Starting Monday, April 15, law-abiding gun owners in the People’s Republic of New York will no longer be allowed to load more than seven rounds in their 10-round magazines, which they’re allowed to own under the new law.
This brilliant law — the brainchild of venerable Gov. Andrew Cuomo — is designed to save lives. After all, a sociopath that’s hell-bent on killing innocents is going to obey this law and refrain from filling up his 10-round magazine, as is a gangbanger or serial rapist, etc.
It’s an ingenuous law because, as we all know, criminals and killers always follow the letter of the law.
All joking aside, this is the new reality in the Empire State following the passage of the much-maligned Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act, aka NY SAFE Act.
SAFE Act Magazine Limit
Of course, the NY SAFE Act not only puts restrictions on magazine capacity, but also places a ban on so-called ‘assault’ weapons and requires those ‘assault’ weapons possessed prior to April 15, 2013, to be registered with the state government.
The deadline for registering one’s ‘assault’ weapon is a year from now: April 15, 2014.
Critics of the controversial NY SAFE Act argue that it’s both futile as a means to prevent gun violence and wholly unconstitutional. As the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association told CNYCentral.com, the law violates the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens “to keep commonly possessed firearms.”
Currently, several gun rights organizations, including the National Rifle Association, have challenged the law in court. Though, until a federal judge says otherwise, the NY SAFE Act will continue to take hold.
Budd Schroeder of the Shooters Committee on Political Education explained some of the other issues with the law, particularly what he sees as the end game of the state-run registry.
“They can’t confiscate something unless they know where it is — and that’s where registration is. It worked very well in Nazi Germany,” Schroeder told Buffalo Business First.
With respect to the magazine limitations, Schroeder showed how easily it could turn an otherwise law-abiding citizen into a criminal.
“I have seven rounds in it,” he said, holding a 10-round magazine. “So I am an honest, upstanding citizen of New York. But if I put this cartridge in there, even though I don’t have the gun, I become a criminal.”
Practically speaking, it’s unenforceable, as many have argued, including Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb (R-Canandaigua), a vocal opponent of the law.
“How are you really going to police if someone has seven bullets in a magazine or 10?” said Kolb. “You’re just not going to be able to police it. It’s impractical.”
In fact, the whole subject of enforcing the SAFE Act has state police on edge. In a statement released via email on Monday, the New York State Troopers PBA admitted that its 6,000-member group has “widely shared concerns of this new law.”
Nevertheless, they are obligated to enforce the law (an excerpt from the email):
It is the responsibility of this union to defend the reputation and safety of our members. Potential legislative changes as well as pending court decisions may further alter the terms of the SAFE Act. The individual members of this union did not write the terms of the bill nor vote on its passage. We urge the citizens of New York State to remember that Troopers are simply tasked with the lawful mandate to enforce the laws of the State, regardless of their personal opinion of such laws.
Similar concerns were also expressed by the New York State Sheriffs’ Association.
The bottom line is that the NY SAFE Act is bogus (for definitive proof, click here). Gun owners know it. Law enforcement knows it. Everyone knows it. That is, everyone but a select group of politicians who believe the Second Amendment is a farce.
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