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A bill to prohibit the importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of .50 caliber rifles, and for other purposes.
2/7/2025, 11:56 AM
Summary of Bill S 367
If passed, the bill would make it illegal to bring .50 caliber rifles into the country, sell them, produce them, transfer ownership of them, or possess them. The legislation is intended to prevent these weapons from falling into the wrong hands and being used for criminal activities or acts of violence.
Supporters of the bill argue that .50 caliber rifles are excessively powerful and pose a significant threat to public safety. They point to instances where these firearms have been used in mass shootings and other violent incidents as evidence of the need for stricter regulations. Opponents of the bill, on the other hand, argue that .50 caliber rifles are primarily used for legitimate purposes such as long-range shooting sports and hunting. They contend that banning these firearms would infringe on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens and have little impact on reducing gun violence. Overall, Bill 119 s 367 is a controversial piece of legislation that has sparked debate among lawmakers and the public. Its fate will ultimately be decided by Congress and the President.
Congressional Summary of S 367
Stop Arming Cartels Act of 2025
This bill expands the regulation of .50 caliber rifles under federal firearms laws and authorizes new civil remedies for certain violations.
Firearms that are trafficked from the United States to Mexico are often routed to transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), including cartels. In recent years, TCOs increasingly use .50 caliber rifles in attacks on Mexican security forces.
In 2025, in Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) bars a civil lawsuit by Mexico against U.S. firearms manufacturers and one U.S. firearms distributor for costs associated with gun violence in Mexico. (The PLCAA limits the civil liability of firearms manufacturers and sellers for damages resulting from the criminal or unlawful misuse of firearms.)
This bill generally criminalizes the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, and possession of .50 caliber rifles under the Gun Control Act and subjects .50 caliber rifles to regulation (i.e., registration and licensing requirements) under the National Firearms Act.
Additionally, the bill criminalizes the sale or transfer of firearms and ammunition to foreign individuals or entities designated as significant foreign narcotics traffickers or as part of their networks and sanctioned under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act).
Finally, the bill creates an exception under the PLCAA to allow civil lawsuits against firearms manufacturers or sellers that knowingly sell or transfer a firearm or ammunition to a foreign individual or entity designated and sanctioned under the Kingpin Act.
