Montana’s Invitation: Will Colorado Gun Manufacturers Make The Move?

How Colorado’s Gun Restrictions Could Bring Jobs to Montana

As former President Barack Obama said, "Elections have consequences."

Well, the election results in Colorado have had some consequences that could mean new job opportunities here in Montana.

What Colorado’s New Gun Laws Mean for Montana’s Future Workforce

Earlier this month, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed a gun-restriction law into office.

Starting in August 2026, Colorado Senate Bill 25-003 will prohibit the manufacturing, selling, and purchasing of semiautomatic firearms, plus prohibit guns with detachable ammunition magazines.

That opened the door for our own governor to issue a statement to gun manufacturers in Colorado on the social media platform X.

Montana vs. Colorado: The Debate Over Gun Manufacturing and Jobs

Now, while this would create jobs here in Montana, not everyone is on board with rolling out the red carpet for these gun manufacturers, such as Ione Young, with the Billings chapter for the national organization Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

According to KTVQ in Billings, she had the following comment on this recent news:

Assault weapons are exceptionally powerful, dangerous, deadly weapons, and they shoot more bullets at a faster rate than a manual action rifle.

She also told KTVQ she's not anti-gun, just wants more sensible gun laws when it comes to things like assault rifles.

Whether these gun manufacturers in Colorado take up the offer from Governor Greg Gianforte to move manufacturing to Montana remains to be seen, but it will no doubt remain a hot-button issue.