By CARLA KOLBE

By CARLA KOLBE

Special to the Express

JOHNSTOWN — “I would like to congratulate Gov. Andrew Cuomo for being the best gun salesman in New York state,” mocked Clarence Chamberlain of Peck’s Lake to a roar of applause from a packed hall at Pine Tree Rifle Club here Monday evening, Feb. 18.

Scores of prospective attendees were turned away, but 300 gun owners squeezed into the club for a standing-room-only information session on the new gun control laws Cuomo rammed through the state Legislature last month.

The Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act took effect immediately upon being signed by the governor, giving New York state the toughest gun laws in the nation.

Chamberlain was referring to the rush to buy guns that started when the news was out.

Assemblyman Marc Butler (R-Newport) and New York State Rifle and Pistol Association President and National Rifle Association Director Tom King of Albany, along with Fulton County Sheriff Thomas Lorey, led the talk.

Butler brought in a group of experts who volunteered on this Presidents’ Day to answer as best they could the many questions and concerns of local gun owners.

Much was asked about the definitions, particulars and various penalties involved with the new regulations on ammunition, periodic recertification of handgun permits and registering so-called assault weapons.

Many questions could not be answered because much has yet to be determined within the law.

Those who attended unanimously feel the SAFE Act is an infringement of the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment right to bear arms.

“This has to do with Second Amendment infringements, it has nothing to do with the rights of hunters,” said Chuck Swatling of Northville, a state-certified hunter training instructor for the past 31 years.

“There are already over 2,000 gun laws on the books, and not all are enforced,” he said. “Do we really need more?”

Swatling, who reflected the sentiment of most in attendance, said law-abiding citizens already obey the laws, and the SAFE Act will have no effect on criminals who do not live by the law anyway.

Swatling said it is already NYS law that a hunter in the field is only allowed six rounds in his firearm, five in the clip and one in the chamber. The SAFE Act bans possession of all magazines holding more than seven rounds.

Of most importance was the announcement from King that legal briefs would be filed within 10 days for a comprehensive lawsuit against the SAFE Act and its passage. The legal action is a cooperative effort of the NRA and the NYSRPA.

The lawsuit may be announced tomorrow, Feb. 28, during the NYSRPA’s Fifth Annual Lobby Day and Rally. NRA President David Keene will be the special guest speaker at this event, which begins at noon and will take place at Capitol Park, next to the Legislative Office Building on 198 State Street, Albany.

“This is going to be a landmark case,” said King. “I’d like to see 10,000 people there to send a strong message to the governor.”

Butler expressed concern over the quick passage of the bill, which precluded public input and circumvented the normal legislative process. “The process of this law was terrible, and the end result is even worse,” Butler said.

Cuomo had expressed his desire to make gun control a top legislative agenda item this session, but the general public did not expect such hasty action.

Butler said the bill was passed within seven hours from draft to law. It remains heavily flawed, he said, and is an abridgment of Second Amendment rights that raises endless concerns.As of Saturday 26 of the state’s 62 counties had formally called for repealing parts of the law. At least another 22 are expected to do the same.

Butler is planning future events for Hamilton, Oneida and St. Lawrence counties and another for Fulton County. King said he would gladly return for further sessions.

More information on the NYS Rifle and Pistol Association, and updates on the lawsuit, can be found on the website www.nysrpa.org.

Bill would amend SAFE Act

ALBANY - Assemblyman Marc Butler has filed legislation to modify sections of the SAFE Act that outlaw the sale of so-called “assault weapons” in New York state.

He says the term “assault weapon” is arbitrary, and that firearms in the SAFE Act that fall into this category are misunderstood and unfairly targeted by the legislation.

“These guns are being banned for sale in New York because of the way they look, not because of their capabilities,” Butler says.

Butler says the sporting firearms referred to as assault weapons in the SAFE Act resemble military assault weapons, but differ in a number of ways.

“Foremost among them,” he says, “is the fact that a true military-style assault weapon has the capacity to be used in fully automatic mode. Automatic weapons have been banned for civilian use for years.”

— Cristine Meixner