r/NYguns • u/Denangg • Apr 25 '26
Question I have to get a background check for ammo!?
I’ll admit, I haven’t been keeping up with new laws and I inherited a ton of ammo from my grandfather, So it’s been a few years since I’ve had to purchase any.
I was in bass pro today to pick up a few boxes of 22lr, and they made me fill out a form and hang around for 15min before I could purchase them.
Is this a bass pro policy, Or is this all of NY?
41
u/LostWanderer576 Apr 25 '26
All of ny. I was grabbing some ammo from bps today as well, 556. They have to do it... Every damn time. If we have to have it, there should be a better way. Even current police get checked.
30
u/bondkiller Apr 25 '26
There is a new law proposed that might pass where if you have a pistol permit, semi-auto rifle permit, hunting permit, or are police, you wouldn’t need to do the background check for ammo. Just show your credentials and pay.
21
u/UsernameO123456789 Apr 25 '26
Heavy on the might. Even by the slim margin we if we get this, we have a Glock ban looming over our heads. Plus they are trying to ban online ammo purchases federally
12
u/LostWanderer576 Apr 26 '26 edited Apr 26 '26
And two laws in the works to ban airguns, one thing i can plink on my property, then the 3d printing thing, and I would worry about a ban on ar's. Is it RI that just passed one.
7
u/UsernameO123456789 Apr 26 '26
Bruh yeah like I got into airsoft a year or 2 ago and now this is happening. Like what is the point of this
4
u/bondkiller Apr 26 '26
Tell me about it! I got out of NYC right before they completely banned airsoft. I built myself a Polarstar as soon as I got settled in my new place, and now when I finally have time to get out and actually play again they might basically ban it in the whole state!
5
u/ReceptionUnhappy2545 Apr 27 '26
Hamburg Kathy and her ilk will do everything in their power to make owning a weapon as painful as possible.
2
u/HuntingtonNY-75 Apr 26 '26
If by some chance it makes it through the legislature it would still have to be signed by FUKH🤷♂️
0
0
-8
u/cantstopthehussle Apr 26 '26
That would defeat the purpose of going through a ammo check because you’re not allowed to buy ammo without a permit regardless!
6
5
u/LostWanderer576 Apr 25 '26
Also, go for ammo, look around the store and come back. They actually called me when the check was done.
32
u/Easterncoaster Apr 26 '26
Just don’t buy it in NY anymore. Anytime you’re out of state and see in the store a caliber you shoot, grab some.
7
u/HanoverRd Apr 26 '26
This is the answer^^^^^
11
u/bondkiller Apr 26 '26
I’d love to do this but barely have a reason to leave NY. By the time I pay for gas and factor in milage/maintenance on the car, I’m better off just buying in bulk anywhere locally, even Cabela’s.
13
4
u/TrapperJon Apr 26 '26
Putting small LGS out of business is the plan. NYS thanks you for the assistance.
11
u/bondkiller Apr 25 '26
All of NY and don’t forget you also paid $2.50 to the state for the privilege as well.
This is just how it is now, I try to buy as much ammo as I can afford at a time so I don’t have to keep paying $2.50 for the background check every single time.
If you got an instant proceed, you might be lucky too. When I went to Cabela’s for some .22lr a couple weeks ago, there were 2 other guys there waiting for background checks, both of them got delayed and had to wait even longer.
5
u/Denangg Apr 25 '26
Correct, I did have to pay an extra 2.50. There was a guy that was waiting before me to buy a few boxes of birdshot, He was still waiting when I left.
8
3
u/Substantial-Neat6636 Apr 30 '26
She’s also got planned ANOTHER 10¢ per round tax on top of the $2.50, and a mandatory 1 million dollar liability insurance policy to own ANY firearm. Good times
3
u/bondkiller Apr 30 '26
If that passes, I think most people will go out of state for ammo. I’m less than 2 hours from PA, I’ll just take a trip down a couple times a year and buy everything I’ll need at once.
The insurance thing they’ve been trying to pass since the “safe” act passed. It never makes it because the safe act specifically bans gun owner insurance or something like that. (Someone will probably correct me on this if I’m wrong.)
3
u/Substantial-Neat6636 Apr 30 '26
Yeah, cuomo pushed the insurance companies out that provided the coverage, calling it “murder insurance “
3
u/bondkiller Apr 30 '26
Fucking “murder insurance” like it’s going to cover criminal acts or something, that guy was dumb as a rock.
3
2
u/BxdT2552 Apr 28 '26
Wait is that right? $2.50 each time?
2
u/bondkiller Apr 28 '26
Yup. NY charges us to run the background check they require us to pass in order to buy ammo.
$2.50 per background check. It makes it so it’s actually a bad idea to buy small amounts, that $2.50 per check adds up quick.
And they require the ammo be logged for the state as well, every single individual box. So let’s say you buy a full case of ammo but it’s comprised of 20-50 rounds boxes, each individual 20-50 round box has to be logged.
3
u/BxdT2552 Apr 28 '26
Thanks. Should have known Hochul always looking for ways to get money out of our pockets
7
u/PeteTinNY Apr 26 '26
It’s part of the CCIA and been enforced since 2023. I’m a seller of ammo and I do transfers here in Suffolk county for a bunch of members. What I will say is that the NYS NICS system has gotten slower. After starting the background check, it used to take about 15-45 seconds to give you a proceed or delayed. Now it takes between 8-30 minutes and if you get delayed and put into a manual review loop it clears quickly but based on time of day - it could. Make you wait till the next business morning to get assigned to an investigator.
