As we reported when the New York’s SAFE Act was passed, the bill forgot to exempt police from magazine capacity limits. (That’s what happens when you rush a piece of legislation through the Assembly, give politicians twenty-minutes to read it before they vote and sign it into law under emergency provisions which circumvent the constitutionally-mandated three-day waiting period.) The Empire State’s seven-round mag cap limit goes into effect on April 15. And so Governor’s Cuomo’s mob must quickly fix the bill to allow law enforcement officers to carry more rounds than law-abiding taxpayers. And here’s another kicker, straight from the Joe Biden Diane Feinstein I Have No Idea WTF I’m Talking About School of Civilian Disarmament . . .
The [SAFE Act] toughened restrictions on military-style rifles and high-capacity semiautomatic handguns, but those restrictions will be changed so those types of weapons can be used on the sets of television shows and movies being shot in New York.
“We spend a lot of money in the state bringing movie production here, post production here. So obviously we would want to facilitate that,” Cuomo said.
Cuomo said the prop firearms used in films would probably not be classified as an assault weapon.
“But people want certainty and there’s no reason not to make a change like that,” the governor added. “Apparently, they have blanks or they have phony magazines or something.”
The newyork.cbslocal.com version of the AP story somehow forgot to include this little ditty [via nbcnews.com]
“Had they not rushed this bill through, this bill would never have become law,” said Assembly Republican leader Brian Kolb. “This opposition would have been mobilized … this bill would do nothing to prevent the tragedies.”
And so some 10,000 are due to descend on Albany today to raise their voices in the protest that they didn’t get the chance to express before. We’ve got a man there. Watch this space.
May I suggest a simpler wording to the SAFE act? Everyone may carry, except law-abiding citizens.
Excellent!
That actually seems to be a fair assessment of what is going on. So cops, politics, and famous people gets them but not citizens. Criminals gets them too because lets face it their not following the law anyway.
That’s the system we’ve been living under for the last 100 years – Excelsior!
If it cannot be repealed or massively degraded through amendment, then the pro-2A legislators should pull out all the stops to block ANY amendments. Cuomo got the bill he wanted, now let him own it.
Good point. Either repeal it in its entirety or live with it as is.
Many counties are already refusing to recognize the SAFE act, so I don’t see any incentive to amend it. The lawmakers should ask for repeal and for proper procedures to be followed when it gets submitted the second time.
Excellent point! This gives us a chance to get a foot in the door. I’d like to see it all go but a radically cleaned up bill is always a good back up.
Special, always special. US? NOT special.
In the immortal words of Dana Carvy, “isn’t that special?”
I say any movie or TV show filmed in NY state ought to accurately and realisitically reflect the realities of that state’s laws.
Oh, wait…. but the bad guys will be shooting with super-duper, ultra-high, scary-huge capacity magazines in their weapons….. because that WILL be realistic……
how much actual difference is there between a “prop gun” and a real one? One capable of firing blanks that is.
I think the difference is not in the gun but in the ammunition.
Prop guns can be blank-only guns, but they are most often real guns converted to blank fire. A semiauto won’t cycle with a blank round, so a blank adapter goes in the barrel. Its function is to blow gas backwards to cycle the bolt. A revolver or single shot gun can fire either blanks or live ammo with no modification. For these reasons, movie armorers need to have all the proper FFL paperwork to own and import full-auto guns. In fact, I think the NFA allows movie armorers to import new full-auto weapons for use in film. Don’t quote me on that, though.
The Full-Autos (and sometimes others) are usually phonies powered by a propane or similar gas to sound “Auto” and give off lots of blast and flash. The mags, belts and other dreaded “feeding devices” are usually real and would be illegal. No full-autos are allowed by civilians in NY and no new MG’s or imports since 1986 by Federal Law but I wouldn’t be surprised if nobody in NY bothers them since they can get away with practically anything – including taking my PARKING SPACE.
From the NBC article:
“The revised law would allow them to use real weapons without real ammunition.”
Most of the “firearms” used in TV and movies are actually molded rubber so the actors aren’t injured by falling on them. They have a few blank-firing ones when required by the script.
I would dispute that “most” are rubber. Those are stunt props used when there’s lots of movement. Whenever there’s handling of a firearm or a close-up, it’s the real magillah (or a blank-firing version of one).
If the SAFE act had been any more hastily put together, the state of New York would have become the first jurisdiction in the world to require a background check to purchase a gnu.
That’s just common sense gnu control.
Gary Gnu approves.
That’s good Ralph, really good!
The film industries are getting millions of dollars in tax incentives too (I think Django Unchained had more the 8 million). When Hollywood said the wealthy should pay their fair share, I guess they meant OTHER wealthy people. So, we have the Hollywood definition of a law: “Reasonable rules by which we expect other people to live their lives.”
This is actually great news.
When you shoot a home invader with your illegal 8-round magazine, just tell them you were filming a left-wing documentary about the social injustice that drives the oppressed to invade homes. Bingo–no prosecution AND you get a tax break.
Screw concealed carry permits, I’m joining the Screen Actors Guild.
If you have a smartphone, you have a movie camera.
DING DING DING we have a winner! Love it!
LOL, I’m allowed to have this, I’m an actor!
I’m not a police officer but I play one on TV.
That is a GREAT comment Nickbnumbers!!!
Is there anybody you meet in NYC that isn’t either an aspiring actor or an aspiring playwrite/screen writer?
What Bullshi+.
Does anyone else think the term ‘or something’ should have no place in a public statement used to justify a law, whether constitutional or not?
I don’t think a state which bans modern firearms should host production of movies depicting use of same.
Congrats to the “Demand a plan” crowd. The plan is that you’re now unable to push your pro-violence, anti-gun conundrum of bullsh*t and hopefully suffer because of it. What a joke this country has become.
I’d prefer they stick to their own stupid Safe act rules, no exceptions. Maybe a new Rambo flick filmed in NY where he kicks ass on the VC using only a musket or a cannon with grape shot.
Seriously, I applaud all the great comments posted here. You are very intelligent people with a common goal and a love of our freedoms. Glad to be a part of TTAG readers!
“Apparently, they have blanks or they have phony magazines or something.”
Cuomo, the consummate expert on all things firearm-related.
I guess all that boot-licking from the media comes with rewards, eh?
with YouTube, everyone and his mother can make a television show. Is New York creating a ministry of propaganda to decide which television programs are legitimate enough to use a banned firearms?
If Hickok45 lived in New York would he be exempted too?
NRA talks about violent video games and movies and how they contribute to our culture and its slip into more gun violence. I guess NY doesn’t agree. It’s all the guns fault, not the individual using it and any infuence TV/movies/games doesn’t matter
“We spend a lot of money in the state bringing movie production here”
It’s nice to know his priorities are in order.
So, apparently here’s the priority list, in descending order:
1. (violent) entertainment
2. (unrealistic) efforts to save “even one life”
3. civil rights (defense of life)
If they want to continue their fantasy, switch 1 and 2, but this is crazy.
Technically I’m just chasing a straw man argument, but it would be easy to smuggle weapons under disguise of film making. Again, this point is irrelevant, everything else considered, but it’s probably true.
Has comrade Cuomo’s SS taken any guns away from the mafia yet?