Is NY’s 7-round mag capacity limit a backdoor ban on semi-automatic guns?

http://twitter.com/#!/Nathan_Sanders/status/291354387949969409

New York’s new gun law imposes a seven-round magazine capacity limit on handguns.

As Anna Rittgers notes, “there are blindingly few semiautomatic handguns manufactured to hold magazines with a maximum capacity of only seven rounds.”

Some Twitter users say this means that the majority of semi-automatic handguns in New York will be illegal.

@hannityshow So the new gun law in NY has made most all self defense handguns illegal since most semi-automatic handguns have 10 rnd clips

— W8LR (@W8LR) January 16, 2013

In NY, magazines that hold more than 7 rounds are illegal. Does that mean the majority of handguns are now banned since the standard is ten?

— Logical Skeptic (@LogicalSkeptic) January 16, 2013

@gunexpert As a NY’er, if my pistol has more than 7 rounds in the magazine in MY OWN HOME, it is now illegal. Absolute lunacy.

— Tom Dennison (@ThomasDennison1) January 16, 2013

Glad I don’t live in NY. It’s illegal to own a clip that has more than 7 rounds in it? That’s a little ridiculous.

— Александр(@alexandrT_) January 16, 2013

Today NYS passed a law ruling that any gun that can hold more than 7 rounds is an illegal assault rifle. This includes my dad’s glock.

— Christian Bartik (@PapaBartik) January 16, 2013

The standard 4 ammunition is 10 rounds & now NYC law made it 7 – that means all those celebrity bodyguards are illegal, most of NY & police

— Anne Verebely (@AVerebely) January 16, 2013

@fragglestikkcar NY Law any magazine over 7 rounds is now illegal.WTH?No grandfather clause.Most ppl have at least 10rounds.

— Kelly Marie (@flyoverangel) January 16, 2013

Similar comments at Glock Talk:

“It’s an attempt at a back door ban on most pistols. Cuomo picked 7 because all the gun manufacturers currently make 10 round mags for the restrictive states and New York is hoping the manufacturers will not want to make 7 rounders just for New York.”

“My guess is that it’s a back door ban: no one makes 7-round mags, and I doubt manufacturers will jump on the bandwagon for NY…”

Others say handguns with ten-round magazines are grandfathered provided the user loads only seven rounds:

If I am reading this right, new 10 round mags are illegal, but existing 10 round mags are OK if you only load 7 rounds into them. Seriously

— Brian (@BMIT24) January 16, 2013

So the new gun law will grandfather in pistols w 10 rounds. But it is illegal to load them w more than 7 rounds. Good luck w that!! Lol

— Bills Chick (@Bills_Chick) January 16, 2013

Guns that had been legal but r being banned would b grandfathered in, but their owners must register their firearms w the state or sell them

— Carlos Melendez Jr. (@simplylos16) January 16, 2013

Many gun owners simply aren’t sure what the law means.

@l1zzard74 @anthonycumia I think it would have to be modified to only hold 7. Could be wrong though

— John (@da_bully) January 16, 2013

Much more discussion here and here.

We hope officials in New York will clear up the confusion by issuing a definitive statement.

Related:

#SelfDefenseInNY: Choose your Cuomo-approved useless weapon

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo ‘overpowers the extremists,’ signs package of extensive gun regulations into law

Read more: http://twitchy.com/2013/01/16/is-new-yorks-7-round-magazine-capacity-limit-a-backdoor-ban-on-semi-automatic-handguns/