LAKE PLACID, N.Y. -
In the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy, New York was the first state to sign tough new gun laws.
Today, leaders toured the Lake Placid area to explain the changes.
Assault weapons, high capacity magazines... they were all banned in New York just a month after the tragedy, and because the new laws passed so quickly, many people have questions.
Mike Savage was among a room full of gun owners eager to understand the new "New York Safe Act."
"Now like I'm confused on this," Savage started to tell me. He's been a gun owner since he was 16, he only uses his guns for hunting and target practice.
"I've never done anything that was against the law with a gun, I have no plans on doing anything that's against the law, with a gun, so why do they feel the need to come and pick on me?" Savage said.
No matter how responsible the gun owner may be, the new law immediately bans assault rifles and by April 15th, and you will not be able to buy magazines with greater than seven rounds.
"In March, if you're going to sell a gun, from between two private individuals you'll have to do a background check," Kevin Bruen, Assistant Counsel for the New York State Police said.
While many gun owners are outraged by the new legislation, no one at the meeting was opposed to increasing background checks.
"Concentrate on the criminals, not the law abiding citizens," Savage said.
"The idea is not to go in and grab people's weapons; the idea is that they get the weapon registered if they want to keep it," Bruen said.
"This is not going to save any lives," Savage said.
But New York State Police believe otherwise.
"When you're taking guns out of the hands of someone who has a mental health issue, when you take the guns out of the hands of someone who has the propensity to use the weapon, that will definitely reduce crime," New York State Police Colonel Tom Fazio said.
So whether you're for or against gun control reform, New York has taken the lead not waiting for new laws that may or may not come out of Washington.
By April 15th of 2014, all assault weapons must be registered with the New York State Police, for the first time you're caught with an unregistered weapon, it'll be a warning, but consequences will come with the second.
