March
2, 2005--New bills aimed at further restricting ownership of military-style
semiautomatic weapons have been introduced in the New York State
legislature.
The 1994 federal "Assault Weapons"
ban expired on September 13th of last year. However, a few states--including
New York--have had similar versions of the ban in place since
the early 1990's.
Assembly bill A 2466 would change the
definition of what constitutes an "assault weapon,"
and require anyone who currently owns any firearm deemed an "assault
weapon" to register it, render it permanently inoperable,
or turn it in to the police.
Those who choose to register their "assault
weapons" would be required to undergo an additional background
check and would be required to have the firearm tested for entry
into New York State's ballistic imaging program.
State Senator Eric Schniederman (D-District
31) introduced a senate bill--S 2445--that would expand the current
"assault weapons" ban to include many more models by
name, and also ban more firearms based on specific features.
The 1994 federal ban allowed those who
owned "assault weapons" manufactured prior to May of
1994 to keep them, but prohibited manufacturers from producing
firearms that had a combination of more than two largely cosmetic
features.
Manufacturers responded to the 1994 law
by removing flash suppressors, bayonet lugs and other features
from their firearms in order to stay compliant with the law.
The recent New York State bills, however,
do not distinguish between "pre-ban" and "post-ban"
models. If the firearm has a pistol grip or any other objectionable
feature, it's an "assault weapon." If passed into law,
the bills would make New York one of the most restrictive states
in the country for owners of military-style firearms.
Today the state assembly Codes Committee
passed Bill #A 2466, and the bill has been reported to the assembly
floor for a full vote.
Many in the New York State firearms community
believe that the bill may well pass unless gun owners make a concerted
effort to contact their legislators and voice their objections.
New York gun owners concerned about the
new ban can contact their representatives by going to http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/
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