Closed gun store
(AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)

Many gun owners have said for years, maybe decades, that the background check system — whether it’s the FBI’s NICS system or state-run operations — could be used as a convenient way to shut down gun sales in an emergency or other situation.

Anyone who voiced that opinion was usually laughed at by people who called it tin foil hat paranoia, saying nothing like that would ever happen in this country.

Tell that to the people in New Jersey who want to buy guns now.

New Jersey gun owners and Second Amendment advocates take issue with [Governor Phil] Murphy’s position on firearm dealers.

“Gov. Murphy surrounds himself with armed guards,” said Alexander Rubian, president of the New Jersey Second Amendment Society. “Clearly he understands the benefit of the Second Amendment. Why is his life more valuable?”

Rubian pointed to the spike in gun sales in recent weeks as proof why these businesses should be considered essential.

“When the police have no legal obligation to protect citizens, which was upheld by the United States Supreme Court, yes, any person would believe gun stores that sell many tools for self-defense is extremely essential,” he said.

– Alex Napoliello in Gun dealers are not considered an essential business, and they’re not happy about it

44 COMMENTS

  1. Paranoia + time = reality.
    It should be plenty apparent to anyone who has lived long enough to see that the paranoid tinfoil types aren’t the ones with a problem. The problem is with those who are in constant denial of the reality around them. It is no consolation for the paranoid to look across from his cell into the cell of the man in denial to say “see, I told you so.”

    • Agree. Just like sci-fi+time=real world tech. Where’s my Phased Plasma Rifle in the 40 watt range?

      • I first saw Dr. McCoy use a pulse oximeter on Star Trek re runs as a child back in the 70’s. The actual production of the show occurred in the late 60’s. When I got into a medical field in the early 90’s we had them, and they were just becoming small enough to carry around, about the size of a thick book. Now for about 20 years I have carried one in my pocket that is barely bigger than the finger it goes on. If only Bones could see them now.

        On the other hand, as far as I know, no one foresaw the blue tooth stethoscope my favorite pulmonologist carries. It connects to his hearing aids wirelessly, and even amplifies the sound for him.

        Welcome to the future.

        • When flip phones came out in the late 1990s I had a big smile on my face being a Star Trek fan from back in the 70s. Even the Rocketeer from the 1930s has come true with the advent of the winged flying suits. The Hoverboard from the film Back to the Future is now a reality!!! Its french creators publicly said the film was their inspiration.
          The Star Trek replicators are the 3D printers of today.

        • To Chris T in KY: Startrek was Tribbles. Stargate SG-1 was replicators. Sorry. I couldn’t resist.

      • Forty watts just doesn’t qualify as a self defense charge. I wouldn’t leave the house with anything less than four thousand. And two ten amp clips.

  2. It could (but probably won’t) happen in NH for guns of the hand. Those purchases have to go through the State Police before they go to the FBI.

  3. The only option the serfs in NJ have available to them is to buy a long gun in PA and smuggle it back in. Without a FOID they are still in violation but they can at lease save lives. Currently they are prohibited from even breaking the law by buying one in the stores.

    • If it’s a private sale it violates law. If it’s through an FFL the nics is backed up several days, it may take several days to be able to “buy a long gun in PA”.

      • without an FOID its against the law. NJ people are basically screwed. They can’t even borrow one from anyone.. Dont expect understanding or leniency from the brownshirts. If a GDU goes down they will file charges but that’s preferable to being assaulted or killed.

        I wonder how it feel to be fed to the wolves.

      • Remember, Jeff, the difference between the meaning of the words “illegal” and “unlawful”.

        “Illegal” means in violation of some words someone in power put to paper.

        “Unlawful” means in violation of the highest social contract in our society. That is the Constitution, which every politician in high office has sworn an oath to obey and defend.

        If some of those politicians (say, some legislators and a corresponding Governor) put some words down on a piece of paper that are in violation of the Constitution, it may be considered “legal”, but it is not “lawful”. And we are not to obey unlawful orders.

        • I think it’s time for the people of new Jersey to use 2 pipes, a nail and a welder to start to manufacture themselves a personal defense slam fire shotgun.

          Haz, I see your point.

  4. “Many gun owners have said for years, maybe decades, that the background check system — whether it’s the FBI’s NICS system or state-run operations — could be used as a convenient way to shut down gun sales in an emergency or other situation.”

    And leave it to totalitarian tyrannical @zz wipes to prove them correct, next would be petty tyrant.

  5. I have stated this very possibility multiple times in the past. To recap:

    There are a multitude of reasons why government can fail to meet demand for firearm acquisition approvals/licensing, including (but not limited to): unplanned insufficient resourcing, planned insufficient resourcing, ineptitude, incompetence, laziness, apathy, and even malice.

    Current examples where governments are failing to meet the demand for firearm acquisition licensing/approvals are probably due to multiple items in that list.

  6. The Good people of NJ need to cross State lines and purchase long guns (AR’s and Shotguns) to take back home. Fuck the Tyrannical “Governor!”

    • Just watch the bridges between PA and NJ. I see them making an effort to fight this harder than the virus. They look for booze runners in DE as it is.

    • Out of state long gun sales still have to comply with home state laws. Californians buying in Nevada still need a CA background check, must comply with “AWB,” etc. If NJ shut down their check system, out of state FFLs won’t be able to process them either.

