It’s no secret that the AR 15 has received a bad reputation in the past few years, and because of this there have been new laws passed restricting certain “Assault Weapons” and requiring more strict registration and application processes. Among the states that have passed laws, in 2013 New York passed the New York SAFE Act (Secure Ammunition and Firearm Enforcement Act). Lucky for New Yorkers, Adams Arms has recently come out with a line of NY compliant products.
The New York SAFE Act
According to the New York SAFE Act, signed on January 15, 2013, the term “Assault Weapon” has been redefined and expanded upon. This includes the provisions on semiautomatic rifles, shotguns and pistols. The following is an excerpt of the redefined Assault Weapon as it pertains to rifles found in the NY State Police Guide to the SAFE Act:
- A semiautomatic rifle that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least one of the following military characteristics:
- Folding or Telescoping Stock
- Protruding Pistol Grip
- Thumbhole Stock
- Second Hand Grip or Protruding Grip that can be held by non-shooting hand
- Bayonet Mount
- Flash Suppressor
- Muzzle Brake
- Muzzle Compensator
- A threaded barrel designed to accommodate the above
- Grenade Launcher
With the SAFE Act also came new requirements. Anyone who owned an “Assault Weapon” as defined above could keep that weapon, but were required to register the weapon (by April 15, 2014) and renew registration every 5 years. Among other restrictions, magazines should have a capacity of 10 rounds or less and as previously stated, rifles should not have a threaded barrel or muzzle device/ flash suppressor.
The Adams Arms NY Compliant Rifle
Adams Arms is proud to introduce our new line of New York compliant rifles including the 16″ Mid Tactical Evo Rifle and the 16″ Mid MOE Rifle. Both rifles have the same features of our normal rifles such as our signature gas piston system, Mil-Spec Forged 7075-T6 lower receiver and 7075-T6 M-4 upper receiver, as well as a Melonited 1:7 twist barrel. The difference? In order to become NY compliant the rifles have the following features:
FRS-15 stock
This stock has multiple QD sling hardpoints, adjustable cheek weld and is compatible with aftermarket butt plate extensions.
16″ Government Contour 4150 CM Melonited barrel with 1:7 twist
The Melonited barrel from VooDoo Innovations is not threaded and does not have a muzzle device to comply with the SAFE Act. It has a .750 gas block seat and has special machining at the muzzle to give the appearance of a muzzle device. This machining gives a great look to the end of the barrel and really allows the barrel to stand out amongst other compliant barrels.
10 round GI Aluminum magazine
As per the requirements for a 10 round or less magazine, our NY compliant rifles come with a 10 round Aluminum magazine.
All of our compliant rifles use our mid length piston system and are NOT considered an assault rifle under the SAFE Act’s definition, and are therefore NOT subject to mandatory registration.
Other NY Compliant Products
Along with our rifles, we also offer the 16″ Mid Tactical Evo Upper, 16″ Mid MOE Upper, and for those looking to build their own compliant rifle the 16″ Mid Length Government Contour NY Compliant VooDoo Barrel.
These New York SAFE Act compliant products, like all of our products, come with a Lifetime Warranty and are made here in the U.S. With just a few changes we are able to create a quality rifle that does not fall under the SAFE Act’s definition of an “Assault Rifle”, but that is still up to the high Adams Arms standards.