WATCH: Red state gov urges firearms makers to ditch Colorado amid its anti-gun push
"Do you want to move back to America?" Gianforte is asking Colorado gunmakers, after Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed S.B. 25-003 into law earlier this month. The new law, which is slated to go into effect in August 2026, effectively bans the manufacture, sale or purchase of semi-automatic firearms that accept detachable magazines, which include most AR-15s and AK-47 rifles sold in the United States. Some tactical shotguns and a few select handguns will also be impacted.
"Our Second Amendment is very clear. It says the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed," Gianforte told Fox News Digital. "This bill outlaws some of the most popular firearms used for sporting and self defense. It's a violation of the Second Amendment."
Gianforte has helped spearhead greater protections for gun owners and sellers in his state, including through making Montana a constitutional carry state and through the passage of a law that prohibits law enforcement from enforcing federal firearm bans or regulations that infringe on Americans' Second Amendment rights to posses, transfer or use any firearm, magazine or firearm accessory.
The GOP Montana Governor also spearheaded an effort to ban liberal environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards that served as a basis for private institutions, such as banks, to refuse to work with gun manufacturers and sellers.
However, Gianforte pointed to not only his state's defense of Second Amendment rights, but also its pro-business policies and comparatively low tax burden for reasons why his state is ideal for law-abiding gun makers and sellers.
"When this [Colorado bill] came out – this announcement – I personally cold called six Colorado firearms companies. Five of them, the five I've spoken to so far, are all planning visits to Montana," Gianforte recounted to Fox News Digital. The governor said that from his conversation with the companies, he deduced they were all "throwing in the towel on Colorado."
"My message to them was pretty simple," he said. "'See what's going on in Colorado? Do you want to move back to America? Because Montana is open for business, and we would welcome you here.'"
Gianforte also pointed out how officials from the state of Montana attend what the governor described as "the largest" firearms and gun trade show in the world, which the officials frequently return from with multiple leads on manufacturers looking to potentially move to Montana every year.
Gianforte estimated that officials walked away from the convention last year with about 10 potential new firearm businesses seriously interested in moving to Montana, while he said this year it was closer to 30.
"We have more firearms and ammunition manufacturers today than any other state in the country per capita," touted Gianforte. "We proudly defend the Second Amendment, not just for our firearms owners, but also for firearms manufacturers and ammunition manufacturers."
Fox News Digital has reached out to Gov. Polis' office for comment.
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