Late last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee amended and passed SB 17, the “Stop Illegal Gun Trade Act,” a bill that is not about “stopping illegal gun trades” or public safety but a direct attack on New Mexico’s law-abiding sportsmen and firearm owners. SB 17 could be heard by the full Senate any day.
Use the Take Action button to email your state Senator NOW and urge them to vote “No” on SB 17. SB 17 takes a fatally flawed approach to public safety. Rather than addressing the root causes of illegal gun trafficking, the bill disproportionately burdens law-abiding sportsmen and responsible gun owners while leaving criminal networks untouched.
The Impact of SB 17 on Firearm Ownership
As previously reported, if passed, on July 1, 2026, SB 17 bans the sale and transfer of commonly used gas-operated semi-automatic firearms, .50 caliber rifles, and magazines holding more than ten rounds by sportsmen and gun owners for hunting, sport shooting, and self-defense by redefining these firearms as “extremely dangerous” weapons.
New Mandates for Federal Firearm Dealers
The bill further targets lawful federal firearm dealers by mandating “site-hardening” security, including 24-hour video surveillance and security alarm systems approved by the Department of Justice, and by adding more bureaucratic red tape to run their businesses.
Why You Must Act Now
Time is of the essence. This year is a “short” 30-day legislative session, and we are officially at the halfway point to adjournment. This makes it doubly important that you share this critical email with your family, friends, and fellow sportsmen and gun owners. New Mexico needs everyone to contact their state Senator and urge him/her to oppose SB 17.
There has never been a more crucial time in sportsmen’s history than now to be involved and engaged in protecting our way of life. If we remain silent, others will shape the outcome, and they are already trying to do that now. We cannot allow that to happen in the Land of Enchantment.
Urge your family and friends to join you and the Sportsmen’s Alliance in the fight against the rising tide of animal extremism and gun control activism. The legacy of hunting, fishing, and trapping depends on our actions today.
The Sportsmen’s Alliance guarantees hunting, fishing, and trapping for the American sportsman now and forever. We’re there when sportsmen need us most. We are the only organization specifically created to protect the individual hunter, angler, and trapper – no matter the threat. We will never compromise when it comes to defending our way of life in the courts, in the legislatures, in the public square, and at the ballot box. We make this promise to the American sportsman: we will never give up and never give in while proudly securing our future against those seeking to destroy our values, beliefs, and traditions. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
