New Jersey’s standard capacity magazine ban is now in effect making New Jersey’s one million gun owners criminals in the eyes of the state, AmmoLand.com reported.
But in an act of mass defiance, New Jersey residents refuse to comply. Any magazine holding more than ten rounds is now illegal in the Garden State. The standard magazine for an AR-15 holds 30 rounds. Glock 19s, which is the most popular pistol in the United States, according to AmmoLand, holds 15 rounds. Anyone who is possession of larger magazine is committing a fourth-degree felony.
Anyone caught with one of the now banned magazines in their possession faces up to 18 months in prison and up to $10,000 in fines or both for each magazine found.
The bill was signed into law last June by Gov. Phil Murphy (D). Residents had until Dec. 11th, 2018, to turn over magazines to police or sell or store them out of state.
Pro-gun groups sued New Jersey to try to prevent the law from going into effect. Their attempt on blocking the law failed in a federal appeals court. The three-judge panel ruled in a 2-1 decision that the law limiting the number of rounds a magazine holds did not violate the US Constitution and did not put an undue burden on New Jersey gun owners.
“New Jersey’s law reasonably fits the State’s interest in public safety and does not unconstitutionally burden the Second Amendment’s right to self-defense in the home,” the court wrote in their decision. “The law also does not violate the Fifth Amendment’s Takings Clause because it does not require gun owners to surrender their magazines but instead allows them to retain modified magazines or register firearms that have magazines that cannot be modified.”
An appeal of that decision to the US Supreme Court is in the works.
State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal applauded the ruling on Twitter stating: “This just in: for months, individuals have been challenging NJ’s limits on large capacity magazines—a sensible law to address mass shootings. Today, the court of appeals upheld the law. Big win for public safety and law enforcement safety!”
Residents of New Jersey on various message boards have called the magazine ban unenforceable. Some were going as far as laughing at Gov. Murphy and his attempt at regulating magazine size.
New Jersey is not saying how they plan to enforce the ban on standard capacity magazines. Gov. Murphy’s office referred AmmoLand to the New Jersey Attorney General’s office. The AG’s office refused to comment.
AmmoLand’s sources within the New Jersey State Police that spoke on a condition of anonymity stated that they had not received any guidance on how to enforce the ban from the AG’s office. They said that there is currently no plan to investigate gun owners suspected of having the now banned magazines.
