Category: All About Guns
Opinion
New Jersey – -(AmmoLand.com)- The Garden State is known for being an anti-civil rights wasteland. Firearm possession in the state is by exemption or permits. Up until recently, the permitting regulating the possession of handguns and pistols was an out-of-reach unicorn. Handgun and pistol owners had to largely rely on exemptions of the law, as NJ Rev Stat § 2C:39-5 b (2021) states one must first obtain a permit to carry prior to possessing a handgun. However, now in our post NYSRPA v. Bruen world, obtaining a permit to carry is possible.
Social media sites have been buzzing with people applying, allegedly getting denied, and also some rumors of permits to carry actually getting issued. To say a lot of rumors have been abound would be an understatement.
There’s plenty of counterproductive talks, such as people “in the know” going off when the uninitiated refer to the New Jersey permit to carry as a “CCW” or a concealed carry permit. The fact that NJ makes no distinction between open or concealed carry and said permit is referred to as a “permit to carry” is not cause for berating those that quickly refer to the permit as a CCW or a concealed carry permit. A collective sigh of relief should be exhaled by all persons in this fight, and while some kind of corrective rudder is not a bad thing, let’s not act like we don’t know what people are talking about.
There’s also been a ton of counterproductive talks about what is required to rope and wrangle one of these one-horned horses in the land of one thousand diners. I have spoken to two verified permit-to-carry recipients in New Jersey and want to share that information.
The first thing we should divert our attention to is a document on the New Jersey State Police website called: “Permit To Carry Instructions“. While the document is not necessarily the best, it does outline the needed steps to take to apply for a permit to carry in New Jersey. It’s important to note that New Jersey, at this time, also does not make a distinction between resident and non-resident permits. Non-residents are to apply to the closest State Police barracks that are not on a toll road to where the applicant would be entering the state.
The first recipient of a New Jersey permits to carry that I spoke to was Jamie DeAngelis. DeAngelis lives in Warren County, in Hackettstown, New Jersey. DeAngelis told me that he dropped off his completed application on July 26th at his police department. The local range where DeAngelis shoots, RTSP in Randolph, he said, had the complete process of what to do from beginning to end on their web page.
DeAngelis said before going in for any qualifications, he practiced what he thought the qualification would be, shooting out to 25 yards. He said that at RTSP, he did their CCW Qualification Course, a holster draw course, and the qualification with the firearm(s) he intended on carrying. RTSP, for their qualification, seems to be working off of a modified version of the NJ Retired Police Officer Qualification, the HQC2, on an FBI “Q” target. RTSP lists the qualification as such:
• 50 round total (per firearm)
• 10 rounds at 3 yards
• 10 rounds at 5 yards
• 10 rounds at 7 yards
• 10 rounds at 10 yards
• 10 rounds at 15 yards
Once DeAngelis completed all the training elements, he assembled his application packet.
- Application printed duplexed (on both sides) in triplicate, with live signatures from each reference on each application. All three applications with live notarization of the applicant’s signature on each one. From # S.P. 642
- Consent For Mental Health Records Search filled out and signed in the presence of the issuing authority. Note, that some people have been having issues with this form and opening it in a web browser. If that’s the case, download it onto the computer and open it with whatever pdf viewer is installed. Form # S.P. 066
- An affidavit stating lawful ownership of the firearms intended to be carried. Instead of a letter listing the firearms with the make, model, and serial number, an applicant can use their pink copies of pistol permits or receipts to prove ownership of the handguns.
- The $50.00 certified money order was made out to “Treasurer, State of New Jersey.” (Make sure it’s signed before handing it in)
- Color copies of driver’s license and birth certificate. Instead of a birth certificate, applicants can bring passports or naturalization paperwork to prove citizenship, along with their driver’s license.
- Four 1.5″ x 1.5″ photos. These are called “passport photos”; however, passport photos are 2″ x 2″. It was noted that the correct size if trying to have someone look up the information at one of the many locations that provide this service is an Argentina-sized passport photograph.
- The certified qualification, along with any other training certificates an applicant may have that are relevant.
Fingerprinting is a requirement in order to get a permit to carry. After receiving instructions from the issuing authority, one can go and get that done per their direction.
DeAngelis received his New Jersey permit to carry on August 12th. About the process, DeAngelis had a message he wanted to get out to everyone. He said to me that it’s important that people realize that this is obtainable. He talked about going on the record for everyone to learn from his process:
“That’s why I was willing to do it (go on the record) because I mean, I really want people to realize it’s doable. And not because everybody I talked to was afraid to put it through and what got me was like they’re waiting for somebody, for people to start posting that they’re getting it before they do it. So that’s why I kind of posted it because I want people to see people are getting them. It’s real. It’s safe.”
