Gun Rights Groups Challenge New Jersey Hollow Point Ban
By Tom Knighton | 8:29 AM | February 06, 2025

Like a lot of people, I have two kinds of ammo. I've got FMJ for range practice, but my go-to for self-defense is hollow points of some description and has been since I first started having guns for self-defense. My father, the cop, carried hollow points in his service weapon my entire life.
The reason is pretty simple. I don't want a round over-penetrating and hitting something I don't intend to hit. In a self-defense situation, I may not be able to be that discriminating about my angles or whatever, so while I'd like to think it wouldn't be necessary, hedging my bets seems like a wise idea.

But folks in New Jersey don't have that choice.
The state banned hollow point ammunition, at least for civilian use, and they'll throw the book at anyone who has them outside the home--yes, even if you're just driving through the state with them in your lawfully owned firearm.
Now, a trio of gun rights groups are challenging that ban.

From a press release sent by Gun Owners of America:
Gun Owners of America (GOA), Gun Owners Foundation (GOF), and the Coalition of New Jersey Firearm Owners, alongside plaintiff Heidi Bergmann-Schoch, have filed a lawsuit challenging New Jersey’s unconstitutional ban on possessing hollow point ammunition for self-defense outside the home. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, argues that the state’s restrictions violate the Second and Fourteenth Amendments by preventing law-abiding citizens from possessing and carrying the most effective forms of self-defense ammunition.

Despite being widely used by law enforcement and civilians across the country for personal protection, New Jersey’s draconian laws prohibit the possession of commonly used hollow point ammunition outside the home, leaving residents to carry substandard full metal jacket ammunition instead. The plaintiffs argue that there is no historical precedent for such a ban and cite Heller and Bruen as key Supreme Court decisions affirming their constitutional rights.

Erich Pratt, Senior Vice President of GOA, issued the following statement:
"The government does not get to decide for Americans what kind of books they may read, what brands of firearms they may own, or what kind of ammunition they can use. New Jersey’s unconstitutional ban on hollow points for self-defense outside the home is yet another example of anti-gun politicians disarming law-abiding citizens while criminals ignore the law. Self-defense is an enumerated right, and GOA will fight to ensure that New Jerseyans are no longer left vulnerable due to senseless restrictions."

Sam Paredes, on behalf of Gun Owners Foundation, issued the following statement:
"This lawsuit is about holding New Jersey accountable for trampling on the Second Amendment. Hollow point ammunition is the gold standard for self-defense, and restricting it to usage only in the home does nothing to prevent crime—it only endangers law-abiding citizens. The state has no authority to pick and choose which tools Americans can use to protect themselves."

I agree with everything Pratt said, of course, but Paredes's comments really echo my own thoughts on this.

Hollow points inside the home are fine and good, but these rounds are really great for outside of the house as well. While we'd all like to think we can be discerning about what's beyond the person trying to murder you, we may not have that opportunity. I'd really rather put as much energy from my rounds into the person I'm trying to stop and not into someone unfortunate enough to walk by at the wrong time.

That's part of why hollow points are preferred by police throughout the country and why they're kind of the go-to for self-defense throughout the nation.

The irony here is that the people who most benefit from a ban on hollow points outside of the home are the criminals who really don't care if they hurt some innocent soul.

Moreover, while I've heard the ban defended as a case of hollow points are just too destructive, the truth is that if you can use them inside of the home, then that argument doesn't hold water with me. Either they're too destructive to be used at all or they're not--and even if they were, that's a stupid argument to make when you're talking about something you're using for self-defense.

So, all in all, I sincerely hope this challenge is successful.

What's more, I kind of think it will be. I can't think of any real constitutional justification for this, especially under Bruen's history, text, and tradition standard.

It'll be nice to see such a stupid law be overturned as unconstitutional.

https://bearingarms.com/tomkni...w-point-ban-n1227592


OP Note: There ARE HP's that are legal in NJ, they have a paraffin filler on the hollow point.

I would rather them resolve the mag limits from 10 rounds. But that case is being fought elsewhere and should they become victorious, NJ will have to follow case law.

This is by far the dumbest, most ignorant gun law that I am aware of. And that's saying something because pretty much every gun law is at least a certain degree of dumb. Hollow-points literally exist to reduce the chances of over-penetration and unintended injury to innocent bystanders. That's it. They're not "more destructive" or "more lethal". They make a wider hole, but a shallower one. And they're not more dangerous to cops...if anything they're less likely to penetrate a vest than FMJ. By banning them, you're just making everything more dangerous for innocent people.

New Jersey is what happens when you let idiots make decisions.

From a ballistics standpoint, I never understood the hollow point ban in Jersey. Fmj rounds are obviously more dangerous to innocent people whereas hp’s effectively deal with the threat.

Stupid resides in Trenton, NJ, also the home of Taylor Ham aka Pork Roll.

San Francisco is really scared of Winchester Black Talon…
http://www.sf-ca.elaws.us/code...o_art9_apps-1_sec618

Resident retired LEOs, living in NJ and covered by LEOSA had to take their case (they were not allowed to carry HP even though LEOSA allowed them to do so) to the NJ Supreme Court (I believe) and they Court said……the state must allow them to carry HP ammo.

New Jersey, Massachusetts and New York are controlled by looney Democrats.

I hear they gonna ban them damned "Cop killer" bullets!!!11111 next.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve in PA:
Resident retired LEOs, living in NJ and covered by LEOSA had to take their case (they were not allowed to carry HP even though LEOSA allowed them to do so) to the NJ Supreme Court (I believe) and they Court said……the state must allow them to carry HP ammo.

Federal court. New Jersey's argument-- not making this up-- was "That pesky Federal law doesn't apply to retired LEOs living in New Jersey."

Heck, once they trust their citizens with hollow points, the next thing will be pumping their own gas or kids having a lemonade stand without a permit.

Does NJ consider Bonded bullets as hollow points?

quote:

Originally posted by DennisM:

quote:

Originally posted by Steve in PA:
Resident retired LEOs, living in NJ and covered by LEOSA had to take their case (they were not allowed to carry HP even though LEOSA allowed them to do so) to the NJ Supreme Court (I believe) and they Court said……the state must allow them to carry HP ammo.

Federal court. New Jersey's argument-- not making this up-- was "That pesky Federal law doesn't apply to retired LEOs living in New Jersey."

I thought it was Fed Court, but wasn’t sure. The same court told NJ that the retired officers DO NOT need to get a NJ carry license before doing anything with LEOSA.

Yep, the day I retired in 2020, was told no hollow points. I have no idea why I fled that state post haste. As I believe I have mentioned before, Dumbass Murphy said after taking office, "this will be the East coast California". I have ZERO regrets about leaving that state. Our youngest son moved here (TN) about 10 years ago, we did in 2020 and our oldest son in 2021. We now have all of our grandkids within 3.5 hours and love this State tremendously.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
I hear they gonna ban them damned "Cop killer" bullets!!!11111 next.

Grew up in NJ, folks still live there.

Rest assured, there are huge numbers of people who truly believe that "banning cop killer bullets" will mean bad guys won't kill cops anymore. NJ has a unique quality in that so many lefties there really think they're just common sense conservatives.