The 'Assault Weapons Ban of 2025' Defines What’s Banned by Features, Grandfathers Existing Guns, and Mandates Dealer Background Checks for Private Sales

The newly proposed Assault Weapons Ban of 2025 is a major piece of legislation that aims to stop the future sale and manufacture of specific types of firearms and large-capacity magazines nationwide. The bill doesn’t just ban specific models; it uses a detailed list of features—like pistol grips, adjustable stocks, and threaded barrels—to define what counts as a “semiautomatic assault weapon.” If a semi-automatic rifle accepts a detachable magazine and has even one of these features, it falls under the ban. This is the new rulebook for what can and can’t be sold going forward.

The Feature Test: What Triggers the Ban

This bill is all about the specifics, and it gets technical fast. For a rifle, the combination of a detachable magazine and features like a folding stock or a barrel shroud is the magic formula that triggers the ban (SEC. 2). For pistols, it’s a detachable magazine plus things like a threaded barrel or a second handgrip that makes the difference. This means that many common models currently on the market, from the popular AR and AK variants to specific types of shotguns and pistols, would be classified as illegal to manufacture or sell after the law passes. The bill also bans any large capacity ammunition feeding device—meaning anything that holds more than 10 rounds—from future sale or importation (SEC. 3).

Grandfathered Guns and the Private Sale Hurdles

Now, for the people who already own these firearms: the bill grandfathers existing weapons. If you legally owned a defined assault weapon or a large-capacity magazine before the law was enacted, you get to keep it (SEC. 3). However, the moment you want to sell, gift, or even loan that grandfathered gun to someone else, things get complicated. Starting 90 days after the law takes effect, any private transfer of a grandfathered weapon must be processed through a licensed gun dealer (FFL), who must run a federal background check (SEC. 5). Think of it like selling your car: you can't just hand over the keys; you have to go through a process that involves a licensed third party.

This new requirement means that even if you’re just selling your old rifle to your cousin, you’ll both have to coordinate with a dealer, pay whatever fee the dealer charges (which the Attorney General is tasked with capping), and wait for the background check to clear. While the AG is supposed to set a maximum fee, this adds a mandatory transaction cost and bureaucratic step to what was previously a simple private transaction. If the dealer is unwilling to process the transfer, that sale simply won't happen, effectively limiting the market for these grandfathered items.

New Rules for Storage and Buy-Back Programs

The bill also introduces a secure storage requirement for grandfathered weapons (SEC. 3). If you live with someone who is legally prohibited from owning a firearm—say, a minor or someone with a felony conviction—you can’t just keep that grandfathered weapon lying around. It must be locked in a secure device or kept on your person. This is a significant change that forces owners to adopt specific storage methods if their household includes a prohibited person, which could potentially complicate access for self-defense in an emergency.

On the flip side, the bill provides a mechanism for voluntary surrender. It modifies how federal Byrne grant money (which usually funds state and local law enforcement efforts) can be used, allowing states to use those funds to pay for voluntary buy-back programs for these newly restricted firearms and magazines (SEC. 6). This gives states a way to offer compensation to citizens who wish to turn in their grandfathered items.