.50 Caliber Rifles Banned Under New 'Stop Arming Cartels Act': Registration Required for Existing Owners

The "Stop Arming Cartels Act of 2025" aims to cut off a major हथियार supply line to drug cartels by banning the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, and possession of .50 caliber rifles. These powerful weapons are a favorite of criminal organizations, and this bill is designed to make them harder to get.

No More Easy Access

The core of the bill is a straightforward ban on .50 caliber rifles. Starting 12 months after enactment, you won't be able to buy, sell, make, or transfer them. If you already own one legally, you're grandfathered in – but you'll have to register it with the Secretary of the Treasury within that same 12-month period (Sec. 2). No fees for registration, but it becomes part of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. The bill explicitly states this registration info can't be used against you in criminal proceedings (Sec. 2).

Think of it like this: your neighbor down the street, the one with the really big gun collection? If he's got a .50 cal, he's got a year to register it, or he's breaking the law. Same goes for that gun shop owner – no more new .50 cals on the shelves after the grace period.

Suing the Sellers

This is where things get interesting. The bill opens the door to lawsuits against gun manufacturers or sellers who knowingly sell firearms that end up in the hands of designated foreign narcotics traffickers (Sec. 3). If a manufacturer or dealer knows, or reasonably should know, they're arming someone on the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act list, they can be held liable. This is a big change, adding a specific exception to the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.

Imagine a gun dealer knowingly selling a bunch of rifles to someone they suspect is a straw purchaser for a cartel. Under this law, they could face serious legal consequences. This provision is all about holding irresponsible sellers accountable.

Cracking Down on Kingpins

The bill also directly prohibits firearm sales to individuals identified as "significant foreign narcotics traffickers" by the President or designated by the Secretary of the Treasury under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Sec. 4). This information will be included in the Brady background check system, preventing these individuals from legally purchasing firearms.

Basically, if you're on the U.S. government's list of major drug traffickers, you're not getting a gun legally in the United States. This closes a potential loophole and makes it harder for these individuals to arm themselves.

Tracking Rifle Sales

Finally, the bill adds rifles to the existing reporting requirements for multiple firearm sales (Sec. 5). Currently, dealers must report multiple sales of pistols and revolvers. This bill expands that to include rifles. This change is designed to help law enforcement track potential straw purchases and trafficking operations.

So, if someone buys multiple rifles within a short period, that transaction gets reported. This helps law enforcement spot patterns that might indicate illegal activity, like someone stocking up for a cartel.

The Bottom Line

The "Stop Arming Cartels Act" is a targeted effort to disrupt the flow of high-powered weapons to criminal organizations. It combines a ban on .50 caliber rifles with measures aimed at holding irresponsible gun sellers accountable and preventing known drug traffickers from acquiring firearms. The registration requirement for existing owners is a key part of the enforcement, and the expanded reporting requirements aim to give law enforcement a better handle on potential trafficking.