GET THEM WHILE YOU CAN: Colorado background checks surge as gun rights restrictions advance.

For years, Colorado residents appear to race to secure new gun purchases during the latter part of the legislative session when majority Democrats are known to rapidly advance their anti-gun agenda.

To date the legislature has introduced 22 bills dealing with gun rights and restrictions in some fashion. Of those, 18 restrict rights, and many are awaiting the governor’s signature; four expanded rights, three of which have lost; and two others are relatively neutral and are awaiting hearings.

The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) is operated by the FBI and used to determine if someone is eligible to own a firearm.

According to data for the first quarter of 2025, background checks nearly doubled in March to 68,099 from what there were in January (37,519), with 42,109 checks ran in February.

Colorado had the 9th highest total of checks ran in March of all 50 states.

Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams said this is nothing new, and in addition to Colorado’s gun purchases going up every year during this time as legislators put more and more restrictions in place, so do concealed carry applications and renewals.

Both scenarios are what drive those background check numbers up.

Gov. Polis yes yet to say whether he’ll sign, veto, or allow to become law without his signature the severely infringe-y Senate Bill 25. The clock is ticking toward the April 13 deadline when the bill would become law without Polis signing.