the Second Amendment, as local gun owners and national advocates challenge a web of city and state restrictions. Their pushback comes just as federal officials target Colorado’s firearm rules in court and regulators reconsider how far gun control can go.
The clash in and around Denver reflects a broader struggle over who sets the boundaries of gun rights, how far local governments may go, and whether new federal moves will tighten or loosen the grip on firearms owners.
What happened
Legal and political pressure around Denver’s gun rules has intensified as the United States Department of Justice turns its focus on Colorado. Federal lawyers have filed lawsuits arguing that parts of the state’s and Denver’s firearm regulations violate constitutional protections, including the right to keep and bear arms. One complaint targets Colorado’s 15 round magazine limit, describing the restriction on standard capacity magazines as a civil rights problem and urging a federal court to block enforcement of the 15 round magazine.
A separate lawsuit challenges Denver and Colorado over broader limits on who can own or carry guns, and under what conditions. In that filing, the Justice Department casts parts of the state and local framework as unlawful barriers to lawful possession. The complaint seeks to stop Denver and state officials from enforcing rules that federal lawyers say conflict with constitutional rights and with federal statutes that already govern background checks and disqualifying offenses. The litigation describes the contested measures as restrictions on gun that cannot stand alongside the Second Amendment…