Anecdotally, DeAngelis told me about getting the call to pick up his permit:
“A lady called me, and it was funny the lady from the courthouse called and she’s like, ‘I’m so and so from the courthouse of Warren and Belvedere. Your permit is ready.’ And I knew one of my references just turned in this thing. So I thought she was one of my friends messing with me. And because a lot of them were saying, ‘Oh, you’re gonna get declined, you’re gonna get denied, you’re not gonna get that.’ Everyone kept telling me as I was dumb and stupid for putting it in so early, I was gonna get denied. So in the back of my head, I thought ‘I’m gonna get denied.’ I really started thinking there’s no chances it’s gonna happen, I’m gonna get denied. When she called me and told me it was done. I asked, ‘Who put you up to calling me? One of my friends? One of my friends did this.’ She started laughing. And she’s like, ‘No. I’m serious. You could come pick it up, you just have to sign it.’”
DeAngelis said he was issued a permit to carry with no restrictions.
The other person I spoke to who also received their New Jersey permit to carry is Keith S. from Passaic County. Keith asked to go by first name last initial for understandable privacy reasons. Much like DeAngelis, Keith went to his local and trusted range, which in his case was Gun For Hire at The Woodland Park Range.
Keith talked at length about the years of training he had been putting in getting ready for the day that pistol carry would become a reality in New Jersey. Following closely the detailed instructions put out by Gun For Hire, which can be read HERE, Keith went about getting his qualification done and assembled his application packet. Keith said he was in the first class of the first day that was being offered at Gun For Hire.
Gun For Hire also uses a similar modified qualification, as noted on their page:
This is not a beginner course! You will be required to demonstrate safety, familiarity, and accuracy. It is pass or fail.
– No holster needed
– All shooting from the ready position
– 50 rounds per firearm
– FBI Q target
– 24 rounds at 7 yards
– 14 rounds at 10 yards
– 6 rounds at 15 yards
– 6 rounds at 25 yards
For a total of 50 rounds. Must hit at least 40 rounds out of 50 (80%)
Keith ended up qualifying with two handguns, which he used copies of his pink pistol purchaser’s permit to prove ownership to his town. On Monday July 1st his completed packet was with his town and he sent in verification that his fingerprints were done. On July 18th, he got the call to come down to the courthouse to pick up and sign his permit. Keith told me about showing up to meet the judge:
“You meet with the judge and he reads the statute to you. And then he reads to you the firearms that are listed on your permit, to make sure that the serial number and the firearm match. Which as it happened on my my qualification form…it happens that my serial number starts with like a six, and on the form said I qualify with the model 66, Sig Sauer. So I, I told the judge, ‘I’m sorry, Your Honor, but that’s not true. I qualify with a Sig 365.’ So he’s like, ‘Oh, my God.’ He took me through the paperwork to pull out the pink slip, he told the clerk to go on the back end just and fix it. I wait a couple of minutes, I sat in the front. They went back, they redid my paperwork, came out, handed me my permit. He told me to laminate it, and we had a great chat about firearm safety and everything.”
The big thing that Keith emphasized while discussing the process was the importance of training. Keith said it’s our job to be good ambassadors to the New Jersey public, and show them that safe and responsible firearm carry is okay and a reality. He spoke about the training he got over the years from Gun For Hire in high regard, noting:
“I would describe Gun For Hire like if you have a family member that says ‘Listen, you want to get this done? I got a guy. Let’s do it.’ And they walk you through it and they help you. They boosted confidence in you. People going through the qualification that day that were scared out of their mind and they talked them down. They made everybody feel comfortable and at home because it’s a serious matter and they don’t want people to look bad or feel bad or do anything bad either. But there were people that did fail and they simply pulled them aside told them what they did wrong, taught them difference. And you know said ‘this equipment’s not right for you. That’s not good for you. Maybe you should try this.’ So, I would describe Gun For Hire like a pristine establishment that wants you to succeed. And they want the state, not not only gun owners, but the state in itself to feel comfortable and safe.”
Keith was issued a permit with restrictions noting the make, model, and serial number of the firearms he qualified with at Gun For Hire.
These are just two of the many stories that are circulating about people actually getting permits to carry in the state of New Jersey. These are verified examples, and not just hearsay. While these are the steps that these individuals took to get their permits, we’re not all guaranteed to have the same experiences. Hopefully in due time the process will become streamlined and easier to navigate. In the meantime let’s celebrate that a bit of liberty has been returned to The Garden State.
The reality of carry has come to New Jersey, yes, because of the victory in NYSRPA v. Bruen. But the entire process, as it is and as it develops was and is made possible because of the countless hours of work by many people. New Jersey’s state association, the Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs (ANJRPC), with brilliant leaders and attorneys like Scott Bach and Daniel L. Schmutter, has really paved the way to make this a much smoother transition than could have come to the state. ANJRPC has been doing some serious heavy lifting, and letters from their “Strike Force” have offered some corrective rudder suggestions to jurisdictions that are not in line with the Constitution.
