Hawaii Assault Weapons Ban Dead on Arrival
A sweeping gun and magazine ban poised to be the strictest in the nation was killed on the legislative floor.
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A sweeping gun and magazine ban poised to be the strictest in the nation was killed on the legislative floor -- just one mere vote away from being sent to the governor’s desk.
The reverse course was surprising as gun advocates expected the measure to win favor among Hawaiian Senate Democrats who hold the majority. But Sen. Joy Buenaventura (D) jumped party lines and took issue with the language of SB 401.
A long-time supporter of gun control measures, Buenaventura said that SB 401 would unnecessarily target law-abiding Hawaiians and effectively make them criminals overnight.
“But we are actually making them criminals by possession of magazines that we had legalized before they bought it. Now, by their mere possession, because we decide to pass this bill, we decide to label them as criminals and that to me, it’s unethical and should not be tolerated by this body,” Buenaventura told local media outlet Hawaii News Now.
Buenaventura joined Senate Republicans to support an amendment to the original bill that would make a bevy of changes. These included grandfathering magazines currently owned by Hawaiians and an exemption for hunters.
The amendment narrowly passed, 13-12, meaning that the bill was sent back to committee for another review — effectively killing it as the legislature adjourned its session on Friday, May 9.
Pro-2A advocates in the state were overjoyed with the news, calling it a big win for gun owners.
"Thanks to last-minute changes on the Senate floor and the limited time left in the session, it is now certain: SB401 will not move forward,” Hawaii Firearms Coalition posted to X. "This is a huge win for everyone who stood up, spoke out, and defended our rights. Your voices made the difference. Let’s stay engaged and keep working together.”
Hawaii's SB 401 Explained
SB 401 passed a House-Senate conference committee and made its way to the state legislature for final votes in May 2025.
The bill was introduced in January and initially only addressed the sale of .50 caliber rifles. After lengthy testimonies on both sides, totaling more than 400 pages of official testimony, the bill was overhauled and revised to include parts of a failed bill, HB 893.
The new revision went further than .50 cal rifles -- also prohibiting the sale of semi-auto rifles with detachable magazines, semi-auto shotguns that hold more than five shells, and handguns with a capacity of over 10 rounds.
If passed, the bill would have represented one of the most sweeping gun bans in the U.S.
Hawaii already saw some of the toughest gun laws in the nation, with a semi-automatic pistol ban enacted in 1992. Up until now, rifles were largely outside the purview, but legislators say the time has come for that to change.
“The AR-15 style rifles with the large magazines are the mass murderers’ favorite because you don’t have to reload. You just keep firing. And they do have canisters that will hold up to as many as a hundred rounds,” said Senate Judiciary Chair Karl Rhoads, explaining the need for the ban.
But gun rights activists said the ban targets law-abiding gun owners and doesn’t include provisions for hunting rifles.
“Hawaii’s SB401 — the broadest gun ban in state history — is almost law, “ the Hawaii Firearms Coalition said in a post on social media. “Modern hunting rifles and shotguns are targeted — Hawaii hunters will lose many of their tools.”
Supporters of the bill, though, said it doesn’t quite constitute a ban, as current legally registered rifles would be grandfathered in and could be passed down to family members of the registered owner.
2A advocates pointed out that the public was never allowed to vote on the bill's new language, and a hearing was never held after the text was changed — something they say was meant to silence residents and prevent dissension.
“The language banning these firearms was never given a single hearing in the Senate. It was added at the last minute by the House — without public testimony or full debate. This means the public was silenced on one of the biggest gun bans in Hawaii history.”
The Hawaii Firearms Coalition said that if the measure passed, they would have “100 percent” challenge the law in court.
What do you think of the new ban? Let us know in the comments below. For the latest in the gun industry, check out our news category.