Deja vu all over again

by Big Six, Tuesday, December 29, 2015, 10:19 (3191 days ago)

State lawmakers from Brooklyn on Monday introduced new legislation that seeks to greatly restrict the amount of ammo gun owners can purchase in New York.

The twin bills, sponsored by state Sen. Roxanne Persaud and Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, were reportedly drafted in an effort to keep would-be terrorists from stocking up on ammunition, the Brooklyn Eagle reported. Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams also helped draft the bills.

“Limiting the quantity and duration between purchases of ammunition is one step in preventing someone with criminal intent from easily accessing large quantities of ammunition,” Ms. Persaud said in a statement.

If enacted, the legislation would place strict limits on the number of bullets a gun owner can purchase over a 90-day period, and ban gun dealers from selling ammunition for a firearm to anyone unauthorized to own such a weapon.

The bills are aimed at owners of high-capacity rifles, but they would also affect owners of handguns with much smaller magazines, even six-shooters.

The provision would limit the amount of bullets a gun owner can buy to no more than twice the amount of the capacity of the weapon ever 90 days, which means someone who owns a six-shooter could only buy 12 bullets every three months, the Brooklyn Eagle reported.

“If I have a cold, I can’t buy Sudafed without ID, but I can walk into any gun shop and walk out with enough bullets to arm a small army without showing any kind of ID,” Ms. Simon said in a joint release. “I can buy any kind of bullets regardless of what kind of gun I own. I don’t even have to own a gun to stock up on bullets. Nothing stops me from having friends buy even more bullets for me. The sky is the limit. The San Bernardino shooters had 6,000 rounds of ammunition. We need this legislation so that cannot happen here.”

The proposal also seeks to amend a section of New York State Penal Law to prevent gun dealers from selling ammo for a firearm to anyone unauthorized to own such a weapon, regardless of the type of gun. Under the current law, only pistols and revolvers are specifically regulated. The bills’ sponsors say this creates a “loophole” for those seeking to purchase ammo for rifles, according to the Brooklyn Eagle.

The proposal also aims to increase the penalty for violating this law, increasing from a Class B misdemeanor — less than three months in jail and no more than a $500 fine — to a Class E felony, up to four years in prison with a minimum of one year.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/dec/23/new-york-lawmakers-float-bill-to-restri...