US Gun Town

In this Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013, photo, a man rides a bike past the Ilion American Legion Post and Remington Arms Company in Ilion, N.Y. The gun maker is moving two assembly lines to Alabama.

(Mike Groll)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Remington Arms will shift two of its gun assembly lines and as many as 150 workers from its oldest plant in Upstate New York to Alabama because of the NY Safe Act, according to a Central New York lawmaker.

"Remington Arms has a storied history in Ilion and I know that the decision to shift jobs out of New York is not made lightly," state Sen. James Seward, R-Milford, said in a news release today.

"However, the fact that the lines being moved out are for products now more strictly regulated in New York due to the overreaching SAFE-Act sends a strong, obvious message," Seward said.

Starting in July, Remington will begin shifting assembly lines of its Bushmaster semi-automatic rifle and 1911 pistol to Alabama, eventually moving from 100 to 150 jobs. The plant currently has about 1,300 workers.

The move is part of a larger reorganization by Remington as it plans to open a new massive factory in Alabama, the website The Outdoor Wire reported. This week, Remington workers at six locations, including Ilion, were notified of the changes, the website reported.

"A concerted effort is needed in Albany to show Remington unified support - and that includes a revision of the state's excessive anti-gun laws - otherwise I am afraid additional jobs, and families, will be forced to move south," Seward said.

"As the company shutters operations in other states like North Carolina, Utah, and Georgia to move them to the new Alabama plant in order to achieve efficiencies, it is at least reassuring that one-thousand good paying jobs will remain here in the Mohawk Valley," he said. "Moving forward, I stand ready to assist Remington in meeting their needs in the Mohawk Valley, and that includes securing state support to help with facility upgrades at the company's birthplace."

Contact Teri Weaver at tweaver@syracuse.com, 315-470-2274 or on Twitter at @TeriKWeaver.