Colorado Senate OKs requirements for gun barrel purchases

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(The Center Square) - A bill requiring gun barrel purchases in Colorado to be made in-person at a firearm dealer passed the state Senate on Monday.

The legislation is now going to the House for consideration.

Senate Bill 26-043 would additionally ban individuals from possessing barrels “with the intent to sell or transfer." The bill adds criminal penalties for violators and would require firearm dealers to track sales.

SB 26-043 passed 19-16 on third reading, with four Democrats joining the Republican minority in voting against it.

Several Republicans spoke against SB 26-043 before the vote.

“Even though we may think that it’s not a big thing – we’re only talking about barrels you know, like that – but there’s a real sense of worry in my district and all over the state about another opportunity to make us get in line, give our name, our address, our birth date over something that probably doesn’t need to be done,” said Sen. Marc Catlin, R-Montrose. “There’s no serial numbers on these barrels, so all we’re doing is listing the people and what caliber of barrel they buy.”

Sen. Tom Sullivan, D-Centennial, the primary sponsor of the bill, said the legislation is needed “because the industry is changing.”

“We need to prepare ourselves and act to make this as safe as we can, to address these concerns, and to save lives each and every day,” he said.

The legislation is one of several gun control bills sponsored by Democrats this session. There are bills making their way through the legislature that would ban 3D printed gun parts, expand the state’s “Red Flag” law and add security requirements to gun stores.