ALBANY -- New York authorities say most of the state's gun show operators have agreed to new rules to make sure weapon sales are properly tracked and done safely.
Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says Thursday that 23 operators representing more than 80 percent of the shows across the state will abide by the "Model Gun Show Procedures" developed after 2011 undercover operations showed buyers could obtain weapons without going through required background checks. He says another five operators are expected to adopt the rules.
A key provision is making sure all guns private sellers bring to the shows are tagged and then checked later to determine if they were sold and confirm a background check was done on the buyer.
The rules also limit the number of entrance doors to improve monitoring.
Schneiderman’s agreements are with operators who run gun shows in Syracuse, Rochester, Canandaigua, Oneonta, Elmira, and Watkins Glen, among other locations.
"Gun violence is everyone's concern, and I’m proud that we’ve worked with gun show operators to create simple procedures to ensure that deadly weapons don't make it into the hands of felons, terrorists, the dangerously mentally ill, or anyone else who could not pass a background check," Schneiderman said in a media release.
The 23 gun show operators are: Alabama Hunt Club, Inc.; BLG Auction Services; Bontrager Real Estate and Auction Services; Clayton Rotary Club; Daniel A. Carter Auction Co., Inc.; Empire State Arms Collectors Association, Inc.; Goldfuss & Assoc.; Hessney Auction Company, LTD; Mid Atlantic Arms Collectors; Mid-Hudson Promotions, Inc.; Mid State Arms Collectors & Shooters Club, Inc.; NEACA Inc.; New York State Arms Collectors Association, Inc.; Niagara Frontier Collectors, Inc.; Niagara Frontier Gun Shows, Inc.; Newmart Promotions, Inc.; RG Mason Auction; Roy Teitsworth, Inc.; TB Auction, Hunt Real Estate; York-Penn Shows, Inc.; Westchester Collectors, Inc.; West Potsdam Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.; and Williston Auctions, Inc.
(Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.)
