And if you think that sounds familiar, it should. Because that’s exactly the kind of tyranny they fought a revolution to break free from. Now, what if I told you that the law that they passed last year in this state wasn’t restrictive enough? It was an assault weapon ban law, too. Now, they’re back. And this time, they’re going after something they didn’t touch before. Your right to even possess what they call a prohibited firearm. And for those who were saying, I got mine, it’s okay, I’m grandfathered. No, they’re coming for you, too. Yes, this just escalated in a big way.

Hey, everybody. My name is Jared. This is Guns and Gadgets, and I bring you the news that impacts your Second Amendment rights everywhere in the country, your freedoms, and the Constitution itself. If you are new here, welcome. This channel is all about cutting through the noise and telling you exactly what’s happening, because an informed citizenry is the last line of defense. And today, we’re going to talk about Rhode Island. Let’s start with what became law last year. It was Bill S359A Alpha. And that bill, now law, created an entirely new chapter in Rhode Island law defining what they call prohibited firearms.

And let us be very clear, this was not a small change. The law defined a wide range of semi-automatic firearms as prohibited. It targeted rifles with detachable magazines and common features, pistols with certain capacities, shotguns with specific configurations. And it even included things like threaded barrels, flash suppressors, pistol grips, and barrel shrouds. This is classic feature test legislation, the same type of framework we’ve seen in California, New York, and Massachusetts, and the list goes on and on, all blue states. And before I anger you with what this new bill will ban, let’s start out with something happy.

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So click the link in the description or type in FanOfThem.com slash gadgets or use the QR code. Grab some limited edition channel merch or digital download and get your automatic entry and a chance to win this amazing Bentley Continental GT. The last day to enter is coming up on Wednesday, April 15th, 2026 at 11.59 p.m. Pacific time. So don’t waste time. Thank you for the support and good luck. All right, now back to some craziness. What did S359 Alpha actually ban? Well, here’s the key. It didn’t ban possession. Last year’s bill didn’t touch possession. Instead, it made it illegal to manufacture, sell, transfer, or purchase these so-called prohibited firearms.

So what does that mean in practice? If you already owned one, you were grandfathered in. But you couldn’t buy new ones. And the market inside the state was essentially frozen. And that’s what I call slow burn confiscation strategies. They don’t take it right away because they don’t have the balls to get in a stack. They just make it impossible to replace them. So when the current generation dies off, there’ll be no more assault weapons in the state of Rhode Island. Now, let’s talk about the new bill introduced last, like, three weeks ago, H8073. Because this is where things take a serious turn.

This bill amends the exact same section of law, but it adds one critical word, possession. Under H8073, it would become illegal to manufacture, sell, transfer, purchase, and possess a prohibited firearm. Let me say that again. Possession is criminalized. It’s a massive escalation. So let’s break this down cleanly so you understand exactly what changed. The current law, last year’s version, S0359 alpha, defined prohibited firearms. And it banned, again, sale, transfer, manufacture, and purchase. But it allowed continued possession. It included limited exceptions for transfers of state or to dealers, from out of state or to dealers. The new one keeps all those restrictions.

The new one is H8073, this year’s proposal. But it adds possession bans. And it imposes up to 10 years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines for possession and the others. And it requires firearms subject to forfeiture. Translation for you. Last year was a market ban. This year is a criminal possession ban. Not possession by criminals, but anybody which would make you a criminal. Now, here’s where it gets even more serious. It does not include a limited window. If you already own one before July 1st of 2026, which is when all the new stuff from last year goes into effect, you already own one, you don’t get the grandfather anymore.

What you get to do is to sell it to an FFL or transfer it out of state, and that’s it. But only until December 31st of 2026. After the end of this year, you’re stuck. If you still possess it, you’re committing a felony in Rhode Island. This is what is known as a forced dispossession scheme. They’re not knocking on your door tomorrow because they don’t have the stones to do that. I mean, Rhode Island’s this big. There’s only 100 or so state troopers. They would get mauled if they tried to disarm the population just like the British did.

So they’re giving you a deadline. They’re so kind. Now, let’s zoom out for a second. Because this didn’t happen overnight. This is a two-step legislative strategy, and it’s a tragedy. Step one, which last year, with the previous bill, they freeze the market, they stop future purchases, and then they define what’s illegal going forward. And then step two, which is this year’s version, they criminalize possession and they force surrender or removal and attach severe penalties. It’s textbook incremental restriction. We’ve seen this playbook before. Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room, the Second Amendment.

Under Bruin, the Supreme Court made it crystal clear that the government must justify restrictions using history and tradition. Not interest balancing, not public safety arguments, not even what their damn opinions are. So ask yourself, Rhode Island, where in American history was it ever legal to ban possession of commonly owned firearms? I’ll give you the answer. It wasn’t. And that’s where this gets legally vulnerable. Because the firearms targeted here are common, widely owned, and in lawful use. And that hits directly into the common use doctrine that came out of Heller. So let’s bring this down to reality.

If H-8073 passes, and it’s likely that it could in Rhode Island, thousands of lawful gun owners instantly become criminals. Property is effectively confiscated if they have the balls to do it. And the state dictates what you can own and what you must surrender and when. And that’s not regulation, that’s prohibition with a deadline. And there should be zero compromise from Americans here in Rhode Island. Nobody should comply with this. And don’t think this is just Rhode Island, because it’s not. This is a test case. If this works, you’ll see it replicated in Massachusetts, in New Jersey, in California, and Washington.

In fact, Massachusetts has already done it. They’ve gone after pre-ban stuff that was okay before. They’re going after that stuff now. Same model, same language, same strategy. Again, some more good news. Guys, don’t forget, time is running out to enter to win this twin-turbo 12-cylinder Bentley Continental GT. And support the channel by grabbing a merch item. And that would enter you into this giveaway. Go to fanofthem.com slash gadgets and enter by 11.59 p.m. Pacific on Wednesday, April 15th of 2026. Good luck. And let me leave you with this. Last year, they told you we’re just stopping future sales.

This year, they’re saying, we’re making what you already own illegal. Not a coincidence. It’s progression. If you found this helpful, make sure that you hit subscribe. If you don’t live in Rhode Island, I ask you please like the video so more people see it and share this amongst all of your socials so that the chances of people in Rhode Island seeing this increases. I’m tracking this stuff every single day so that you don’t have to. So please subscribe to the channel to stay in the know. And I want to hear from you on this.

Do you think this survives a constitutional challenge or should it head straight to the courts? It’s so frustrating. Drop your comments down below. Until we see each other again, my friends, fellow patriots, stay vigilant, stay armed, and stay free. I’ll see you on the next one. Take care. Thank you. [tr:trw].

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