NYSP Superintendent Joseph D'Amico courtesy buffalonews.com/Derek Gee

Citing technology issues, the head of the New York State Police said he has no idea when the ammunition background checks mandated by the SAFE Act will begin across the state. Superintendent Joseph D’Amico said they have been unable to find a system that would work to perform the checks without possibly inconveniencing either the customer or the retailer. The ammo check facet of the law was supposed to go into effect on January 15th, and they have to find their own system, because federal law prohibits using the NICS system for ammunition purchases. He also spoke on the 7-round magazine limit. . .

which a U.S. District Judge recently struck down as “tenuous, strained, and unsupported,” a decision which the Cuomo administration is appealing. Despite some prosecutors’ belief that the round limit could still be enforced during the appeal, D’Amico said, “There’s pending litigation which could change it, but as of today, we’re not enforcing it.”

Your Lockdown of the Day™ comes from Brawley, California, and after yesterday’s interlude of sanity, we’re back to the nonsensical stuff. Brawley police received a report about 3 a.m. Wednesday of a gunshot victim. Police and medical responded and the victim was treated and transported. Police investigated the scene, and that investigation continued for several hours. Meanwhile, over four hours later, students began gathering at two nearby schools where the first bell rings at 7:55 a.m. An hour later, nearly six full hours after the original incident, both of those schools were inexplicably placed on lockdown for about an hour. Parents began receiving robocalls informing them of the lockdown at about 8:45 a.m. and beyond saying it was a “precaution,” nobody really seems to know why. Maybe it was just Skynet running a system test. [h/t MM]

A woman fatally shot herself with a rented gun at an indoor range in Independence Township, Michigan on Tuesday. The 28-year old woman “allegedly [why allegedly?] went into the Accurate Gun Range … bought three boxes of 0.9-mm (sic) ammunition and began practicing on the range with a rented gun.” She was found with a gunshot wound to the head when store employees checked on her after they stopped hearing shots from the range. A review of surveillance video showed that it was not an accident, but that the woman put the gun to her head and shot herself. Employees of Accurate had no comment, but a nearby range owner said, “We always have range officers on-duty. If somebody we don’t know — anyone — exhibits signs we’re not comfortable with, we don’t let them in the range.” Some signs his employees are trained to catch from prospective customers is lack of eye contact; lack of clarity or whether a customer engages an employee; lack of interest in the product and skill level with firearms. [h/t Dirk]

A Maine bill that would ban BB guns and non-firing replica firearms in schools is causing some contentious debate in recent days. Supporters say the bill is necessary to protect students from potential tragedies. Opponents say it’s too broad and would cause much harm for virtually no benefit. Supporters are concerned that police could easily mistake the fake firearms for the real thing, leading to incidents like the one in California where a 13-year-old with a BB gun was shot by a deputy who said he thought it looked like an assault rifle. Opponents say that the bill would primarily affect young people and would carry serious penalties including jail time for simple youthful mistakes, penalties that would likely follow them for the rest of their lives.

YouTuber 22Plinkster with a video review of the Ruger American Rifle in .22LR.

Pretty sweet.

74 COMMENTS

  1. The S.A.F.E. Act is becoming more and more like Obamacare; another bill that was rushed through without proper deliberation or even being read. Is anyone surprised?

    • I hear that Moooochelle Obama has a friend who creates Web-sites for Gubmint agencies. Bet she could offer her help!

  2. Glad to see the NYSP speaking out on the mag limit. Sheriff’s came right out and said they weren’t enforcing it after the ruling but no official word from the State Troopers until now.

    • Well, decimal point aside, it might have looked suspicious if she had said I’ll take that 9mm there and one round of ammunition.

      • Sure, because there’s two differing standards.

        Imperial & metric.

        .45 caliber
        9mm

        Non-gunnies don’t understand that .45 is bigger than 9 – so they put the dot in front.

        • I tell people that love shooting my 68 gauge but no one knows what the hell I am talking about. So I say that I love shooting my .410 gauge and they know what I mean. Stupid ass numbering system.

        • As A-Rod points out there are three systems, with gauge being the third. And to make it more entertaining, gauge is bass ackwards unless you understand where it came from.

          And even if you do understand its derivation, it’s still bass ackwards, frankly. It’s not even based on the diameter of a lead ball of that weight, rather it’s based on diameter of a lead ball weighing that *fraction* of a pound. Honestly whose twisted mind came up with that when anyone could have picked up a fricking ruler and measured the bore diameter? (On further reflection, it’s an extension of “3/4/6/12 lb gun” used to describe the size of cannon.)

