By David Codrea
USA – -(Ammoland.com)- “Need a gun? Your Manasquan area neighbor could easily sell you a semi-automatic,” Tom Davis of The Patch advises New Jersey readers.
And because of the Patch’s regional business model, the same story is available with area headline modifications for Hoboken, West Depford, Toms River, Middletown, Point Pleasant…
That’s funny—you have to get all the way down to #25 Montclair on this list before you can find “hyperlocal” New Jersey Patch coverage, suggesting a certain preferred clientele…
No matter, because according to Davis;
“In New Jersey, you may be able buy a [sic] one — semi-automatic or otherwise — just by walking next door.
“In the wake of the terrorism attacks that killed or injured scores of people in Paris on Friday, NJcom produced a story Monday that shows how guns are readily available throughout New Jersey – and, in some cases, being sold right from a person’s kitchen table,” Davis breathlessly reveals to us.
“[T]here are 368 federal fireman’s [sic] licensed (FFL) gun businesses in New Jersey, and at least 140 operate from homes,” Davis continues. “And getting one may be easier than you think.”
Really? Easier than in some of the neighborhoods The Patch does not provide coverage for?
Because if you’re from Manasquan, and you want to buy a gun — legally so that you don’t risk losing your $584,900 median value home — there are a few hoops you’ll need to jump through before the guy next door can exchange that Tec-9 on his kitchen table for a paper bag full of … oops — scratch the Tec-9 (Banned in NJ).
That’s because New Jersey has a lot of what the gun-grabbers call “common sense gun safety laws” and guys like me call “citizen disarmament edicts.” So before strolling over to the neighbor’s house, maybe we ought to examine how “easy” it really is to score a gun. Since Davis and NJ.com brought up the French connection, we owe it to the people of Paris, don’t you think?
Before knocking on any kitchen doors, the New Jersey State Police tell us you’re first going to need to get a Firearms Purchaser Identification Card and/or a Permit to Purchase a Handgun from your local police department. They include a link to a handy list of forms that may come into play, depending on who you are and what you want to do.
“A Permit to Purchase a Handgun must be completed on each handgun transferred in this state,” they continue. “Individuals must be fingerprinted when applying for a Firearms Purchaser Identification Card or a Permit to Purchase a Handgun.”
Fingerprinted? Wait a minute — Tom just told readers all they had to do was walk next door and sit down at the kitchen table, and that everything would be “readily available” and easy. And now we find citizens need to pay $57.50 to something called MORPHO TRAK at the time they schedule a fingerprint appointment?
And this is just so they can eventually have a gun for home protection? If they want a carry permit, there’s a whole ‘nother slew of rules that boil down to New Jersey being a “may issue” state. That means expect the probable outcome being “may not” unless they work in security or can prove a credible threat exists. Or unless they have connections.
Not that the people causing the problems worry about such formalities.
OK, but what about a Patch-covered neighbor with his kitchen arsenal?
Well, after he gets the “all clear” from his local zoning authority and sends it to the NJSP Firearms Investigation Unit, there’s an application package that needs to be completed and returned. Did I mention the trade name certificate, the license application, the consent for mental health records search, the municipal police records check, the criminal history record check, the fee…? I ask because Tom didn’t.
Good grief, there’s so much stuff to cover, you could write a book on New Jersey gun laws. Fortunately, attorney Evan Nappen did just that, and his comprehensive guide is a must-have for any gun owner who wishes to minimize his chances of winding up subjected to “legal” terror like Brian Aitken, Shaneen Allen and Greg Revell each were when they innocently ran afoul of Garden State gun edicts.
“A gun is without a doubt the most difficult product to legally buy in New Jersey,” Nappen replied when asked to comment for this article. “Nothing else requires a lengthy state and federal application, fingerprinting, background check, mental health records check, letters of reference, payment of fees, a waiting period, and written approval by a Chief of Police before a purchase of a constitutionally protected consumer good can happen.”
You’d think an “award-winning journalist” who “teaches journalism classes at Rutgers University” would know all these things, and maybe even share some of them before presuming to tell his readers how “easy” it is to buy guns from their New Jersey neighbors.
One can only wonder what we’ll be able to expect from the fresh crop of “real reporters” learning from the examples set by such mentors.
About David Codrea:
David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating / defending the RKBA and a long-time gun rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament.
He blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” and also posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.