In recent weeks, three major federal gun control bills have been introduced in Congress: the GOSAFE Act, the BUMP Act, and the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025. Collectively, they represent one of the most aggressive pushes in years to redefine the landscape of legal firearm ownership in America. While proponents claim these measures are “commonsense” steps to reduce gun violence, critics – including gun rights advocates like Jared Yanis of Guns & Gadgets – see them as a direct assault on the constitutional right to keep and bear arms.
The GOSAFE Act: A Trojan Horse for Semi-Auto Bans?
Introduced by Senator Martin Heinrich, the Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act aims to restrict what it calls “inherently dangerous” gas-operated firearms. According to Heinrich’s official website, the GOSAFE Act would regulate the sale, transfer, and future manufacture of many semi-automatic rifles, handguns, and shotguns. It does so not based on cosmetic features, as in previous legislation, but rather by targeting the internal mechanics of gas operation itself.
This technical shift is precisely what alarmed Jared Yanis, host of the YouTube channel Guns & Gadgets. In his breakdown, Yanis pointed out that the bill “doesn’t focus on misuse or crime,” but rather aims to ban firearms based on how they function. In other words, a mechanical design, not a criminal act, would define legality.
And the exemptions in the bill are narrow: bolt-action rifles, rimfire .22s, and firearms with “permanently fixed” magazines of 10 rounds (or 15 for handguns) are allowed, while common semi-automatic sporting rifles could be swept up in broad bans.
Why Fixed Magazine Limits Are a Problem
Supporters of the GOSAFE Act argue that permanently fixed magazine limits would reduce the ability of mass shooters to fire large volumes of ammunition without reloading. But gun owners like me know that this concept opens the door to major overreach.
For example, any detachable magazine above 10 rounds is effectively banned. That means your standard Glock 17 with a 17-round magazine or an AR-15 with a standard 30-round mag is now considered excessive, unless you downgrade it to a neutered 10-round fixed configuration. This isn’t just regulation – it’s transformation.
Jared Yanis calls this “not about stopping criminals – it’s about controlling you.” I agree. Criminals don’t comply with laws. Legal gun owners do. So, these restrictions disproportionately punish the law-abiding.
The BUMP Act: Overreach in the Wake of a Court Defeat
After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the ATF’s regulatory ban on bump stocks in June 2024, Rep. Dina Titus and Senator Heinrich reintroduced the BUMP Act. This legislation would enshrine a statutory ban on bump stocks and other devices that “materially increase the rate of fire” of a semi-automatic firearm.
Titus, in a press release, cited the 2017 Las Vegas shooting as the driving force behind her bill. She argued that devices like bump stocks “convert rifles into machine guns” and that their continued legality “poses a threat to innocent lives.” Her Senate counterpart, Martin Heinrich, echoed that sentiment, saying, “As a sportsman and gun owner, I’m committed to responsible gun laws.”
But the language of the bill is dangerously broad. According to the bill summary and Yanis’s analysis, it could include undefined “conversion devices,” or even vague parts that increase the rate of fire by small margins. The potential scope includes much more than bump stocks – it could sweep up aftermarket triggers, binary systems, or other legal modifications that don’t turn rifles into machine guns but could still be penalized.
Criminalizing Gun Ownership Through Ambiguity
One of the major concerns with the BUMP Act is its potential to criminalize gun owners for possessing parts they may not even realize are newly illegal. When the law uses phrases like “designed to materially increase the rate of fire,” but fails to define those terms, it puts everyone at risk.
Jared Yanis joked that “fingers, belt loops, and rubber bands” could fall under the bill’s vague wording. While that’s hyperbole, the underlying point is serious: if bureaucrats or courts are left to define what “materially increases rate of fire,” the scope of what becomes illegal could expand endlessly.
It’s also worth noting that the BUMP Act amends the National Firearms Act (NFA), potentially reclassifying affected guns as NFA items. This would mean more paperwork, more background checks, more registration, and more potential for abuse.
