It's Really Easy to Buy Gun Clips in New York

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State Senator Eric Adams of Brooklyn and the New York Daily News went on a secret stunt mission together in Albany, where they bought explosive gun magazines that can hold up to 30 bullets, even though the high-capacity clips were banned in 1994. Under the law, the big gun magazines, "used by the likes of Jared Loughner, who shot Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed six in January," can still be sold if they were made before the law was passed. Except there's no way to tell when a magazine was made.

Sen. Adams and the Daily News, complete with hidden cameras, went to two stores by the state capital to test the law. At the first, buying the ammunition was a breeze:

At Guns Inc. in Rensselaer, a Daily News hidden camera looked on as Adams bought two 30-round magazines for an AK-47 assault rifle.

The senator used his credit card to buy the clips - at $42.19 each - and walked out less than five minutes later without even having to show identification.

At the second store, they were sold out:

"We expect them any time now," a store worker told Adams. "We have a bunch ordered."
...
No law requires gunmakers to put a serial number or any kind of identifying mark on a clip unless it was made during the now-expired federal assault weapons ban, which ran from 1994 to 2004.

The New York ban did not expire, and gun control advocates warn gun owners and stores could potentially buy new magazines in another state and pass them off here as a pre-1994 version.

Adams' stunt, which mirrors one Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his men pulled in Arizona, was meant to garner attention for a bill he's proposing. "This bill is going to close the loophole so the clips are banned, period," Adams said. "The more rounds you're able to discharge prior to having to reload, the more dangerous you are."

State Sen. Eric Adams shows how easy it is to buy high-capacity gun clips in New York State [NYDN]

[jcoscarelli@villagevoice.com / @joecoscarelli]

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32 comments
Ricco
Ricco

 Magazines are pretty in expensive just got to look for deals like at gun shows and such and some discount websites. I dont understand why people try to see the black or white explanation of "gun laws" as long as we are in America there is always gonna be a Grey area and thus being able to find High capacity, non explosive Magazines not clips in New York or California. this website is pretty cheap for the most part it even has AR-7 mags under 20$ www national magazine . net

TexasFats
TexasFats

Seldom have I seen so much erroneous information in one article. First, we are talking about magazines. "Clips" are small sheetmetal devices used to speed reloading of fixed-magazine weapons like the old 1903 Springfield rifle used in WWI. Second, large-capacity magazines are not explosive, Many years of experience by the militaries of many different nations on battlefields around the world have proven this. Third, a trained shooter can reload a standard size magazine in just a second or less. Push a button and the empty drops free. Slam a full mag home, hit a lever, and the slide will close on a round, making the gun ready to fire. I have watched one shooter fire 12 shots through a six shot revolver in three seconds, using .45 ACP rounds in 'moon clips'. He shot six, reloaded and shot six more in three seconds. Finally, large capacity magazines are more prone to jamming and misfeeds than standard capacity. And, many guns are designed for more than ten round magazines. For instance, the Browning/FN High Power pistol, in 9mm Parabellum was designed by John M. Browning and Dieudonne Saive in Belgium and introduced in 1935. It was designed to use 13-round magazines from the beginning. John Browning had done the preliminary work before his death in Belgium in 1926. Magazines with capacities more than ten rounds are nothing new.

Educated Man
Educated Man

maybe it's something about the way people are in new york, where guns are almost impossible for a common person to lawfully possess anyway, new york, where there are waaaaayyyy more mass shootings all the time (the ones you don't hear about, unlike the arizona shooting). let's just blame mcdonalds for all the fat people and remington for all the shot people and ban everything that could possibly hurt anybody. let's put serial numbers on soda pop and sewing needles! register all knives and hardware tools with the ATF! this is what will fix our country, for sure! ;) after all, it couldn't possibly be the way new yorkers are as people as to why they shouldn't have guns, it's all the gun store owners' fault. the most important thing right now is figuring out who's fault this is so we can sue them!

Derek
Derek

What is a gun clip? Stripper Clip? En Bloc Clip? Are they talking about Magazines? I am confused.

Afmo
Afmo

If your magazines are "explosive," you got problems...

Idiots

Sheepdog
Sheepdog

Scaremongering brainless journalists who bow and scrape to the whims of idiot politicians.

This should be the title of the article, for a journalist who would claim to be a professional the moronic drivel that has been generated is a disgrace. To state that the "Hack" who wrote this has researched anything on the subject is a major understatement.

"explosive gun magazines" Sir, You are an idiot, send your resume to the National Enquirer where you might have a career befitting of your intellect.

Firearms are not the cause of criminal behavior, my sidearm has served me twice. Once in a professional capacity, and once as a civilian, in which instance it served to save the life of a dedicated anti gun member of the public.