  7. …Of course. It should be obvious what were all seeing across the USA…Power grabs by little petty tyrants with lots of self importants. who are going to tell you DON’T need weapons during a virus pandemic…Or DON’T NEED weapons period….Same goes for Police Departments and Officers on patrol….No one cares about YOUR constitutional rights…There’s NO penalty strong strong enough to get their ATTENTION…Same for politicians…Go luck Getting fair or equal hearings in court…Most are full of Leftist @$$wholes or Authoritarian Globalists….When will We The People and the civil rights groups get together to make a serious stand….I would think this pandemic should be that wake up ⏰ call…..Should flooding the courts with lawsuits, and people Should be toss politicians out of office….Alone with STASI LAW Enforcement that thumb their nose at the Bill of Rights…

  8. Yes, our Shanty Irish excuse for a governor at it again. He is like most Dems, is beyond shameless. If it weren’t for the labor unions and state workers, fire and police voting Dem each and every time because their shot-callers tell them what to do, we could have a chance at some decent government. But, they all fall in line like good little boys and girls and do as they’re told. Funny though, if you talk to them individually they mostly throw shade on the Dems; except when it counts in the voting booth.

    • New Jersey is not a democracy. It is a mafiocracy run by the five families through their appointed representatives. And the families don’t want any disruption to their business opportunities.

  9. TTaG staff:

    As an extension to this theme, many states have/will shut down what they deem “non-essential government operations”. This almost universally includes applications for new concealed carry licenses, and might even include renewals of existing concealed carry licenses.

    Here is a snippet from a county website:

    The following services are suspended until April 6, 2020:
    — Applications to obtain a marriage license
    Applications for New Concealed Pistol Licenses
    — [Redacted] County ID Card Program

    Thus, anyone who wants to apply for their very first concealed carry license now (in case this virus thing leads to a lot of chaos/anarchy in the next several months) is utterly and totally unable to do so. They are therefore faced with the prospect of either facing that chaos/anarchy unarmed or facing it armed against state laws on concealed carry of firearms.

  10. To make matters worse, as soon as he took office, Governor Murphy banned private gun sales (and private gun transfers of all types, including gifts, loans, inheritances, etc.) in the People’s Republic of New Jersey, so when gun stores are closed, you can’t beg, borrow, or buy a gun from your neighbor, relative, etc. in NJ.

    I have a gun that I was planning to sell this month, but now that gun stores are closed, there’s no way to sell it! New Jersey residents can’t even sell guns on Gunbroker during this shutdown, because even if the buyer lives in a free state, New Jersey makes us transfer it to a local FFL dealer (costing about $50 in transfer fees) and then have our FFL ship it to the buyer’s FFL (who pays another transfer fee). So with all New Jersey FFL dealers closed, there’s no way for is citizens (serfs) to sell guns, as well as no way to buy guns.

  11. Wow Jerkzee er Jersey SUX! Sit back and lube. In other news Cook County,ILL is opening the doors of Cook county jail. Virus contaminated jailers. “Non-violent”offenders dontchaknow…we can still defend ourselves in ILL! They closed down the Blue Island ILL po-leece because 2 officer’s got the plague. Fun times.

  12. Bring back the good old days when you could shoot a felon dead on site after he robbed from you, using his legally purchased firearm. Things were much simpler back then.

  13. I sort of wonder what a big dose of civil disobedience might do here. FFLs have guns in stock. People want to buy them. Federal law states that the FFL can go ahead and sell if at their discretion if the check is held up. Can’t get more held up than by shutting down the system. If every FFL just opened for business and sold out in 20 minute, what is the chance of being prosecuted?

    • Probably pretty high, actually. Especially now that the POS traitors of the New Jersey State Police don’t have to worry about fake, harmless crimes like burglary, they have more resources to go after the unspeakable evil that is those damn plebes thinking their lives matter and wanting to tool up. If you’re a gun owner in New Jersey, the courts and the authorities would love nothing more than to load you onto cattle cars

  14. What happens when first responders, including Police, are no longer able to respond to 911 calls because their ranks have been impacted by Covid-19?

    What happens when the same organizations that make their money selling illegal drugs diversify and start hijacking delivery trucks destined for grocery stores so they can control the supply and sale of food, driving up the price for basic necessities on the black market which they will control?

    I can guarantee one thing – this scenario will arise in those states and cities where ordinary citizens are restricted from owning firearms.

    • Downunder supermarkets have been ram-raided for toilet paper, meat, and cigarettes.

      A ram-raid is normally associated with high value targets such as jewelry stores, electronics shops, and gun stores.

  15. NY/NJ?
    I put that region of the U.S. in my rear view mirror over two decades ago, and never looked back.
    I left because of poor leadership and stupid “sheeple” voting away their own rights and Liberties.
    Some things never change.

  16. Sorry guys, but if you waited until now to buy a gun, you are an idiot! I am a STRONG advocate for the 2nd Amendment, I am conservative, I trust the Feds as far as I can throw Joe Biden, I sit just to the right of Atilla the Hun, according to some friends. That being said, well, just wow, if you don’t have SEVERAL guns, and at LEAST 1000 rounds for each, WTF were you thinking?

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