FPC and Colorado Shooters Open a Second Front Against Denver’s Gun Bans

Last updated July 2026 · By Nick Hall, covers Second Amendment litigation for USA Gun Shop

Quick take: The Firearms Policy Coalition and the Colorado State Shooting Association have filed a new federal case, Elliott v. Denver, hitting both Denver’s decades-old “assault weapon” ordinance and the 15-round magazine caps written into city and state law. The suit landed June 30, 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, the same day the Supreme Court agreed to hear a parallel challenge out of Illinois. For Colorado buyers, the hardware in the crosshairs is ordinary: AR-15s and standard 30-round magazines. Read the groups’ official announcement here.

A citizen challenge, not a federal one

This is the advocacy world’s answer to a fight the government already picked. Denver is now facing pressure from two directions at once. The U.S. Department of Justice has its own case against the city over the AR-15 prohibition, and we broke that down separately in our report on the DOJ suing Denver over its AR-15 ban. Elliott v. Denver is the private side of the pincer: rights groups and everyday Denver residents, not a federal agency, asking a court to strike the same class of laws. Different plaintiffs, different suit, same target.

The two bans under fire

The complaint stacks a city rule on top of a state one. First is Denver’s 1989 ordinance, Section 38-130 of the municipal code, which bans the sale, manufacture and possession of firearms the city labels “assault weapons.” Second is Colorado’s 2013 statute, House Bill 13-1224, codified at C.R.S. 18-12-301 and 302, which outlaws the sale, transfer or manufacture of any magazine that holds more than 15 rounds. Together they cover a huge slice of what most gun owners consider standard equipment. We keep a plain-English rundown of the state rules on our Colorado gun laws page.

The magazine question at the center

The 15-round cap is the part that touches the most buyers. An AR-15 ships from the factory with a 30-round magazine, and most full-size handguns run 15 to 17. Colorado’s line at 15 rounds treats that factory-standard gear as contraband to sell inside the state. The plaintiffs argue those magazines are in common use for lawful self-defense, which puts them squarely inside Second Amendment protection. If you want the national picture on where these caps stand, our guide to AR-15 magazine capacity laws tracks it state by state.

The Bruen playbook and Supreme Court timing

The legal theory leans on the text-and-history test. FPC’s lawyers at Cooper & Kirk argue that under the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen framework, a modern gun ban survives only if the government can point to a founding-era tradition of similar rules. There is no such tradition for banning common rifles or standard magazines, the complaint says, so the laws fail. The timing was deliberate: the case was filed the same day the Court granted review in FPC’s Viramontes challenge to Cook County, Illinois, a case that could set the rule for every “assault weapon” ban in the country.

What it means for Colorado buyers

Nothing changes at the counter yet. Filing a lawsuit does not pause a law, so Denver’s ban and the statewide 15-round rule are still in force while the case moves. Named defendants include the City and County of Denver, Governor Jared Polis and Attorney General Phil Weiser, who will have their chance to defend the statutes. The realistic timeline runs into 2027 and likely beyond, and the outcome may hinge on how the justices rule in the Illinois case. For now, Colorado shooters watching this docket should treat it as a marker of where the fight is heading, not a green light to change what they buy.

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