By your failing to research and understand your subject material, you have sacrificed what little credibility you once had. You only serve to further the cause of uneducated, would be intellectual anti-gun liberals who only sleep in their bed's at night because men and women armed with gun's keep watch over their home's and their nation.

Once more Sir, you are in my opinion an Idiot !

A well armed SHEEPDOG !

David Robertson
David Robertson

1) I have yet to see any MAGAZINES available for any firearm that are explosive.

2) Why would you need to show ID to buy a magazine? That's retarded. Should I be compelled to show ID when buying fertilizer, or auto parts?

3) Paying $42.19 for a 30-round AK magazine is ridiculous! I can buy 3 at that price! You got ripped off!

4) Magazine capacity does not make a weapon more lethal. The quality of ammunition, the skill of the person operating the weapon, and (most importantly) the INTENTIONS of the shooter make a firearm more or less lethal.

Marshallblaine02
Marshallblaine02

Only thugs call them by the improper term "clip" do you homework next time......

Pipedreams
Pipedreams

You go Joe, you really got your facts before went to press.

BURN
BURN

I read the article...and I am now dumber for it...research in the internet age is so much easier nowadays.

Andrew
Andrew

" Adams said. "The more rounds you're able to discharge prior to having to reload, the more dangerous you are."

Riiiiiiight. So having 2 smaller magazines holding 17rds each is better than one 30rd.. Just one more reason NY senators are retarded.

JoeShitTheRagBag
JoeShitTheRagBag

Ok, I'm now irritated. Should I be using the explosive clips or explosive magazines? Do these "explosive clips" belong in a Garand? Do these "explosive magazines" belong in an LMT CQB? Someone please unfuck this.

Duke
Duke

How do these "Explosive gun magazines" work? Do they blow up when empty, or do you use them like a grande? Either way I don't think I'd like to use them. Sounds kind of dangerous to me.

joe dirt
joe dirt

"explosive gun magazines"

I need these, where can I find them?

Guest
Guest

it's pretty nuts when people who don't understand firearms use a bad circumstance to blame the entire firearms community for a disaster. guns don't kill people... stupid people do.

Hines57
Hines57

...and those plastic explosive Glock clips...you can sneak them into airports and blow up jets...my God, think of the bodies of burning children falling from the skies....

gh0st614
gh0st614

oh man Hines your killin me, I need to upgrade to the plastic explosive glock clips...I still have my ceramic ones stockpiled for my glock 7....probably cost me more than joe makes in a year

Alex
Alex

Your clear lack of knowledge on this subject only permeates your general ignorance and your obvious agenda of spreading fear amongst people who are uneducated about firearms is completely transparent.

Even the title is incorrect.

Explosive magazines? And last week I bought a calculator that turns into a nuclear weapon when you punch in a s special code.

Safe_Shooter
Safe_Shooter

Your apparent ignorance of the actual laws regulating gun purchases makes you appear rather foolish. I'd suggest doing a little more research before writing an article like this.

Newhce
Newhce

Joe, the media has been writing about "assault weapons" and "clips" (should be magazines) for decades now. Can you please learn a little bit about the topic? Did you do any research on this or just take what Adams said as true? He is lying to you.

TX-C
TX-C

This statement has been proven false numerous times, even by "beloved" gov't researchers:

"The more rounds you're able to discharge prior to having to reload, the more dangerous you are."

It is pure Anti-Gun FUD!!!

Apadoo
Apadoo

Joe, when you don't research nor understand your subject material, you sacrifice credibility. Your article only serves to further the presentation of uneducated, psuedo-intellectual anti-gun liberals.

Patriot_70
Patriot_70

Hello Joe, let me help you all out by giving you some facts and clarifications. You seem to have gotten most of what you've written wrong.

High capacity clips are banned: False - high capacity clips are NOT illegal and are manufactured in the United States now.The 1994 weapons ban was overturned because it did nothing at all. It was a waste of paper, and a waste of time. It did nothing to ban already existing guns, just made it illegal to make new ones.

Large capacity clips can explode.Fact: Um, no. um... have you ever seen a gun? If you call the NRA and tell them you are a journalist they will take you to the range or give you the name of someone that holds weapons safety classes in your area who can teach you about weapons in a safe environment. That's why I am part of the NRA, along with more than for million others.

Smaller capacity magazine makes a shooter shoot faster.Fact: I can reload my Hi-Point 9MM handgun in about 1 /12 second. It's a press of my thumb, insert the new clip, and release the slide. A revolver can be speed-loaded in about three seconds or less. I've seen cowboy action shooters that use guns made around the 1800's fire faster than I can with my semi-automatic. Hennard, who did the Luby's shooting, had about one to five seconds between killings when he shot 42 people and was easily able to reload and keep anyone form rushing him while he did. It would have been the same result had he used a revolver or a cowboy gun. The ONLY thing that could have stopped him - the ONLY thing - was if a legal gun owners had their weapon in the restaurant and was able to shoot him. Sadly, Hupp, the one gun owner, was unable to carry in the restaurant because it was illegal... and AS a gun owner, she obeyed the law - and her mom and dad died as a result.

