SYRACUSE, N.Y. - NY Safe Act opponents have a new tactic.

Instead of fighting to repeal the entire set of stricter gun laws, a bi-partisan group of lawmakers have introduced legislation to chip away at parts of the Safe Act that have proved hard to enforce, been rejected by a federal court, and, in one case, has not been implemented yet.

A full repeal of the Safe Act, passed in early 2013, remains an uphill battle because of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's continued support for the gun laws, said Sen. James Seward, R-Milford.

So Seward and Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi, D-Utica, have come up with three amendments to the Safe Act. One change would do away with the so-called seven-bullet maximum, which a federal judge in Western New York has already struck down.

"This is a different approach," Seward said today. "I am looking, through these bills, to peel away some of the more onerous aspects of the Safe Act."

The bills would:

Allow gun owners to load 10 cartridges into 10-round magazines. The Safe Act put that maximum at seven cartridges in some circumstances, at 10 in others. A federal judge in Western New York in late 2013 struck down the number as arbitrary; the state is appealing that decision. The proposed legislation would make it clear that shooters could legally fill 10-round magazines.

Make it easier for owners of long guns to gift those guns to family members or people who hold a pistol permit.

Cancel the requirement for background checks for all ammunition sales. New York State Police have not yet created a system, Superintendent Joseph D'Amico told lawmakers late last month.

Other co-sponsors include Assemblyman Bill Magee, D-Nelson, and Sens. John DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse; Michael Nozzolio, R-Fayette; and Patty Ritchie, R-Oswegatchie.

A fourth bill from Seward and Brindisi would prohibit officials who issue pistol permits from imposing restrictions that go beyond existing law.

Still, any change to the gun laws faces a tough challenge. Cuomo remains an ardent supporter of the Safe Act. He touted the policy as the "smartest gun law" in the nation during last year's elections.



"What happened with the SAFE Act is exactly what we said would happen with the SAFE Act," Cuomo said in February in Lowville, adding that most arrests under the law increased potential penalties for people found with illegal guns. "The SAFE Act primarily raised the penalty for illegal guns. That's a message that was never heard."

The Safe Act passed one month after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown, Conn. The act famously banned "assault weapons," semi-automatic guns with a detachable magazine that have extra components such as a pistol grip, flash suppressor or folding stock. People who owned these guns before Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the act on Jan. 14 had until April 15, 2014 to register them with the state.

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