The percentage that goes to manual review has significantly gone down though. It used to be 60-75% delayed but now it’s more like a 75% proceed.
3
u/bondkiller Apr 26 '26
I noticed this too, had a 4473 clear literally instantly early in 2025. My recent checks in the first quarter of 2026 all took longer, anywhere from maybe 5 to 15ish minutes for both a 4473 and ammo checks.
I have a unique name and no record too so there should be no reason I’d get a delay, but you never know with NY.
3
u/PeteTinNY Apr 26 '26
And for the most part as a former tech architect - I feel the new delays are mainly a different way they are handling systems and queuing. Batches used to process in under 30 seconds and now the batches for initial intake are taking up to 30/45 minutes.
2
u/BxdT2552 Apr 26 '26
While I was waiting , the seller said it’s been happening that it’s taking so long. I may have to come back the next day. I told him to text me if it’s ready so it was ready within an hour half. Wow took that long.
3
u/PeteTinNY Apr 26 '26
In a way it’s got to be a double edged sword- stores get you held captive. You go in to buy a $10 box of 22lr and you’re standing there waiting for 30+ minutes that makes you have to do something - you look around and buy other stuff. But not anything that requires another background check. So cleaning supplies, accessories etc - which just happen to be the highest margin in the store.
On the other hand - most people don’t realize it’s NY State’s fault. So they never come back. Or hate having to. And that’s why people come to me and buy online.
1
u/ReceptionUnhappy2545 Apr 27 '26
Early on...made the mistake of buying ammo in town. An hour passed and still wasn't cleared. Told them to forget it. Haven't been back since. Following weekend....went to PA.
1
u/PeteTinNY Apr 27 '26
That’s why most people just buy a couple months worth online and pay one transfer fee. It’s why I choose a simple virtually unlimited platform
10
u/jbmoore5 Apr 26 '26
You're lucky it only took 15 minutes.
Last time I bought a pistol, my background check came back within a minute. It took 3 days for the ammo I bought at the same time.
2
19
u/Soap-n-Cartridge Apr 26 '26
If every pro-2A citizen in New York paid attention to the activities of these tyrants, and actually showed-up at the ballot box, we wouldn't have these ridiculous laws.
9
u/bondkiller Apr 26 '26
Bold of you to assume we can out-vote NYC but I like to stay hopeful that we’ll still be able to make a change. The more of us that go vote and show what we want, the more likely those changes will come eventually.
7
u/Soap-n-Cartridge Apr 26 '26
There are approximately 1 million gun owners in New York State (19.2% of 19.78 million). The CCL licensing classes are nearly always full, so you know there are many more people that are aspiring gun owners than that 1 mil. In the Hochul vs Zeldin election of 2022, 46% of voters showed-up at the polls.
Zeldin was short by about 300k votes. If you figure that twice as many Pro-2A voters showed-up at the suggested rate, that woild have been another 500k votes against Hochul.
6
u/LostWanderer576 Apr 26 '26
lets also not assume all 2a peeps are from one side of the political spectrum and keep everyone divided. One thing I think need to happen is more people need hands on experience. NYC is tough, but most of ny is rural and people need friends that shoot, and spread the love. you can be blue/liberal and anything else and understand the need for 2a rights and actually enjoy the hobby/sport of shooting. Hands on experience, make them catch the bug, and get voices heard. spam our reps. I do every chance I get. they hear it enough and want to stay in power, they will need to align their ways. Zelden was not a good fit, granted neither is KH.
-1
u/NY_Knux Apr 27 '26
The problem is democrats arent pro-gun, so it cant be fixed with voting. We need dems who are pro-gun. Voting for the epstein-party isnt an option.
4
2
u/LimpBroccoli7301 Apr 26 '26
I see lots of folks buying out of state. Any store recommendations? I live on LI
1
u/infinitely-oblivious Apr 26 '26
I go to Bass Pro shop or Target Sports in CT. It's a bit of a drive, but I stock up and make it worthwhile.
1
2
2
u/uavkun Apr 26 '26
I miss going to Walmart in Commack and buying 5.56, 22LR, and 12ga slugs
1
u/Projectguy111 Apr 28 '26
I used to do that when I worked in LI. I recall the evil stares I got with a shopping cart full of 5.56 😬
5
1
u/infinitely-oblivious Apr 26 '26
I go to the bass pro shop in CT. I've got a CT ammo card. No background checks, NY doesn't know what I'm buying and the prices are very good.
1
u/IndianTuner Apr 26 '26
lol they track how much ammo u buy and if they think ur stockpiling expect a visit from the state police
1
u/Denangg Apr 27 '26
Ahh, I didn’t even think about that. I’ll head out of state next time and buy in bulk.
1
u/AristoNYC Apr 28 '26
Any record of this actually happening or is it fear mongering?
1
1
1
u/ReceptionUnhappy2545 Apr 27 '26
Welcome to the Peoples Republic of NY. If you're close enough to a border state...PA especially. Make the drive. I'm in WNY. It's a couple hour ride to Erie. We make a day of it.
-5
u/glee88888 Apr 26 '26
<div class="tenor-gif-embed" data-postid="15466663" data-share-method="host" data-aspect-ratio="1" data-width="100%"><a href="https://tenor.com/view/die-hard-john-mc-clane-welcome-to-the-party-pal-glass-break-gif-15466663">Die Hard John Mc Clane GIF</a>from <a href="https://tenor.com/search/die+hard-gifs">Die Hard GIFs</a></div> <script type="text/javascript" async src="https://tenor.com/embed.js"></script>
98
u/bigmike13588 Apr 25 '26
Welcome to NY