New York City has reportedly started sending out confiscation notices ordering gun owners to “immediately surrender” rifles and/or shotguns capable of holding more than five rounds of ammunition. It is illegal to possess a rifle or shotgun with the capacity to hold more than five rounds in the city, according to NYC Administrative Code 10-306 (b).
An alleged notice sent to an NYC resident, dated Nov. 18, offers the gun owner the following options:
1. Immediately surrender your Rifle and/or Shotgun to your local police precinct, and notify this office of the invoice number. The firearm may be sold or permanently removed from the City of New York thereafter.
2. Permanently remove your Rifle and/or Shotgun from New York City…
[…]
3. You may call to discuss the matter if you believe your firearm is in compliance, or you may request the option to bring your firearm to a licensed gunsmith for a permanent modification and certification proving that it is permanently modified and in compliance.
New York City Sends Gun Confiscation Notice for Rifles, Shotguns
Source: Truth About Guns
While the confiscation notice, reported by the Truth About Guns, very well may be a normal occurrence in New York City, gun owners in firearm-friendly states like Texas or Arizona will probably have a hard time even imagining receiving such a letter from authorities over a rifle or shotgun that could potentially hold more than five rounds.
The notice above deals directly with New York City gun regulations, but there are also concerns of a potential state-wide gun confiscation effort in New York following the passage of the SAFE Act.
In addition to outlawing an array of semi-automatic rifles, the SAFE Act restricted ammunition magazines to seven rounds, down from 10. The law was later changed to allow gun owners to purchase magazines with the capacity to hold 10 rounds, however, only seven rounds can be loaded unless the firearm is being used at a gun range or shooting competition.
The SAFE Act also creates a more comprehensive database of people barred from owning guns, and makes New York the first state to require background checks to buy bullets. The system was also said to help flag customers who buy large amounts of ammo. In another provision, therapists, doctors and other mental health professionals will be required to tell state authorities if a patient threatens to use a gun illegally. The patient’s weapon could then be taken away.
It wasn’t immediately clear how aggressively the state of New York is enforcing the new magazine restrictions or if law enforcement planned to send out similar notices to the one above to gun owners across the state. Phone calls made late Wednesday night to the Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office, the NY State Police and the NYPD were not returned.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.