By ANDY GARDNER

POTSDAM -- Making statements that would please North Country gun owners, Republican gubernatorial candidate Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino said he will work for a full repeal of the Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement (SAFE) Act if he is elected and will support strengthening of the state's mental healthcare system.

The controversial law bans a magazine that holds more than 10 rounds, tightens the definition of assault weapons, requires background checks for ammunition purposes and creates an assault weapon registry, among many other provisions.

"It goes after law-abiding citizens and makes them into criminals," Astorino said at a Wednesday meet-and-greet at Between the Buns. "The SAFE Act … has got to go."

He believes that in the absence of the law, which was penned in reaction to the Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Conn., there are strict measures already in place to keep firearms out of the hands of the mentally ill and violent criminals.

Astorino said his home county took measures to address such an issue.

"We went after the problem," he said, adding that included fixing "loopholes and breakdowns in the mental health system."

He criticized incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo's handling of mental healthcare and said he doesn't support deeper cuts, like those that nearly closed six wards at Ogdensburg's St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center.

"He drastically cut funding … in the mental health system," Astorino said. "We need make sure the system is strong to get help to people who need it … it's not to stigmatize people, it's to get people help."

He said he supports early intervention for young psychiatric cases, which would involve networking of teachers, police and others who have frequent contact with potentially afflicted youths.