          • The diameter of a lead ball weighing that fraction of a pound. Honestly whose twisted mind came up with that…

            It’s Bri’ish of course. Along with furlongs per fortnight, shilings pence and pounds, and the wrong names for wrenches, hood and trunk lids.

  3. Do Not Adjust Your Set

    My set of what? And why can’t I control my own horizontal and my own vertical? And what if I have an itch?

    And why can’t the best trained and most highly paid cops in the world tell the difference between a preteen with a Super Soaker and a terrorist with an AK?

  4. One group in opposition to the ‘replica firearms bill’ is the Maine ACLU. Maybe it will catch on.

  5. I love it when police officers have stars on their collar, Apparently, even a town with a population of 500 merits a brigadier general in charge of the PD. This guy’s short-changed as a 2 star.

    Let’s see, in the military he would be a Major General (Division Commander), responsible for approximately 10-20,000 personnel in 3 or more Brigade Combat Teams, over 1,000 vehicles, not include aviation assets. In the 80’s and 90’s he would be accountable for (but not have release authority over) “special munitions” (ie, nukes and gas). And before the haters start hating, yes, division level elements controlled tac nukes and chemical weapons during the cold war.

    If you’re going to wear the rank, you should have to earn it, It pisses me off when civilians (ie, law enforcement) use military rank, End of rant.

    • This is probably going to come as a shock to you, but most Police forces in the US are Paramilitary in nature/organization.

      Also, the LEO you mentioned is with NYSP, not some po dunk Police Department in upstate NY or elswhere. These things are kind of important to distinguish between if you’re going to have meaningful discussion.

        • I stand corrected. Hannibal, you’re right. The New York State PD could TOTALLY take the First Armored Division in a stand up fight.

          First, they would deploy their SWAT-snipers, Highly proficient at taking shots from 50m at untrained idiots who are involved in a domestic disturbance. (Or some unarmed dude who opened his front door, then moved his hand)

          Then, the MRAPs would come online, assaulting 3 brigades of M1A2 tanks with their water cannons and smoke dischargers.

          Finally, the highly trained SWAT operators would launch a human wave assault on the demoralized survivors.

          Upon reflection that is totally how it would go down! No military formation could withstand a frontal assault from the NY State PD!

        • So do you yet understand the difference between New York State and some 500 population town, or do you just want to keep making no sense whatsoever?

        • “Apparently, even a town with a population of 500 merits a brigadier general in charge of the PD. This guy’s short-changed as a 2 star.”

          Do you need me to diagram those two sentences, or do you get it now?

        • Curious, DJ, what country are you from? I ask because in the US Army, the Brigadier General (assuming US Army is what you were talking about because you mentioned 1st Armored) is a 1 star. 2 star is a Major General.

          Aside from that, at some point a star is just a star. Should teachers stop putting gold stars on quality kindergarten assignements to prevent the children from becoming militarized? Thai restaraunts and their spice levels, perhaps? And Chevron, they’re trying to claim they’re corporals, I guess. Yes, I know I’m being ridiculous, but so are you.

          What do you want to see for police rank, unicorns and butterflies?

        • Sorry, I seem to have skipped over part of your original post. Was looking at your reply further down the page. That error aside, I still think you’re overreacting. In my opinion, which is worth what you paid for it, the only rank insignia which deserves special respect is five stars. Very few men ever earned that, and only during some of the most trying times this nation has ever faced.

        • Hasdrubal, honestly, I’d like to see them develop a rank structure that was less militarized. I think it just feeds into the “we are soldiers” mentality that can lead cops to act like soldiers, with bad results.

          I am/was a soldier. I think a certain way. I react a certain way. I’ve done LEO type tasks as a soldier – enough to know that I don’t think soldiers make particularly good or effective LEOs. Some seem to pull it off. I’ve read Chris Hernandez’ blog, and he seems like a good cop and a good troop – but they are normally different skillsets.

          As a soldier I got paid to break things. An LEO is there to keep the peace and de-escalate. Like I said – different skill sets.

      • I always find it amusing that lieutenant generals outrank major generals and brigadier generals. And a marshall only needs one star – as a town marshall.

      • Hey, at least they aren’t “high capacity”. Nothing is scarier then “high capacity”, apparently.

    • I thought this guy’s uniform was quite subdued. Some police chiefs wear uniforms that would have made Quadaffi proud.

      • Agreed. I once found myself in line at a roadblock manned by the County Sheriff himself (“checking for drunk drivers” – “that sure wouldn’t be me, sir!”) who was sporting four stars on his collar. Since I’d spent my time in the military as staff tagging along behind a two-star (who struggled to even get a conference room in the Pentagon), that just blew me away.
        I agree that in some contexts, a star is just a star, but as rank on a collar it connotes a specific meaning; that use by police is questionable. Even the Salvation Army has it more correct than that, since their “major” commands a field organizational unit. What does a state police chief command? How many asset?

