Albany gun rally bus

A bus leaves Syracuse this morning for a rally in Albany to oppose the state's new gun law.

(Photo by David Lassman | dlassman@syracuse.com)

Syracuse, N.Y. – Thousands of pro-gun advocates are headed to Albany this morning to protest against a new set of laws that they believe punishes them for owning guns.

The rally, organized by the National Rifle Association’s New York affiliate, is expected to be the biggest public protest since Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state lawmakers approved the NY Safe Act in mid-January.

Cuomo pushed the law through the capitol just a month after the Newtown shootings as some looked to gain more control over semi-automatic weapons with high-capacity magazines, like some of the guns used in mass shootings in recent years.

The quick passage with no public debate ignited frustrations and anger from a very vocal and very organized minority among New Yorkers, based on statewide polls. Even some who support the stricter ban said Albany’s leaders took the wrong path to make law.

Ron Steinbach, of Constantia, shows his 2nd Amendment sweatshirt. Steinbach is going to a pro-gun rally in Albany today. It's the first time he's ever gone to New York's capital to lobby his lawmakers.

"The government can pass all the laws they want," said Ron Steinbach of Constantia, who was wearing a hooded sweatshirt with the 2nd Amendment quoted on it. "And then there's a point where they reach too far."

Now those against New York's stronger gun laws are using lawsuits, local politicians and social media to try to undo the new rules, which include bans on certain semi-automatic guns and high-capacity magazines, require background checks for private gun sales and make current owners of most semi-automatic rifles with detachable magazines register their weapons or sell them out-of-state.

NRA President David Keene is expected to speak outside the Albany capitol shortly after noon. At least 180 buses full of gun owners and hunters are on their way to see him.

About 230 people were loading buses this morning in Onondaga and Oswego counties for the trip. By 6 a.m., three buses loaded at Gander Mountain, a sporting goods store in Cicero.

Most were headed to Albany for the outdoor rally. Some had meetings set with lawmakers – those who voted for and against the law.

Organizers for the day, which include the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, gave advice to the protesters. Keep your guns – and any empty holsters that could serve as a sign of protest – at home. Signs must be handheld, with no stakes. Avoid wearing hunter’s orange or camouflage so media images don’t easily make caricatures out of gun owners.

“We need to send the message that we are the average New Yorker,” Rick McDermott, of Pulaski, wrote to the people leaving from Oswego and Onondaga. “The eyes of the nation will be on us. Let’s not give them anything to use against us.”

Two out of three New Yorkers approve of the stricter gun laws, according to a poll from Siena College Research Institute. The same poll found 3 out of 4 Republicans and those favoring the NRA strongly object to the law.

Lawmakers are taking a second look at the law, but they say they are only making technical changes such as making sure police officers are excluded from the weapons bans. On Wednesday, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, added movie stars to that exemption list.

“We have a big industry producing movies in New York,” Silver said. “There should be an exemption for actors in organized movies production, using (the banned guns) on the set.”

The state’s Rifle and Pistol Association is not waiting for the rewrites. Its president, Tom King, says the group is filing a lawsuit within the next 10 days. He’s also planning to ask for an injunction to stop the law from taking effect.

The NY Safe Act takes effect in stages. Already, new sales of the banned guns have stopped. Beginning March 15, all private sales of guns require background checks. On April 15, sales of magazines holding more than seven bullets are banned.

Some gun owners say these additional restrictions punish those who are already following the law. They also argue it’s unclear whether the NY Safe Act will make New Yorkers more safe.

Steinbach says his collection of guns and ammunition is for target practice and insurance, in case of economic collapse and looting. Today marks the first time he's ever gone to the capitol campus in Albany to lobby his legislators.

"I own a lot of guns," Steinbach said. "But my hope is I never have to use them."

Steinbach said he's almost certain that none of his guns are now defined as assault weapons, which are banned under the new laws. If they were, he would have about a year to register them or sell them out-of-state.

In Syracuse, most of the guns seized by city police are handguns. In 2012, the police seized 178 handguns, 72 long guns and 23 sawed-off long guns, according to Sgt. Gary Bulinski. The city had 139 arrests for criminal possession of a weapon in 2011 and 148 in 2012.

In 2011, there were 78,211 denials through the federal criminal background checks for gun purchases, according to the FBI. That's about 1 percent of all checks done that year.

Some local governments also are pushing back against the laws. As of Wednesday, 30 counties have passed resolutions on the matter -- some ask for a full repeal and others take state lawmakers to task for enacting the new rules without public debate.

Evan Hempel, a programmer at IBM from Clermont, is tracking the county legislatures' resolutions at a website he created since the NY Safe Act passed. "It's a grassroots effort," Hempel said, adding that he can't make it to today's rally. "I have to work."

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