New Mexico Lawmakers Consider Bans On Semi-Auto Rifles And More

By Zac K • Published February 9, 2026

This AK falls afoul of the proposed law in two ways: It has a gas-operated action, and it has a magazine with a capacity of more than 10 rounds. [Zac K.]

Despite some major wins by the 2A crowd in the past few years (including constitutional carry across a broadening swath of the U.S.A.), anti-firearm activists are not giving up easily. The new battleground appears to be the state of New Mexico, where lawmakers are considering a wide range of firearms bans.

Guns and the law @ TFB:

What’s happening in Santa Fe?

New Mexico state senators have introduced Senate Bill 17 (the work of senators Micaelita Debbie O’Malley, Andrea Romero, and Heather Berghmans), which would affect New Mexico firearms owners in several ways.

First, it directly affects them by banning the sale of the following items after July 1, 2026:

(1) a detachable magazine that holds more than ten rounds of ammunition;…

(4) a gas-operated semiautomatic firearm that can accept a detachable magazine;

(5) a gas-operated semiautomatic firearm with a fixed magazine that holds more than ten rounds of ammunition;

It does not take a genius to guess which firearms they’re targeting with this ban—ARs are, of course, the main pattern of firearm they’re after, but this would affect a broad range of firearms beyond that. Even the classic Remington 74x-series semi-autos, the pride and joy of one-box-of-ammo-a-year deer hunters, would be affected, not to mention countless duck guns.

The bill also bans the sale of modern .50-caliber rifles.

These MP5 clones aren’t gas-operated, but their mags would still be a no-go. [Zac K.]

The senators’ demands go beyond a ban on sales of certain guns. They also want to bring in all manner of complications at the dealership level. These include the mandate that all gun store employees be over the age of 21, that all gun store employees be required to perform annual training, and that the stores must keep more comprehensive records than they do now. Supposedly, these ideas are intended to ban straw purchasing.

The bill (read the whole thing here) also demands that gun stores be “hardened” to prevent break-ins, with added security measures—including video cameras at entrances, with demands that the store keep those recordings on hand for two years. They also require the gun dealers to beef up security with “other reasonable requirements, as determined by the department and the attorney general.”

new mexico lawmakers consider bans on semi auto rifles and more, Magazines for rimfire rifles are exempt as long as the firearm shoots 22 or less caliber rimfire ammunition

Magazines for rimfire rifles are exempt as long as the firearm shoots “.22 or less caliber rimfire ammunition.”

On Wednesday, February 4, Senate Bill 17 was advanced by the New Mexico Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday, even though Committee Chair Sen. Joseph Cervantes said he suspected it was unconstitutional—after he voted to pass it. Now, the bill could come up for a floor vote in the Capitol at any time, with significant results for the firearms community in New Mexico if it passes.