The budget fight here in Albany is almost finished, and when that happens, Hochul is going to turn her attention to our guns!
It’s the same thing every year.
The budget drags out, negotiations run late, the legislature finally passes a deal — and then Hochul moves on to her gun control agenda.
And when that happens, things move very fast.
That’s why I need to warn you about S.4277, legislation that would ban the sale of .50 caliber rifles here in New York.
At first glance, that might not sound like something that affects most gun owners. And that’s exactly why Hochul and Senator Kavanagh designed it this way.
This bill is a trap.
You see, S.4277 bans rifles that generate more than 12,000 foot pounds of energy. Today, that mostly means .50 caliber rifles. The hope in Albany is that most gun owners will shrug their shoulders and think this doesn’t affect them.
But once a law like this is on the books, Hochul can expand it any time she wants.
Lower the threshold to 8,000 foot pounds, and rifles like the .460 Weatherby are gone. Lower it to 5,000, and now the .458 Winchester disappears. Drop it to 4,000, and rifles like the .338 Win Mag are on the chopping block.
Go even further, and eventually the rifles many New Yorkers have hunted with for generations — rifles like the .30-06 — are suddenly under attack.
>>> TELL YOUR SENATOR TO VOTE NO ON S.4277! <<<
This is exactly how gun control works in New York State.
First Hochul claims she is only targeting a “special” firearm. Then once the law is passed, she quietly expands the law until it bans firearms that millions of gun owners actually possess.
And remember, this bill can move fast!
Back in 2013, Andrew Cuomo rammed the SAFE Act through the entire legislature and signed it into law in a single day using a “message of necessity.” Committee votes, floor votes, and the governor’s signature all happened in a matter of hours.
That’s why the NYS Firearms Association is working right now to warn gun owners across the state about this hunting rifle ban before Hochul tries to move it once the budget is finished.
The most important thing you can do right now is contact your State Senator and Assemblyman and tell them you oppose S.4277.
>>> TELL YOUR SENATOR TO VOTE NO ON S.4277! <<<
After you send your message, please consider making an urgent donation of $10, $25, $50, or even $100 to help NYSFA mobilize gun owners across the state.
We are using every tool we have — direct mail, text alerts, digital advertising, and email campaigns — to warn gun owners about this trap before it gains momentum in Albany.
In a state like New York, we don’t get second chances.
We fight early and we fight hard, or we lose.
For New York State,
Aaron Dorr
Executive Director
NYS Firearms Association
P.S. Once the budget fight ends, Hochul will move on to her gun control agenda.
S.4277 starts with .50 caliber rifles, but it creates the framework to expand the ban until it reaches the hunting rifles many of us actually own.
>>> TELL YOUR SENATOR TO VOTE NO ON S.4277! <<<
Send your message to your legislators right now and then consider chipping in to help NYSFA mobilize gun owners across the state to hold the line.