Landmark gun bills signed in Colorado

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has signed bills that place new restrictions on firearms, requiring background checks for private and online gun sales and banning ammunition magazines that hold more than 15 rounds.

Hickenlooper said large-capacity magazines “have the potential to turn killers into killing machines.” He also said he realizes that some gun owners may be inconvenienced but says that is outweighed by what he calls “the potential for damage.”

Republican Sen. Greg Brophy said the governor “just slapped rural Colorado right in the face.”

Both bills take effect July 1. People who currently own larger-capacity magazines will be able to keep them.

At the signing ceremony, Hickenlooper was surrounded by lawmakers who sponsored the bills, and relatives of mass shooting victims. They applauded with each bill he signed.