A proposal in the New York state Senate would break into the wallet of every ammo buyer to fund shadowy "gun violence" research.

Senate Bill S8415, sponsored by state Sen. Andrew Gounardes, would add an arbitrary 5-cent tax to every round of ammunition larger than .22 caliber while those .22 and smaller would incur a 2-cent tax. The revenue would go to the state's new Gun Violence Research Fund. 

"The goal of the tax is not to disincentivize the purchase of ammunition, but to put some of that money back into the community," said Gounardes of the bill. 

By community, the Brooklyn Democrat means the New York Department of Health and the State University of New York who are authorized to draw from the fund for research into gun crime as a "public health crisis." While findings in support of more gun control are not a stated pre-formed conclusion of the research, the law to establish the fund last summer was backed by anti-gun groups including New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, Gays Against Guns, Moms Demand Action, Giffords, the Brady Campaign, "and countless partners in government including fellow members of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus."

Guns and ammunition are already one of the most taxed and regulated retail goods in the country. Since 1937, the Pittman–Robertson Act levies a 10-to-11 percent excise tax on all firearms and ammunition sold or imported into the county to perform conservation-related tasks as varied as restoring elk habitat, funding safety programs, and establishing public shooting ranges. Since its induction, the firearm industry has paid a whopping $14.1 billion into the fund via the mandatory taxes.

Besides the Pittman-Robertson taxes which are already factored into the price of ammunition, each box sold in New York also currently has a sales tax added on, which can be as high as 8.875 percent depending on locality.

Some in the state legislature are against adding more taxes to ammo, with state Sen. Pam Helming, R-Canandaigua, circulating a petition against the measure.

"If we want to stop gun violence and violent crime, we should focus on holding criminals accountable and backing law enforcement," said Helming. "Why should our law-abiding sportsmen and women, hunters, rod and gun clubs have to pay more when it's criminals who are breaking the law?"

S8415 has been referred to the Senate Budget and Revenue Committee.

Banner image: FN 509 LS Edge and a balanced brass breakfast for the range. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)