A pair of New Jersey firearms dealers found themselves in hot water of the unconstitutional kind when they were sued by the state’s Office of the Attorney General for allegedly selling ammunition to undercover agents without first verifying the buyers were legally permitted to possess firearms. Permits or background checks for ammunition purchases are required in California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey,  New York, Rhode Island and Washington D.C., making these so-called “states” membership in the Constitutional Republic of the United States of America questionable. 

With such misguided energy focused on criminalizing constitutionally protected liberties, it is no surprise that dumpster fire outlets like NJ.com have thrown their demonstrably inept hats in the ring, stating that the retailers “sold large quantities of AR-15 ammunition to undercover agents without verifying buyers were legally permitted to possess firearms, in violation of state law.” It’s not AR-15 ammunition you turds. The .223 Remington or 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge is chambered in numerous firearms other than the AR-15, including hunting rifles meant for varminting and small game. 

The lawsuits against Butch’s Gun World in Vineland and Point Blank Guns and Ammo in East Hanover were announced during a press conference that was posted by the Office of the Attorney General on YouTube, with the comment section unsurprisingly turned off, as I’m sure they anticipated some colorful ridicule for wasting tax dollars on such fool’s errands rather than training their efforts on actual causes for crime. When asked on Wednesday, the day of the conference, Rob Rone, owner of Butch’s Gun World said he had not seen the lawsuits, declining to comment without speaking with an attorney first.

Attorney General Matthew Platkin tried to emphasize that the lawsuits are part of New Jersey’s broader strategy to address gun violence as a public health crisis, which is abject absurdity on its face, as criminals have proven time and again that they will not be deterred from their activities and that regulations such as this only hinder law-abiding citizens and business owners. In truth, Second Amendment advocates, also known as Americans, understand these moves are meant specifically to stifle liberties while remaining masked behind so-called public safety measures. 

New Jersey’s Gun Industry Public Safety Act, passed in 2022, requires dealers to implement “reasonable controls” to prevent the sale of gun-related products to prohibited individuals, which would make a comedic defense in court if store employees were to state they knew the individuals making the purchases were undercover agents and therefore reasonably inferred that they would not be prohibited. 

The investigation that led to the lawsuits was headed by the newly established Statewide Affirmative Firearms Enforcement Office, created to choke off the firearms industry and gun owners from being able to exorcise their rights, however, I am sure New Jersey would explain it in a less combative and more dishonest tone.

Ravi Ramanathan, director of the brown shirt enforcement office, spoke during the press conference, calling the .223 caliber Ammunition “exquisitely lethal,” and detailed the transactions that are alleged to have taken place. 

“In March of 2024, Butch’s Gun World in Vineland sold a 20-round box of .223 ammunition, that’s AR-15 ammunition, and a handgun ammunition magazine to a state undercover investigator. In June, a different Butch’s salesperson sold a 1,000-round case of .223 caliber ammunition to a different investigator. Similarly, in March, a salesperson at Point Blank Guns and Ammo in East Hanover sold handgun ammunition magazines to one of our team members, and in May, another salesperson at Point Blank sold a 1,000-round case of .223 caliber ammunition to a different investigator.” 

NJ.com shifted their misuse of nomenclature, laughably referring to the ammunition as  “assault rifle bullets” later in their coverage. 

While I didn’t think the recent election would stifle the left’s propaganda or their will to stand in defiance of the Constitution of the United States of America, I hope the changing landscape and the country’s shift to the right will ultimately see those who violate the civil rights of Americans face legal consequences for their subversion.