The Assault Weapons Ban of 2025: A Familiar Threat Returns
Led by Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, and co-sponsored by 39 other Democrats, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025 is a reboot of the 1994 ban that expired in 2004. According to the bill’s sponsors, the original law led to a 37% decline in gun massacres, and its expiration led to a 239% increase in mass shooting deaths.
But Jared Yanis sees this bill as a recycled and dangerous form of overreach. “This is not just another bad bill,” he said, “this is an all-out attack on gun owners across the country.” He warns that it would ban not just AR-15s and AK-47s, but any rifle with features like threaded barrels, forward grips, or folding stocks – many of which are common on sporting rifles.
Even pistols with stabilizing braces and shotguns with detachable magazines would be covered. The bill also targets magazines holding more than 10 rounds, which means most standard-capacity magazines would become contraband.
Rebranding Common Tools as “Weapons of War”
Blumenthal and Murphy make the claim that assault weapons “have only one purpose – to slaughter human beings.” But many of us, including myself, use AR-style rifles for legal hunting, training, and sport. To label these firearms as tools of mass destruction because of how they look or because they’re popular is dishonest.
These politicians also argue no “self-respecting hunter” would use one. That’s not only dismissive, it’s factually wrong. Plenty of hunters use modern sporting rifles for coyote hunting, hog control, or even deer, especially in states where semi-automatics are legal.
A Coordinated Effort, Not Coincidence
According to Jared Yanis, the introduction of these three bills isn’t random – it’s coordinated. He believes the bills are timed for election season, designed to stoke emotional reactions from the Democratic base.
“This isn’t just about one bill,” Yanis warned, “it’s a coordinated campaign to dismantle the Second Amendment one piece at a time.” He’s not wrong. Each of these bills tackles a different front: firearm mechanics (GOSAFE), accessories and parts (BUMP), and entire classes of guns (Assault Weapons Ban). Taken together, they represent a sweeping attempt to reshape American gun ownership.
Legal Use vs. Criminal Misuse
The thread that runs through all of these bills is a failure to distinguish between law-abiding gun owners and criminals. None of the legislation targets actual criminal behavior – only the tools. This is like trying to prevent drunk driving by banning specific models of cars rather than punishing drunk drivers.
If Congress truly wanted to reduce gun crime, it could start by enforcing existing laws, prosecuting straw purchases, and funding mental health programs. But instead, we’re getting proposals that redefine normal, everyday firearms and accessories as threats to society.
Will These Bills Pass?
Despite the alarm bells, there is reason for cautious optimism. Jared Yanis doesn’t believe the bills will succeed in the current Congress, thanks to a slim Republican majority. But as he pointed out, “You still have to make your voice heard.”
Whether or not these bills pass, they represent the future direction of gun control advocates in Washington. If political tides shift, we could be facing these same bills with much higher odds of success.
What You Can Do Now
Yanis ends his video with a call to action: call your Senators, write them, and let them know your vote in November depends on how they vote today. He even provides the U.S. Capitol switchboard number (202-224-3121) and encourages viewers to send messages through senate.gov.
As for me, I’ve already contacted my representatives. It’s easy to do and far too important to ignore. If we stay quiet, we may one day wake up to find our favorite rifle or our child’s .22 plinker has become illegal, without warning and without justification.
A Wake-Up Call for Every Gun Owner
Whether it’s the GOSAFE Act, the BUMP Act, or the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025, these bills signal the most serious legislative threat to the Second Amendment in years. They may be packaged in friendly language like “commonsense” and “safety,” but their true impact is to restrict and criminalize normal firearm ownership.
As Americans, we have a duty to push back against policies that treat us like criminals for exercising our rights. The Second Amendment isn’t about sporting or hunting – it’s about liberty. And now more than ever, that liberty needs defending.
A former park ranger and wildlife conservationist, Lisa’s passion for survival started with her deep connection to nature. Raised on a small farm in northern Wisconsin, she learned how to grow her own food, raise livestock, and live off the land. Lisa is our dedicated Second Amendment news writer and also focuses on homesteading, natural remedies, and survival strategies. Lisa aims to help others live more sustainably and prepare for the unexpected.