Deadline to register ‘assault weapons’ in New York looming

[Jgarrick]

http://www.guns.com/2014/04/12/deadline-register-assault-weapons-new-york-looming-video/

New Yorkers have a choice to make by Tuesday about their newly designated ‘assault rifles’ as SAFE Act registration requirements soon kick into effect. Under the protocols of the 2013 New York SAFE Act, effective April 15, those with a regulated firearm must register it with the state to keep it legal. The requirements (pdf) for registration are based on a series of cosmetic traits of the firearm in question. For instance, semi-automatic rifles with a detachable magazine that have one of ten banned features that include a pistol grip, folding stock, threaded barrel or bayonet mount must be registered, modified, or removed from the state by the deadline. The State has a link, from the governor’s homepage no less, to an interactive questionnaire to tell if a gun should be registered.

A lawsuit filed in Federal Court on April 1, Razzano v. Cuomo, is seeking a last minute injunction against the registration deadline. However, if it is unsuccessful after Tuesday, possession of a gun that is considered an unregistered ‘assault weapon’ in New York will be considered a crime. According to New York State Police, failure to register an assault weapon by the deadline is punishable as a misdemeanor “and forfeiture of the weapon.” If it is “deemed to be unintentional,” a 30-day amnesty period will be extended to register it.
The SAFE Act regulates features such as threaded barrels in deciding if a gun is an "Assault Weapon." The SAFE Act regulates features such as threaded barrels in deciding if a gun is an “Assault Weapon.”



This doesn’t sit well with many who would have to enforce the law. “We’re actually creating a category of criminal from of a group of people, a great majority of whom, never would of broken the law,” said Chief Deputy John Balloni with the Onondaga County sheriff’s office. Registration by many is considered the next step before confiscation. “People are pretty much convinced once they get on this registration, the next time they’ll say they’ve got to turn them in,” said Stephen Aldstadt, president of the Shooters Committee on Political Education (SCOPE), one of the leading pro-Second Amendment groups fighting the SAFE Act.

Many New York gun owners are choosing noncompliance with the law. In March, a group of gun owners gathered in Saratoga Springs to burn more than a thousand registration forms, vowing to register nothing. I refuse to comply,” said Jeff Tutuska, a graphic artist from West Seneca. Tutuska says he’s a peaceful person and won’t register the AR-15s he’s owned legally for years. He expects his 11-year-old daughter to inherit them one day, not the government. “It’s none of their damn business,” he said.

(Excerpt, remainder of article at link)

I'd have trouble thinking of a more idiotic set of regulations than the "SAFE" act.

[Duckhunter935]

1. Always love laws based on cosmetic features and not function

Good thing these SAFE act compliant non-assault weapons are now coming out. Ugly but they are now not assault weapons.

[Jgarrick]

2. I've been trying to figure out what military issue semiautomatic rifles don't fit their absurd

definition of an "assault weapon" under the "SAFE" act. As far as I can tell, it's now illegal in NY to have an SVT-40 Tokarev or an M1 Carbine with a bayonet mount.

It does appear to still be legal to own a Gewehr 43, M1 Carbine without a bayonet mount, M1 Garand, M1941 Johnson, SKS, or an FN-49.

Were I limited to following this ridiculous law, I suppose I'd keep an SKS, M1 Garand or FN-49 (in .30-06) handy. They're better looking than any of those silly-looking AK or AR NY-compliant Frankenguns, and at least they can quickly be reloaded with clips.

[Straw Man]

4. Garand and SKS.

As long as the SKS has the standard 10-round fixed magazine.

[Jgarrick]

5. Those are certainly the most common ones I could think of.

Not a lot of G43s available these days...although it's not too hard to find a nice FN-49.

[oneshooter]

6. It is just hard to find someone with a nice SAFN 49 in 30-06

Who is willing to part with it, without large amount of green changing hands.

[Jgarrick]

7. I was at a gun auction about 10 years ago.

Guns were going for absurd prices. Finally, they get to the lot I'm interested in: a G43 and an FN-49 in .30-06.

He starts it at $1000 for the pair. No one bids. $800. $600. $500. I raise my hand.

No one bids against me. Going going gone for $500 for both rifles. I couldn't pull my wallet out fast enough.

Best buy I ever made.

[linuxman]

8. I hate you.

[Lizzie Poppet]

9. Egyptian Hakim.

Kind of a cool rifle in 8mm Mauser...same "tipping bolt" system an the FN49 and SKS, coincidentally. Fairly heavy with an efficient gas system = low recoil, which is nice for a shrimp like me. I don't remember seeing a bayonet lug on any of the one's I've handled (but I wasn't looking...).

There's a "muzzle brake," though...so maybe not. Because terrorism and mass murder are so much more easily accomplished with a flash hider...

[Jgarrick]

10. It's now illegal in NY. Flash suppressor, bayonet lug (eek!) and detachable magazine.

Kind of a cool rifle in 8mm Mauser...same "tipping bolt" system an the FN49 and SKS, coincidentally.

It's a licensed variant of the Swedish Ljungman AG-42...which is also now illegal in NY.

[Lizzie Poppet]

11. That takes the M1 Carbine out of the picture, too, then.

Detachable magazine...

Or is it some combination of those evil features? I'm not entirely up on the details of the NY law since they don't apply out here in Oregon.

[Jgarrick]

12. An M1 Carbine is legal in NY if it doesn't have a bayonet lug,

although it can't have a magazine with a capacity in excess of 10 rounds.

[Lizzie Poppet]

13. So then the Hakim's detachable mag's not the issue.

Hakim mags are 10-round (and are usually charged from the top via stripper clips).

[Jgarrick]

14. In and of itself, no, but rifles with a detachable mag (and the Hakim's is detachable, although it's

awkward to do so) can't have any "evil" features...and the Hakim has two of them ((flash suppresor, bayonet lug).

[Lizzie Poppet]

15. Thanks very much for the clarification!

Thank goodness these critical distinctions are in place to save us from the unspeakable evil of flash suppressors!

[ileus]

3. This what you get with paranoid 1%er's without a clue in control