It is important to note that New York, where the opinion was directed, has now passed laws more stringent than they had prior to the opinion, and people in New Jersey are getting carry.
About John Petrolino:
John Petrolino is a US Merchant Marine Officer, writer, author of Decoding Firearms: An Easy to Read Guide on General Gun Safety & Use, and NRA-certified pistol, rifle, and shotgun instructor living under and working to change New Jersey’s draconian and unconstitutional gun laws. You can find him on the web at www.johnpetrolino.com on Twitter at @johnpetrolino, Facebook at @thepenpatriot and on Instagram @jpetrolinoiii .
The owner of this Colt found out Tom Mix owned it — after he bought it from an old movie studio.
No, while all these guns tell a story, none are in my collection. Sigh … But I do know the stories of all but one, and strangely I did own it at one time.
A Tom Mix Find
Back in about 1955, the ad in the L.A. Times described a Colt revolver for sale for $350, so the current owner called, got the address in Hollywood and hurried over only to find an old movie studio. The Colt was a .44-40 SAA with a 43/4″ barrel, SN 765XX, made in 1882. It had the remains of a cheap stove chrome finish through which engraving could be seen.
It sported a pair of original Colt mother-of-pearl grips, the right one having a carved longhorn steer’s head with 24kt gold horns and ruby eyes. Both escutcheons having the Rampant Colt facing forward indicated the grips were made in 1913 or later. The owner decided to call the movie company back to inquire about any known history of the gun. He was told all they knew was it had been owned by Tom Mix.
A Colt letter described the gun as seen, being factory engraved with no grips indicated. The owner decided to have the chrome electrically removed and found the engraving showed use, but was beautiful, and it was agreed, due to its era, the original finish was probably silver, so he had a light silver finish applied. If only it could talk!
Real Fitz Specials
Born in Manchester, NH around 1870, John Henry Fitzgerald became interested in firearms at an early age — especially Colt revolvers, which he became adept at working on. By the mid-1920s “Fitz” was customizing Colt New Service and other Colt DA revolvers by shortening the barrel to 2″, bobbing the hammer spur, doing a smooth DA trigger job and removing the forward portion of the trigger guard. The result was called a “Fitz Special” and was done to make it easier to conceal the gun and access it more quickly.
The New Service gun shown was made in 1940 and bears SN 3494XX and Colt records report it was shipped as a “Fitz” Special to a dealer in Texas for a company in Prescott, AZ. Years later, it popped up in the estate of a police lieutenant in Oregon. With no Colt records kept of “Fitz” Special revolvers, it estimated only about 100 were made.
Biscailuz’s Revolver
Here’s an exceptional S&W originally owned by Los Angeles County Sheriff “Emeritus” Eugene W. Biscailuz (1883-1969). With the accomplishments of Sheriff Biscailuz far too numerous to cover here, his law enforcement career spanned from 1907 to 1958, during which time he created the California Highway Patrol. He also liked fine guns and carried this one, a S&W .44 Hand Ejector, popularly known as the “Triple Lock.” Arguably one of the finest revolvers ever made, the “Triple Lock” had a third lock to hold the front of the cylinder firmly in place. It was only produced from 1908 to 1915 with a total production of 15,376. With the SN of this one being 81XX it was likely made about 1911.
This S&W New Model Number 3 ended up with a priest after a confession.
Confession to what, we might wonder?
The Priest’s Gun
A Catholic Priest showed up at the indoor range and asked if he could shoot. He was given a stall where he produced a single action New Model Number 3 S&W revolver and a nearly full box of .44 Russian ammunition. As several shooters gathered around, the priest reloaded and fired another six shots at the target. All 12 shots hit the target, producing a group of about 6″. “Not bad,” said one of the onlookers who was a Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff. “Thanks,” said the priest, “but it’s a little big for me; I think I need something smaller.”
The deputy produced an S&W six-shot .38 Special revolver with a 2″ barrel, unloaded it and handed it to the priest. “Probably something like this,” he said. “Yes,” replied the priest, “this is just what I’ve been looking for!” The deputy told the priest he had another one at home that was identical and he’d trade it to the priest for the old S&W.
Being curious, the deputy asked the priest where he got the old revolver and the priest told him after receiving a confession the gun was surrendered to him. When the deputy asked what the man confessed, the priest said he couldn’t divulge the details.
It was last fired in good hands.
The Medusa was a multi-caliber revolver, popular in Europe where guns and ammo are limited.
