New standards for concealed carry holders in New Jersey have been released, and the state is begging for yet another lawsuit from Second Amendment advocates.
Officials labeled the standards as “interim,” and they are essentially the same required of retired police officers who wish to carry on with their permits. For retired police officers they are one thing, but for the general shooting public they are quite another.
Some refer to the new mandate as the “John Wick” law.
For example, concealed carry permit holders must complete a 50-round course of fire. Applicants are mandated to shoot from as much as 25 yards at an FBI target and keep an 80% accuracy score. They are required to show their skills from various distances and other circumstances.
Part of the training requirement is for the applicant to prove proficiency at shooting while kneeling.
There is also a set of timed exercises that must be completed — some as short as three seconds. What this proves for the general public is anyone’s guess, but then training is not the purpose of the New Jersey legislation.
No, the purpose is to lift the middle finger to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Bruen decision handed down in 2022. The majority on the high court opened the doors for lawful gun owners to carry outside of the home as an exercise of their constitutional freedoms.
But governments left unchecked have a remarkable history of erecting barriers to actions they do not want their constituents to be involved with. And New Jersey is dead set against following the high court’s edict and expanding the pool of those permitted to concealed carry.
Current permit holders are also required to requalify by Oct. 1.
Expect filings against this training mandate to appear in federal court soon. Already, the Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs was successful in getting a judge to reopen the case after the new standards were revealed.
