AmmoLand.com

By Dan Roberts

NJ Legislature Supports Police Use of “Extra Lethal “Ammunition

AmmoLand Gun News

Trenton, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- For more than thirty years NJ Firearms Law has all but banned Citizen use, ownership or possession of hollow point type ammunition, but with the obligatory exemption for Military and Police.

It is true that Citizens can in fact buy, and use hollow points under extremely limited and exceptionally narrowly tailored circumstances, but even most cops aren’t aware of them.

Ask nearly any anti-gun politician or spokesperson for an anti-gun group and the inevitable answer justifying the law is predicated on utter ignorance and unsupportable rhetoric. Opponents will invariably exclaim that hollow point bullets are “extra lethal “ and “they are designed solely to cause devastating wounds, inflicting un-necessary pain and trauma“ and they “pose a grave threat “ or other variations of the meme.

Yet there’s that pesky exemption for the Military and Police?

The only conclusion one can reach is that the Legislature approves of and supports the issuance and potential use of these “extra lethal” rounds of ammunition by Police Officers in the performance of their duties, essentially suggesting and overtly approving that it’s perfectly acceptable for an alleged criminal to be shot by a Police Officer with them if the situation calls for it.

This means, it is the stated policy of the NJ Legislature that a person engaged in a criminal act, but not having yet had a trial or having been convicted of such an act in a Court of Law, can suffer “ un-necessary pain and trauma “ and suffer “ devastating wounds “ if an Officer decides to shoot the suspect for whatever reason.

Now, let’s shed the harsh light of scientific facts on the issue.
A hollow point bullet is not designed “solely to cause devastating wounds “ its design and construction is engineered to have the bullet expand on impact with a surface, any surface; including concrete, steel, wood, fabric and yes, flesh. By expanding on impact, the surface area of the bullet increases and causes the kinetic energy stored in the bullet to be dispersed over a greater surface area, that’s it!

Remember I mentioned fabric amongst the list of surfaces that will cause a hollow point to expand when it impacts? What are Police issue Kevlar Bullet Resistant Vests made from? That’s right, fabric. In fact, when Police issue Body Armor is tested by both the manufacturer and the government agency responsible for certifying its effectiveness, it’s tested against hollow point bullets!

Police Body Armor is actually much more likely to be more effective at stopping a hollow point bullet then a “full metal jacket“ type of bullet, which is the height of irony. Because of the Legislature’s incredible ignorance of the subject and their apparent willingness to swallow the baseless lies and fear mongering of Anti gunners..

..they’ve unintentionally created a more potentially deadly situation for those they claim to be trying to protect, Police and innocent Citizens.

I have in my custody an internal Ballistics Test Report from the NJ State Police that conclusively proves that the use of full metal jacket ammunition in a defensive shooting situation is exponentially riskier in terms of the likelihood of over penetration and or “target pass through“ with the significant potential to injure innocent people well outside the area of the shooting.

A study performed by the NYPD found the same thing and validated the findings of the NJ State Police, that the use of full metal jacket style ammunition was much more likely to result in the unintended injury of innocent bystanders due to the ability of the round to strike its intended target, generally retain its shape and energy, pass through the target and continue on its path to strike something else.

As opposed to a hollow point bullet whose design ensures that upon impact it expands and deposits its energy in its original target, thereby becoming significantly less likely to hurt or kill an innocent bystander.

The New Jersey Legislature cannot have it both ways.
They can either admit that if they truly believe that hollow point style ammunition actually is “extra lethal“ and all the other assorted, overheated adjectives they use to describe them, and their approved use against criminals then certainly seems like a clear cut case of “extra judicious“ force.

Or they can simply admit they made a mistake, take responsibility for it and fix it by treating hollow point ammunition just like any other bullet.

More articles, commentary and information by Dan Robert available at That Every Man Be Armed.com

Filed under: Ammunition News, Gun Rights News by DRoberts No Comments »

Are Hollow-Point Bullets Illegal For Personal Defense

Michigan Coalition For Responsible Gun Owners

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- Q: Are hollow-point bullets illegal for personal defense? What about laser sighting devices?

A: There is no statutory restriction on the type of ammo that you can carry in your personal defense weapon. Nor is there any prohibition on sighting devices. There may be some potential concerns about jury perception if you ever have to use your gun in self-defense and find yourself facing charges. (This is much less likely to occur at this point in history than prior to the enactment of Public Act 311 of 2006 [MCL 780.951] which created presumptions that deadly force is appropriate in certain situations and also created qualified immunity to those who use force in legitimate self defense.)

There have been examples of prosecutors focusing on the hardware used by defendants. They try to overcome the self-defense argument by painting a picture of the armed citizen as blood-thirsty. In one particular case in another state, the defendant used a certain brand of hollow-point ammo that came in a box featuring a picture of a hawk or eagle talon. It appears that the tactic was successful and contributed to the conviction of an armed citizen who argued that he fired to save his life. I’m told that the particular brand of ammo in question has changed it’s name and packaging.

Are Hollow-Point Bullets Illegal For Personal Defense

Many law-enforcement agencies use hollow-point ammunition. There are some famous brands that are well-known as “good guy” ammo, and a prosecutor would have a hard time making the case that one who carries the same ammo in his or her personal defense weapon is being unreasonable. In my opinion, there is no reason not to carry effective personal defense ammunition.

The same is true of laser sights in my opinion. The technology is mature, widely available, and considered effective by tactical experts. From a legal standpoint, the key is to make sure that any use of force is justified by necessity and that you control your weapon. Insofar as a laser helps with control, it seems to me that it is more likely to help a self-defense shooter avoid liability than create perception issues in the event of a jury trial.

I have personally recommended hollow-point ammo and laser sights to family and friends, and will continue to do so.

On a related topic: I have run across examples of engraving on guns, and more than one tattoo, that might lead to extra challenges for a defense attorney. For example, engraving “Widowmaker” on your personal defense gun, or “Make my day” on your arm is certainly bound to give any jury member the impression that you are something less than a responsible citizen who hopes to never face the necessity of shooting in self defense.

This information is provided by The Law Offices of Steven W. Dulan, PLC (www.stevenwdulan.com) This answer is intended as general information and should not be relied upon as legal advice for any specific situation or case. The facts of each case vary and you should consult an attorney whenever you have specific questions.

Did you Know? In the 4 years (1997-2000) prior to Michigan becoming “shall-issue”, reported incidents of crime averaged 4,509 per 100,000 people per year. In the 4 years after, (2002-2005), reported incidents of crime in Michigan fell 17% to an average of 3,717.

About:
The Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners is a non-profit, non-partisan organization. Formed from just eight people in 1996, we now have thousands of members and numerous affiliated clubs across the state. We’re growing larger and more effective every day.

Our mission statement is: “Promoting safe use and ownership of firearms through education, litigation, and legislation” Visit: www.mcrgo.org

Filed under: Gun Rights News by Ammoland 2 Comments »