New regulations requiring state-run background checks for gun and ammunition buyers in New York State recently left one local resident in the lurch.
“On September 22, I attempted to purchase two boxes of shotgun shells from a local sporting goods store,” Quattrone told The Post-Journal. “These shells were to be used at a trap/skeet shoot that I was sponsoring to raise funds for a new non-profit organisation.”
What would have been a routine purchase a few weeks earlier turned into a headache – one that is growing in intensity for some gun owners and gun shops. It’s the result of the Concealed Carry Improvement Act passed by Governor Kathy Hochul last year. Part of the law, which went into effect on September 13, requires background checks for ammunition purchases.
In addition to now conducting federal criminal background checks on gun buyers, the New York State Police have also been tasked with conducting the checks on ammunition buyers.
“Before I was allowed to purchase the ammunition, the store spent about 15 minutes entering my information into their computer to complete the background check,” Quattrone recounted. “The status came back ‘Delayed’. We waited another 15 minutes with no update, so I had to leave the store without completing the purchase.
Quattrone’s purchase wasn’t approved for another 25 hours – an hour after the fundraiser had ended.
“Prior to the new practice of background checks for ammunition, I would have been able to purchase ammunition from the club where the shoot was held,” the sheriff said. “Because of the new policy, the clubs are not selling the ammunition.”
He added: “Attempts have been made to get clarity from the clubs regarding the sale of ammunition for use during the events and training, but we have received conflicting information. Clubs are largely choosing to err on the side of caution and not sell until a definitive decision is made.
Bruce Piatz, owner of M&M Sports Den in Jamestown, said selling ammunition has become a cumbersome process with a system that “crashes a lot” and lacks vendor support. “It’s a mess,” Piatz previously told The Post-Journal.
He went on to lament, “I know several customers who have walked out and said, ‘I’m just going to go across the border.’ So instead of us and the state getting a fee, Pennsylvania is reaping the benefits”.
State and local officials have called on Hochul to end the “unconstitutional” requirement of federal background checks for gun and ammunition buyers.
During a recent press conference in Niagara County, State Senator Rob Ortt, R-North Tonawanda, said the new regulations are unworkable.
“It’s not going to make anybody safer. This is not about safety,” Ortt said in a story reported by the Niagara Gazette. “This is about making it harder to own a gun, harder to exercise the right to operate and use that firearm, whether it’s for hunting or just to keep yourself safe in your own home.”
Quattrone has similar feelings.
“I do not believe this ordinance will make our community safer, but will actually prevent law-abiding sportsmen and gun owners from being able to purchase ammunition,” he said. “Responsible gun ownership includes not only being safe with the gun, storing it in a safe place, but also being proficient with the gun.”
He said delays or outright refusals to purchase ammunition could hinder the “ability to practice safely with your guns”. He’s also concerned about the status of local youth programmes and clubs that provide ammunition to the programmes.
“These youth programs do a wonderful job of teaching safety and responsibility and provide an opportunity for a great healthy activity for many young people in our community,” Quattrone said.
“While I am a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights, I also believe that there is a responsibility to be safe, responsible and proficient with any firearm one chooses to carry or use. Law-abiding citizens and those who have previously been approved to purchase guns and have been approved for a Conceal Carry Permit have been delayed in purchasing ammunition.
“This background check for ammunition seems to be a way to limit our Second Amendment rights – done in a backdoor way.”
The sheriff is also concerned for local businesses that rely on local sportsmen to buy ammunition and guns. There’s also the possibility that local residents will travel to nearby Pennsylvania to buy ammunition.
“With hunting season upon us, I also hope that our hunters were able to purchase ammunition – ammunition that is needed to ensure that their guns shoot accurately, which is important for safe and humane hunting practices,” Quattrone said. “I wonder what our community would do if people decided not to hunt and we started to see animals starving due to overpopulation, and what the impact would be on car-deer collisions.”