Hawaii's New Gun Bill Could Be the Most Extreme in the Nation

by Lisa Greene, Survival World, May 2, 2025 (excerpts)

…Initially introduced in January, SB401 only targeted .50 caliber rifles. But as Pew Pew Tactical reported, the bill morphed during the legislative process, ultimately absorbing failed proposals from another gun control effort, HB 893. That maneuver expanded SB401 into a sweeping ban on a range of common firearms, including semi-automatic rifles with detachable magazines, semi-automatic shotguns holding more than five shells, and any handgun capable of holding more than ten rounds….

Local Second Amendment groups, such as the Hawaii Firearms Coalition, have been sounding the alarm since the bill’s rewrite. In a strongly worded social media post, the coalition declared, “Modern hunting rifles and shotguns are targeted – Hawaii hunters will lose many of their tools.” They further emphasized that the language banning these firearms was never given a full Senate hearing, calling the legislative strategy “a betrayal of the public.”

Their biggest concern? That the House added the revised language at the last minute using a maneuver called “gut and replace” – effectively swapping the bill’s entire contents without reopening it for public testimony. To critics, this silenced residents on one of the most consequential gun bills in state history….

Gun rights YouTuber Jared Yanis of Guns & Gadgets didn’t hold back in his coverage of SB401. In his recent video, Yanis blasted the bill as a prime example of “cowardly” lawmaking. “No public testimony was allowed,” he said. “None. We don’t care about you, you scumbag citizens. That’s what they’re saying.”

Yanis went on to explain that the bill makes it illegal to possess or transfer a wide swath of firearms and magazines. If a resident currently owns a newly prohibited gun, their options are bleak: render it inoperable, turn it in to the government, or somehow remove it from the state – an almost laughable suggestion considering Hawaii’s geography….

One of the most controversial aspects of SB401 is its language regarding detachable magazines. According to both Pew Pew Tactical and the Hawaii State Legislature site, the bill targets not only rifles and shotguns but handguns capable of holding more than ten rounds. This effectively bans most modern pistols, used every day by law-abiding citizens for self-defense, competition, and recreation.

Even though existing owners will be “grandfathered in” under the bill, they’ll face strict transfer restrictions. A legally owned AR-15, for example, can’t be sold to another Hawaii resident unless it’s a family member, and even then, only under specific conditions….

Jared Yanis emphasized that Hawaii’s SB401 isn’t just a local issue. “This is a test case,” he warned. “If it works in Hawaii, you better believe the same strategy will spread to other blue states.” Yanis pointed out that Hawaii’s approach, including its refusal to allow public comment and its broad definitions of banned weapons, could be replicated across the U.S. if left unchecked….

read … Hawaii's New Gun Bill Could Be the Most Extreme in the Nation - Survival World

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