Truth

Reason notes: “Every petty excuse for the police to bother you is a loose trigger for further injustice.” Truer words have never been uttered. That goes double if you don’t have the money to hire a decent lawyer. Justice is for those who can afford it. If Evan Nappen hadn’t jumped on this, the dude would be going to jail.

I’m also glad to see NRA jumping on this quickly.

What More Do They Want?

New Jersey is already, arguably, number one or two for states with the strictest gun control, and most unfriendly to gun ownership. But that’s not stopping people from asking for more. Note the typical argument: reducing our interests in preserving the 2nd Amendment down to an economic one, pushed by corporations seeking profit, rather than millions of other citizens who value the right and wish to preserve it. It’s also replete with over the top stuff like this: “How could it be that those who represent us in Congress can stand by while our children and grandchildren are sacrificed to the gun lobby?” Give me a break. You know who did something? New Jersey’s legislature. It went farther than Congress in this guy’s wildest dreams. Yet the author admits:

New Jersey averages 280 gun-related homicides, 184 gun-related suicides, 764 nonfatal interpersonal shootings and 599 unintended shootings per year.

Good thing they have all that gun control, or someone might get hurt.

Of Course He Does: “Phil Murphy wants to make it a lot more expensive to buy a gun in N.J.”

Murphy wants to balance New Jersey’s budget on the backs of gun owners. Actually, no. Because this won’t even come close to fixing the state’s budget woes. He just wants to screw you.

Gun taxes look to be going up across the board in New Jersey. For gun owners in New Jersey, it doesn’t look like Murphy is done with you by far. Purchase permits go from $2 to $50. FID cards go from $5 to $100. Carry permits go from $50 to $400, but who the hell cares because no one can get one anyway.

You will be made to pay. Murphy will balance the state’s out of control spending on the backs of gun owners. Actually, no. Because this won’t even come close to fixing the state’s budget woes. He just wants to screw you.

I would note that Pennsylvania will be welcoming to New Jersey gun owners, but if you come here, you need to fight. Because your other fleeing compadres are coming here and voting for the same shit that ruined New Jersey.

The Final Indignity for the Departing New Jersey Gun Owner

I had no idea this was a requirement. New Jersey screws you as a gun owner even if you leave!

From Evan Nappen, foremost authority on New Jersey gun laws:

Moving out of New Jersey? You still must do a “Change of Address” on your NJ Firearms Purchaser ID Card within 30 days of moving to your new out-of-state residence. (Jersey issues non-resident FPICs.) You may also choose to voluntarily surrender your FPIC. Failure to take action is a crime of the 3rd Degree. Max of 5 years in NJ State Prison for non-compliance. You can be criminally charged and extradited back to NJ.

The bridge tolls to get out are hella expensive too.

Not Bad Turnout for NJ

Not bad turnout for a state where most gun owners are resigned to the fact that Governor Murphy’s gun control package is likely to pass. Also, I give News 12 credit for fair coverage. Looking at the crowd size, I agree “hundreds” is the number:

(Sorry, the embed code doesn’t seem to work)

About 1/3rd of my club is from New Jersey. We’re right over the bridge. Close enough that we could shell Trenton (tempting, I know). Most people who are left there are resigned to the fact that they are second class citizens, and are now doing their best to fly under the radar. There are some that are actively defiant and still willing to fight, but I’d say they are a minority. In a generation, there won’t be much in the way of gun owners in the Garden State. They don’t have to take your guns. They are willing to drive a stake through the heart of our gun culture and wait.

If at first you don’t succeed, Try Try Again

ANJRPC  is taking another shot at NJ’s May Issue permitting regime. The actual complaint can be found here (PDF).

Amusing quote:

“Plaintiffs acknowledge that the result they seek is contrary to Drake v. Filko, 724 F.3d 426 (3d Cir. 2014), but, for the reasons explained in Wrenn v. District of Columbia, 864 F.3d 650 (D.C. Cir. 2017), that case was wrongly decided.”

That’ll do well at the Circuit Court, I bet.

I wonder what Scott Bach thinks is going to change at SCOTUS in the next couple of years than will get SCOTUS to take this case up instead of letting it languish like all the other may-issue cases?

New Jersey, Where Everything is Illegal

Despite SilencerCo’s marketing, the new suppressed .50 cal muzzleloader is not legal in New Jersey. Let’s face it, what is? New Jersey defines firearms in such a way that even BB guns are firearms under New Jersey law, and if you put a silencer on one, that’ll land you in prison my friends. I’m pretty sure this is also illegal in Massachusetts as well.

What’s the Opposite of a Second Amendment Lawsuit?

New Jersey legislators are suing Governor Christie over New Jersey’s loosened concealed carry permit requirements. Note that Christie did not make New Jersey in any way, shape or form shall-issue. He just made it such that someone facing bonafide threats could qualify. That’s more like Maryland’s standard. It’s almost as if they don’t want the peons able to protect themselves at all! From ANJRPC:

“Although 43 states recognize the right to defend yourself with a firearm outside the home, New Jersey remains one of a handful of backward states that apparently prefer their citizens to become victims – except for legislators, who themselves hypocritically enjoy the armed protection of State House security,” said ANJRPC Executive Director Scott Bach.  “Only in the Garden State do lawmakers actively block those facing serious threats from defending themselves. New Jersey’s days denying right to carry to its citizens are numbered.”

Let’s hope they are numbered. Whether the case comes from the Third Circuit or some other, I don’t care.

More Culture Killing Gun Legislation in New Jersey

New Jersey is going to be so screwed when Christie leaves office, it’s not even funny. Dems are looking to impose onerous regulations on shooting ranges in New Jersey with the aim to prevent suicides. This is not about preventing suicides, it’s about destroying the gun culture in New Jersey.

Every gun owner would be required to present NJ firearms credentials to the owner or operator of a range before being allowed to use their own firearms on that range, every time they use the range. What if you’re from out of state?  Sorry.  What if the club doesn’t have staff to check credentials?  Too bad.

I won’t take a firearm into New Jersey, even legally. But I know people who compete over there. This will effectively end that if they don’t have a non-resident FID card (which is really a good idea to have if you’re going to be transporting firearms in New Jersey).

Shooting activity could only occur where staff exists to check credentials.  Unstaffed ranges would lose members (because members wouldn’t be allowed to shoot there), many clubs would be forced to close.

This would essentially close every club in New Jersey. It would make it impossible to bring new shooters into the sports, since they would essentially need to apply for and receive an FID card before they could even try it out. This would destroy the shooting culture in New Jersey, and that’s exactly what it’s intended to do. Suicide prevention is a ruse. Christie has shown a willingness to veto legislation like this, and will probably continue to do so as long as he’s in office, but it’s going to be hell to pay if Christie is replaced with an anti-gun Democrat.

Gov Christie isn’t done with the 2A

Hot off the ANJRPC’s presses:

Christie Vetoes Seek Shall-Issue Carry & Clean Repeal of Smart Gun Mandate!

Wednesday August 24, 2016: 

In a blockbuster announcement today, Governor Christie conditionally vetoed two pieces of anti-gun legislation (A3689 and S816), imposing dramatic conditions that would change them into pro-gun measures establishing shall-issue right-to-carry and repealing New Jersey’s 2002 “smart gun” law mandate with no strings attached.

That’s interesting. I mean, it’s certainly a push-back against his political enemies, and an indication that he’s not going quietly off the national political stage, but it also means he’s making a bet that a bold move now will be remembered in 4 years.