  6. I love it when a poorly conceived unconstitutional law doesn’t come together like it’s writers intended.

  7. D’Amico is not a name to have when trying to make a political name. Francis “Frank” D’Amico was the villain in Kick-Ass, and, more visibly, most people around the world are aware of Anthony “Fat Tony” D’Amico.

  8. That American Rimfire does look sweet and affordable. My first child (a son) was born earlier this month, and already I find myself shopping for his first guns and getting all weepy-eyed thinking about taking him shooting for the first time. That’s about the type of rifle I’d like to start him with.

    • dammit man, now you’ve got me thinking about a decent bolt action for my boy, I was just gonna let him take over my semi-auto .22lr, but learning on a bolt-action seems best… He’s almost 4 so his first shots are still a year or 2 away…

      • I’m a fan of the break action single shot as a trainer. Though a 3″ 12 gauge might wait for ten years old or so, I think the Red Ryder is an incredible familiarization and training tool. My first .22 was my dad’s 10-22, and I’ve always found manual .22 actions somewhat annoying ever since.

        But my G-22 isn’t for beginners. And I’m not a parent. Do what you think is best, and I support that. As an aside to an aside, if you’re set on bolt action, check out the CZ offerings. I’ve never fired one, but they do look nice on the rack.

        • My kids all get to shoot BB guns first. My oldest daughter turned 10 this year and her present was a 10/22. I bought my first 10/22 when I was 10 – still have it. If I get the American Rifle from Ruger I would like it in .22 magnum.

      • Starting someone shooting on an autoloader is a good way to get somebody shot! The problem is, it is not stilled in their mind that there is another shot ready to go at the pull of a trigger. It is just too easy to forget!
        Do start your son on a bolt action, single shot or magazine OK, or a lever gun is fine. The idea is that they must complete a cycle of events before another round is in the chamber!

        • I could just as easily say that if you’re used to a manual action firearm when you transition to a semi-auto you won’t expect the firearm to still be “hot” after you’ve fired.

          IMHO it makes no difference whether you start your child on a single shot, bolt action, or semi-auto. Do not allow them unsupervised access until you are satisfied that they can handle the firearm safely.

        • My dad bought me my first BB gun when I was 8 (the ‘ol Crosman pump), and drilled the idea of managing the safety at all times. Safe off, fire, safe on, reload. As you mentioned, I was also aware that there was a definite series of mechanical events that occured between shots. By the time I got my Marlin 60 at 12, keeping the safety on at all times when not ready to fire was just second nature.

    • All the kids that I’ve trained from scratch I started with a pellet gun then moved to a bolt action .22. I still have that combo waiting patiently for the grand kids to get a little bigger.

  9. “…he has no idea when the ammunition background checks mandated by the SAFE Act will begin across the state.”

    …since it will impose an additional cost ($10-$15) on every purchase of ammunition, you can bet it won’t begin till after the next election cycle.

    • Superintendent Joseph D’Amico said they have been unable to find a system that would work to perform the checks without possibly inconveniencing either the customer or the retailer.

      Since when was that ever a consideration in law enforcement? I’m thinking he’s not fully onboard with SAFE’s ammunition background check program.

      And he’s in conflict with NY State Attorney General who says the 7-round mag limit is only unconstitutional in Western NY.

      Now maybe it’s just me, but I think the wheels are coming off the SAFE Act… Hope so anyway.

      • The fact that it’s failing in implementation and not just the courts SHOULD convince people that their esteemed lawmakers have no knowledge of the things they are attempting to regulate.

        But then again when has logic ever mattered…

      • The issue is most likely cost and not convenience. Convenience may be the excuse. Most likely there are systems available, or companies like IBM willing to modify systems for use, but not without substantial costs.

  10. Wow. Rented gun suicide, eh? Reduces the cost of offing oneself, and buying three boxes of pills defers any suspicion. Wow.

    Skynet running a systems check? Melikes.

  11. The General Rule for ‘Problem Solving by Government’ states that:
    “For every problem those in ‘government’ attempt to solve, a minimum of at least two other problems are created; and
    more often than not, at least one of the two problems created by government didn’t previously exist at all.”

  12. When the law is an ass, it is the peoples’ duty to rebel. Good to see law enforcement on board with this.

  13. Shh! … Nobody tell the racist gun-range owners who banned single white men from renting guns – now they have a whole new demographic to ban

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