BILLINGS — On Wednesday morning, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte posted a video to his X account inviting Colorado gun manufacturers to the state.
"To all gun manufacturers in Colorado, my question to you is simple. Do you want to move back to America?" Gianforte said in his invitation.
The invite followed a gun-restriction law signed into office by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis in early April.
See the video for this story below:
Colorado Senate Bill 25-003 would prohibit the manufacturing, selling, and purchasing of semiautomatic firearms in the state starting in August 2026. It also prohibits guns with detachable ammunition magazines.
"It's going to be devastating to our industry in general," said Michael Meier, the CEO of Colorado-based M+M Industries, over a virtual interview Wednesday.
The company produces semiautomatic rifles and other guns, and Meier worries the bill would hurt the future of the company. After Gianforte's invitation, Meier and his team have considered moving to Montana.
"We've seen it coming. In this state (Colorado), it's no secret that politics (have) changed completely," he said.
Meier and his sales manager, Matt Bromwell, told MTN that the Colorado Legislature has attempted to pass the bill multiple times in the past. The Legislature has also passed other gun-restricting laws.
"The entire business environment is really hard here in Colorado," Meier said.
Another company Gov. Gianforte reached out to, Phoenix Weaponry, said it is at risk of going out of business in Colorado.
"There's been a lot of bad recent legislation coming through the state," said the company's owner and founder, Aaron Cayce.
Cayce told MTN over a virtual interview on Wednesday that he's sad to leave Colorado, but it's not a new idea.
Due to recent Colorado law adding regulations to gun manufacturers, both companies have debated leaving the state. They said Gianforte's invitation was icing on the cake.
"We're interested in leaving Colorado at the earliest convenience... We're trying to find a good home, some place that we're... not being put out of business constantly by the government," Cayce said.
"It makes no sense to be punishing us, the manufacturers of the products, over the end use of something that somebody was careless on," said Meier.
But not all Montanans are on board with Gianforte's decision, such as Ione Young, the lead for the Billings chapter for the national organization, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
The grassroots organization supports legislation that enforces public safety measures.
"Assault weapons are exceptionally powerful, dangerous, deadly weapons, and they shoot more bullets at a faster than than a manual action rifle," Young said Wednesday.
Young told MTN that she is not anti-gun, but she does advocate for law to restrict certain guns, including assault rifles.
That's why she is in support of SB 25-003, which has the goal of reducing mass shootings and saving lives.
"I can imagine (gun manufacturers) are disappointed. Absolutely, I understand that about their business. They cannot manufacture assault weapons in Colorado, but they can still manufacture other weapons," Young said.
A Gianforte representative sent a statement to MTN:
“The Second Amendment is very clear: it says the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. And in Montana, we proudly defend the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners. Colorado has outlawed some of the most popular firearms used for sporting — it's a violation of the Second Amendment and a wet blanket on the gun and ammunition manufacturers who create good-paying jobs. For those businesses looking to set up shop in a new state, we welcome you to Montana," Gianforte said in the statement.