The Multi-Caliber Medusa
When I got married, I had the first Phillips & Rogers multi-caliber revolver. Made on an S&W K-Frame, the gun had a unique cylinder, the chambers of which would accept and fire everything in the 9mm/.38 family, except for the 9mm Makarov. I found 17 different rounds I fired in it. Years later a friend of mine took over the design, improved it and called it the “Medusa.” It was a huge hit in Europe where handguns are limited, as is ammunition.
Around 1998 Colt got wind of the design and contracted the company to incorporate it into a brand new .357 Magnum revolver called the Colt Magnum Carry. The new gun was introduced at the 1999 SHOT Show and was called the “Survivor,” but another company had a rifle by this name and threatened to sue, so the following day the “Survivor” was not present. However, another Magnum Carry called the Colt “MC” made an appearance.
Some 25 Magnum Carry’s were shipped to the Medusa’s company in Texas. However, there was a huge upheaval at Colt where several new guns were cancelled, including the Magnum Carry and its sibling, the Multi-Caliber. Only a handful of Colt Magnum Carry revolvers were sold and the number of Colt Multi-Caliber revolvers is unknown.
D.W. King’s custom work arguably led to the development of the classic Colt Python.
King’s Python Origins
Born in Colorado in the latter part of the 19th Century, D.W. King moved to San Francisco where he began a fruitful career designing and making sights for rifles. Soon King’s business turned to customizing Colt and S&W revolvers with better sights, superb lock work and ventilated barrel ribs that added weight, looked great and provided an elevated plane on which to mount King’s sights, the most elaborate of which had a tiny mirror to shed light on the red front sight.
King converted Colts and S&Ws and bought new guns from both companies to convert for his customers. King’s complete package was called the “Super Target.” Following D.W. King’s death in the mid-1940s his business was “acquired” by former employees who formed the Micro Sight Company using many of King’s ideas.
With the war over, Colt and S&W also began incorporating some of King’s features with Colt bringing out a mass production version of the “Super Target” in 1955 called the “Python.” This King Colt “Super Target” is built on a Colt Official Police model made in 1937, the SN 6105XX. Unusual is it’s been engraved and has ivory grips.
Like the WWII-era Liberator Pistol, the CIA’s Deer Gun was intended to provide a cheap
single-shot solution, allowing capture of enemy guns through up close and personal surprise and force.
The CIA Deer Gun
I encountered the CIA Deer Gun shown in the mid 1970s and the owner (long deceased) had limited information, except to say only 10 remained of the thousand produced for clandestine use during the Vietnam War.
From a request by the CIA, the Deer Gun was designed and manufactured by the American Machine & Foundry (AMF) — the same company that makes bowling equipment and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Spawned by the Liberator Pistol of World War II, the Deer Gun reportedly took its name from a top-secret OSS element called the Deer Team active in Indo China near the end of that war.
Made of die cast aluminum, the single-shot Deer Gun had a steel barrel with a smooth bore. The barrel was unscrewed to load one of the three rounds of 9mm ammunition furnished in the white Styrofoam flotation box. The box also contained a wooden rod to extract fired cases, and a cartoon instruction-sheet on how to operate the weapon to kill communist forces and then take their weapon.
Due to tactical changes in the Vietnam War or politics, or both, the Deer Gun project was cancelled with only a few Deer Guns reported as having been tested in the field, and the rest being destroyed. One Deer Gun was recently reported as having brought $27,500 at auction. Whether it was the one seen here is unknown, but consider the irony a cheap, throwaway gun that originally cost the government less than $4 would bring a price 6,875 times that much 50 years later.
What collector wouldn’t drool over the opportunity to buy a Lawman’s 1891
Colt SAA complete with his original Deputy Sheriff’s badge?
Colt Pistol For Sale
The newspaper ad read, “Old Colt Pistol For Sale.” It was right after the Korean War and the pistol was pricey, but the collector beat it right over to the address where he met an elderly gentleman who led him to an old dental cabinet in the garage. He opened a drawer and pulled out a very dirty Colt Single Action Army revolver and handed it to our collector. He said it belonged to his great such-and-such who had been a lawman in Arizona many years before and he wouldn’t take less than $75 for it.
The collector later said he reached in his pocket so fast he thought his hand was going to go right through it. He could see it was nickel plated, but he rubbed the dirty grips and began walking before the seller could change his mind. It was then he realized the grip was one piece of ivory. The seller yelled to him asking, “Don’t you want his badge that goes with it?” The collector was so excited he didn’t ask the original owner’s name or where he had been a deputy sheriff.
The Colt is a .45 and was made in 1891 with SN 1374XX. It letters to a 71/2″ Colt SAA with grips and finish not listed. The original owner could have returned it to Colt to have the barrel replaced with a shorter one. It’s got lots of personality, been in and out of a holster a thousand times and is still in great running condition.
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CZ Scorpion EVO 3 S1 Pistol
