"Assault Weapons" Ban
The Unintended Consequences: Understanding the Dangers of an Assault Weapons Ban
It is no longer about “scary looking” AR-15 and AK-style rifles. Now they’re going after all semi-automatic firearms that accept detachable magazines. What once was the “assault weapons ban” is evolving into a sweeping semi-auto ban — and it’s closer than many realize.
Criminals Will Still Have Access to Firearms
You ban an AR, and criminals shift to another firearm. That’s been proven time and again. The original 1994 federal assault weapons ban showed only modest shifts in usage, not elimination of crime. Criminals adapt. Law-abiding citizens face new burdens.
From Cosmetic Features to Operating System
Old bans targeted features: pistol grips, folding stocks, flash suppressors. But the new front is the mechanism itself.
The GOSAFE Act (Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion Act), introduced in Congress, would outlaw nearly every gas-operated AND semi-automatic firearm, not just rifles.
That includes many handguns and sporting guns that rely on detachable magazines and gas cycling.
GOSAFE defines “gas-operated semi-automatic firearms” broadly to cover systems that use gas to cycle the action. It prohibits import, manufacture, transfer, and possession of those firearms under many circumstances.
The bill also seeks to regulate large-capacity magazines and modifications.
But the way the bill is written it would ban nearly every semi-automatic firearm in common use.
In short: what used to be called an “assault weapon” could soon include any semi-auto with a removable magazine.
The Constitutional Collision
Under modern Second Amendment jurisprudence (e.g. Bruen), any restriction must align with historical tradition. Banning all gas-operated and semi-autos — many of which are in “common use” — would push the law into direct conflict with Supreme Court doctrine.
Even DOJ attorneys recently argued in the 7th Circuit that AR-style rifles are not “militaristic” arms and should be recognized as protected under the Second Amendment. Meanwhile, appellate courts are evaluating state bans (e.g. Illinois), which further highlights the legal tension.
Burdens on the Law-Abiding
Such bans impose great hardship on responsible owners:
Many people own semi-autos for defense, competition, or recreation. A broader ban would force costly modifications, forced disposals, or registration burdens.
Even with grandfathering, bills like the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025 prevent transfers or sales to non-family, effectively trapping property.
Ambiguous definitions ensure enforcement confusion and potential prosecutions of previously legal owners.
Effectiveness? Still Unproven
Evidence that assault weapons bans reduce overall violence is weak.
A government evaluation of the 1994–2004 ban found inconclusive results for homicide and violent crime impact.
A 2024 RAND review concluded that evidence for bans’ impact on mass shootings and fatality rates is inconclusive and modest at best.
Meanwhile, shooters often use weapons not covered or modify them to evade bans.
The Slippery Slope to Confiscation
Once you create a list of banned mechanisms or features, pressure builds to confiscate or restrict ownership. Grandfathering can be reversed; exceptions rescinded; registration demands imposed.
Over decades, what was once fringe flirtation becomes normalized policy.
The New Battlefield for Liberty
This is no longer just about “assault rifles.” The left’s strategy is evolving: banning semi-automatics — rifles, handguns, pistols — based on detachable magazines and gas-operation.
It is clear: their end goal is inching toward an outright ban on all firearms — just as gun rights supporters have warned about for decade.
Texas Gun Rights stands unwavering: No bans. No compromise. No surrender.