Please Mail Your Comments in Today!
The New Jersey State Police recently issued new rule proposals for the regulation of firearms, magazines, and retailers in the Garden State. If approved, these regulations will have the rule of law without ever being debated by our legislators in Trenton, turning thousands of unsuspecting citizens into felons!
The proposal would do the following: It would require law-abiding gun owners to surrender or pay to render their “large capacity” magazines permanently blocked. Possession of a temporarily blocked “large capacity” magazine would be a crime. Certain semi-automatic shotguns and handguns would be classified as “assault firearms” because of cosmetic features, which have not been named in any statute enacted by the New Jersey Legislature. Another proposal seeks to harass lawful owners and retailers of “assault firearms” by requiring that licensed dealers who accept an “assault firearm” and/or machine gun from a citizen for transfer, resale, or repair must notify the Superintendent of the State Police within 48 hours. Also, all firearms sold by retailers would be mandated to be secured by steel cable. Finally, the proposal forces those placing handguns on consignment to produce a new permit to retake possession of the handgun.
Law-abiding firearm owners have until Friday, August 17 to voice their opposition to the new rules and the Superintendent needs to hear from you today! Public comments will only be accepted by mail.
STAND UP AND MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!
PLEASE MAIL YOUR COMMENTS IN TODAY!
Please cut and paste the below letter onto a new page, date, sign, and mail to the listed address:
Date:
Colonel Joseph R. Fuentes, Superintendent
New Jersey State Police
PO Box 7068
West Trenton, New Jersey 08638
Attn: Firearms Investigation Unit
Re: Comments to PRN 2007-199
Dear Colonel Fuentes:
As a law-abiding New Jersey firearm owner, I respectfully object to, and urge you to not to implement certain proposed changes to the New Jersey Administrative Code set forth in your Rule Proposal dated June 18, 2007. These proposed changes would unilaterally turn thousands of honest citizens into criminals. Furthermore, it would impose this legal jeopardy in the complete absence of legislative intent, debate, and open discussion.
For many years, numerous state authorities have issued formal written advice to law abiding citizens, licensed firearm dealers, and police officers around the state permitting temporary blocking of magazines. Thousands of people have relied upon that advice by purchasing, possessing, transferring, transporting, and selling temporarily blocked magazines. These people would be forced to either surrender their private property with no compensation or pay to render their magazines permanently blocked. Rule proposal 13:54-1.2 will make thousands of unsuspecting, law-abiding firearm owners who are unaware of this dramatic reversal into felons by classifying a temporarily blocked magazine as a “large capacity magazine.
Also, under 13:54-1.2, certain semi-automatic shotguns, the most “commonly used firearm” by New Jersey sportsmen and semi-automatic pistols with common features, would be classified as “assault firearms” even though some of the supposedly undesirable shotgun features are particularly helpful to disabled shooters. Many of the supposedly undesirable features listed have not been identified in any statute passed by the New Jersey Legislature and are tantamount to new legislation even though legislating is beyond the scope of the executive branch.
Rule proposal 13:54-5.1 Section (c) assumes illegal activity without probable cause upon the firearm owner and forces the retailer to delay sometimes needed repair by mandating that licensed dealers who accept an “assault firearm” and/or machine gun from a citizen for transfer, resale, or repair notify the Superintendent within 48 hours. Delaying repairs pending approval by the Superintendent of Police will only add to greater expense and unjustified inconvenience for the firearm owner and lost business for the retailer.
New Jersey already mandates some of the toughest security measures for firearm retailers in the country. Additions to rule 13:54-6.5 would impose significant financial impacts upon retail firearm dealers by requiring dealers whose firearms are on display to secure firearms by a steel cable. Cabled firearms are more likely to “dry-fire” as the cable rests on the triggers of the firearms. Dry-firing can be particularly harmful to shotguns and antique firearms causing damage to the firing pins and actions of the firearms. Securing firearms by steel cables could also result in deep scrapes and permanent damage of those firearms and force retailers to sell the items for significantly less than the suggested retail value.
Rule proposal 13:54-3.20 forces those who place firearms on consignment to produce a new permit to purchase a handgun even though they may have dropped off the firearm as early as one day previously. This will place a new unnecessary burden on licensing authorities to reissue permits. This proposed regulation could redirect what is currently a safe and legal commerce to the black market.
Again, I respectfully object to these proposals and urge you not to implement them.
Sincerely,
Address:
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