Clips/magazines are expensive:Fact: You were ripped off. Sadly, you got taken for a ride. A 20 round magazine (a rifle magazine is not a "clip,") should be about 12.00 each. An AR-15 clip is cheaper and you can get them in 40 round - I have about five or six of them. I carry that many because I have to load the magazines before I go to the range and it makes zeroing my weapon faster. When I was in combat I carried ten round magazines because they were less bulky - it made very little difference when the shooting started.

It's easy to buy a magazine and anyone can do it. Sort of true. You do not need a license or a permit to buy a clip or magazine. Why would you? What good does it do to put a serial number on a magazine clip? It's a stupid idea that would never convict a single person. Guns are already numbered, and with the gun, a police officer with one phone call can find out who it was sold to, when it was sold, and with the newer DMV database, where that person is at the moment. Clips are disposable and wear out - and have to be replaced. They can also be ordered on the internet or telephone in all states. So what?

The stunt mirrored Bloomburg's...Fact: Blomberg went to various states and ran, "Sting Operations," against businesses... and they resulted in not one single conviction - but did hurt a lot of good people who used their life savings to defend themselves in court. Blomberg is the mayor of a city, and he ran illegal operations against people obeying every law out there - gun stores are one of the most regulated businesses in the history of the United States, and cost them a lot of money, time and grief. Blomberg, laughing, is reported to carry a gun himself even though he also hires security that carry weapons to protect him. He is heavily armed and screaming that we shouldn't be...

Let's lay the blame on all of these shootings where it belongs. Right at the feet of Sarah Brady of the Brady Campaign, and her organization - and at the feet of the victims of each robbery, rape and shooting in the United States. Now why would I say that?

We are all responsible for ourselves... and if we are robbed and do not defend ourselves, then the criminal goes on to rob another, and another, and another, until the police luck out and catch him, or he meets with a gun owner. It is your responsibility to man up and defend yourself and make sure that someone does not go on to rob again. WE created this atmosphere of crime, not the police, we did - by making the crime pay.

Everyone able should have, and carry a firearm. Everyone should teach children to shoot at an early age to show them the ten points of gun safety that will reduce accidental shootings to 0. Everyone should be armed and able to defend themselves, because the criminal that you let go will rob and kill someone in their future, and it will be partially your fault. Preditors only prey on sheep.

Epac
Epac

That's a great theory Patriot_70, but let me ask you...Arizona is one of the most gun-friendly places in the US. So how is it that Jared Loughner was able to unload on everyone? I mean, by your perfect-world logic, all the "responsible, gun-owning patriots" should have seen this guy coming a mile away and blown him to kingdom come before anyone else got shot. i.e. - that should never have occurred.

So, um...what happened there?

Educated Man
Educated Man

actually Epac, that happens all the time in arizona, and other states like it, but it does not happen in wuss states like New York or California where it is nigh impossible to own a gun lawfully. Why don't you google a publication called "The Armed Citizen" it's the news you DON'T hear about, the news suppressed by Bloomberg's billions...

Patriot_70
Patriot_70

As I said, had someone been there with their firearm, it would have ended differently. As soon as the crackpot started shooting, it would have taken about four or five seconds to get off a first shot at him. Also, Gifords is an NRA member and I feel, as a fellow member, that we let her down by not being armed and able to respond.

Criminal prefer to prey on sheep, not on wolves. So it is not just a great theory, but an established fact.

Anonymous
Anonymous

Actually, there were people in the crowd carrying that day, as well as one in a nearby building.

In an interview, one of the armed civilians stated that by the time he was outside and could tell what was happening, several others had tackled the gunman and drawing his own weapon would have been foolish.

Patriot_70
Patriot_70

Epac, what state do you live in? You clearly don't live in Arizona and your comments are so fraught with misconceptions I wonder if you don't live in a a city like DC or Chicago.

Epac
Epac

"Had someone been there..." Wow, what an answer! Again, I would think one would practically be tripping over firearms in trigger-happy Arizona. My point is: Arizona is a place where your "logic" should have applied, but didn't. But I'm sure they'll get the next bad guy, right?

jswest
jswest

It was a gathering of democrats, they don't carry guns.

Anonymous
Anonymous

Maybe the fact that they were constituents of a liberal Democrat Congresswoman had something to do with it?

Huh?
Huh?

What the heck are "explosive gun magazines"??? And why should we ban these? Just look at the happiness in Senator Eric Adams face when he buys them.

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