Background checks for ammo sales begin Wednesday

BERGEN, N.Y. – Starting Wednesday gun owners with a New York State Permit will pay for an additional background check every time they buy a new gun, or a box of ammunition. The Concealed Carry Improvement Act just went into effect, and already it’s been a problem for gun dealers and their customers. Long time gun owners are calling this newest state requirement excessive.

“The government has long tried to squash these rights of ours,” said Brandon Lewis, owner of The Firing Pin in Bergen.

Gun dealers like The Firing Pin and their customers are already fed up with the new background checks for permitted gun owners who want to buy a firearm, or a box of ammo.

“This is just their latest tactic of getting in the way of regular gun owners and law-abiding people trying to protect themselves, and their loved ones,” said Lewis.

The new background check for firearms will cost you $9, and an extra $2.50 for a box of ammo. Lewis says so far, the system running the additional background checks is already not working properly for him to conduct any sales.

“We had a gentleman come down just a little while ago who’s never had a problem passing any background check and the system automatically went into a delay for just two boxes of ammo. So now he can’t walk away with those boxes of ammo until that delay clears, and that can be up to 30-days,” said Lewis.

Last year state lawmakers passed The Concealed Carry Improvement Act. Since then, state gun owners have tried to stop the requirements from taking effect. Tuesday U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor rejected that appeal.

In a written statement Governor Kathy Hochul said, “The new order from Justice Sotomayor will ensure that the legislation’s provisions related to stronger background checks for guns and ammunition will continue to move full speed ahead.”

Customers we talked to don’t see it that way.

Bergen resident Jason Bleiler said, “I think it restricts our personal rights with the Second Amendment, along with it makes it harder as a customer to take the time to buy what I need.”

New York State Police will handle the background checks. Brandon Lewis says it’s rigmarole.

“Now instead of the dealers contacting the FBI directly, we have to contact the state who then contacts the FBI for us to give us the answer from the FBI. So, they’ve really just made a middle man for no reason and the fund goes specifically just to fund that department,” said Lewis.

He is also worried this new law will have a devastating effect on his business’s bottom line if customers are forced to wait for those background check results.