A gun and ammo shop in New York blames the state’s strict regulations on firearms for bringing an end to its business.
“The SAFE Act killed us in terms of business,” Kordell Jackson, owner of Jackson Guns and Ammo Shop in Henrietta, N.Y., told the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. “It was very difficult with sales and regulations with transferring and obtaining firearms, so I decided to close up.”
The NY SAFE Act was passed by the state Legislature and signed by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo after the 2012 Newtown, Conn., school shooting. The law bans high-capacity magazines, limits the number of loaded shells in a clip to seven, and toughens the definition of an “assault weapon,” along with several other requirements, according to NBC News.
Jackson Guns and Ammo Shop was also involved in a debt-collection dispute, in which some of its assets were seized, but Jackson denied that was the reason for the store’s closure.
Photo: Jackson Guns & Ammo Facebook Page
“This was not done by any circumstances other than what I decided to do,” he said.
Several other gun stores have complained about decreased revenue and financial struggles in New York. Gun manufacturer Remington Arms last year moved part of its business out of the state.
According to the Democrat and Chronicle, one gun company opened two stores in neighboring Pennsylvania to make up for lost revenue from its New York store.
“It was the last straw,” said Beikirch Ammunition Handgun manager Ryan Farnung, blaming the SAFE Act on a drop in revenue of up to 20 percent.
As he looks ahead to the future, Jackson is trying to have a positive outlook. He plans on moving and opening a new store in North Carolina by the end of the year.
He told the Democrat and Chronicle, “[E]verybody is very upset about the fact that we’re closing,” and that it “was not an easy decision, but they have to understand that with the new regulations, it’s impossible to survive.”
