Yesterday, I posted about the foundation of today’s gun control laws in NJ, and today here is part deux;
Discovered Rutgers Law Library online. With this you can go all the way back to 1776 and research all the laws of New Jersey for each year. If you are a history buff or know someone who is this site is full of valuable history and the formation of our country.
Unfortunately I could not go from year to year and compare one years statues against another year. But I could check the known years when certain legislation was passed and checked the index to see if there was any new legislation of interest. You can easily research this stuff yourself if you want. Here is the main index below.
http://lawlibrary.ru…leg/index.shtml
Summary; there were surprises. Air and spring guns appear to have been outlawed in 1958 ?. And in 1954 a permit to purchase a handgun was needed, however in 1924 is when the concealed carry license came in effect and that calls for registration and and non could be sold after 3pm.
What a bizarre coincidence that another Constitutional Convention was called for 1966, the same year as the Sills Gun Control Act? Wholesalers of Firearms and Manufacturers of “dangerous instumentalities” (it really is worded that way) needed to register in 1951.
Want a Tommy Gun ? Well in 1927 is when they started to require to ‘procure and possess a license to purchase’ a machine gun. And we finally get down to the mystery of that “noxious thing” that keeps showing up in the gun laws.
Chapter 43 Laws of 1965 Page 102 Here they talk about a upcoming Constitutional Convention for the following year, for March 21 1966 in New Brunswick at Rutgers or at any other place the Governor may designate. (I find this interesting because March 1966 is when the American Rifleman started sounding the alarm about the new proposed law regarding firearm permits and such…Assembly Bill 165 or the Sills Act of 1966…just a coincidence..)
http://lawlibrary.rutgers.edu/cgi-bi…e=0102&zoom=70
Chapter 60 Laws of 1966 Pages 480 – 506 Firearms Laws Revising, repealing and supplementing parts of Statutory Law. This is the one that changed things and the one you want to research yourself. Sills Act of 1966 or the FID 1966 Gun Control Law all 26 pages worth. The exact law, the exact wording, 1966 style.
http://lawlibrary.rutgers.edu/cgi-bi…e=0480&zoom=60
Chapter 32 Laws of 1959 Page 125 Carry Permits for Armed Guards do not have to be renewed as long as they are employed. Others who have carry concealed permits will have their permits expire December 31 of each year to be renewed annually.
http://lawlibrary.rutgers.edu/cgi-bi…le=183&zoom=90
Chapter 91 Laws of 1958 Page 534 Anyone who sells, manufactures, barters, hires, gives, buys,possesses,uses, shoots or knowingly delivers any spring gun, air gun or pistol with or any other weapon of a similar nature in which the propelling force is a spring or air and ejecting a bullet or missile smaller than 3/8″ inch in diameter, with sufficient force to injure a person, is guilty of a misdemeanor. Approved June 30 1958 Did this really outlaw air guns? I thought it was 1966
http://lawlibrary.rutgers.edu/cgi-bi…e=0535&zoom=90
Chapter 67 Laws of 1954 Page 419 No person shall sell or purchase a pistol or revolver unless the purchaser has first secured a permit to purchase or carry a pistol or revolver. Approved June 24 1954
http://lawlibrary.rutgers.edu/cgi-bi…le=178&zoom=90
Chapter 29 Laws of 1951 page 135 Wholesalers of firearms and “dangerous instumentalities” have to register with the Superintendent Of Police. If the superintendent is not satisfied that the wholesaler can operate in a safe manner he can refuse to register the applicant.
http://lawlibrary.rutgers.edu/cgi-bi…le=175&zoom=90
Chapter 95 Laws of 1927 Page 180-182 Machine Guns need to procure and possess a license to purchase. Apply at the Court of Common Pleas of the county where the applicant resides for a license to purchase have and possess a machine gun. Application shall be in writing and shall state the reasons for needing one. Application presented to the judge and to the sheriff, the judge at his discretion may issue a license. Exceptions for law enforcement..
http://lawlibrary.rutgers.edu/cgi-bi…e=0180&zoom=90
Chapter 137 Laws of 1924 Page 305 – 308 >Concealed carry permit now needed. Establishes Record of Sale, Registry, signature of buyer and seller, duplicate needs to be delivered to chief of police, penalties include a high misdemeanor, 24 hour waiting period, no sales after 3 pm, presidents of banks and trust associations, loan institutions, can make application for (up to) 20 permits for the employees,agents, messengers and clerks. Does not apply to State Police or any motor vehicle inspector…Approved March 11 1924
http://lawlibrary.rutgers.edu/cgi-bi…e=0305&zoom=90
Chapter 160 Laws of 1963 Page Page 878 So where did that “noxious thing” in the gun laws come about? Here is an act that establishes standards for those who commit an assault, robbery,larceny,burglary or breaking and entering when armed with machine gun,automatic rifle,revolver,pistol or other firearm or a gun,device or instrument from which may be fired or ejected any gas, vapor or other noxious thing by missle,pellet,bullet or otherwise. Then it goes on to list stuff like blackjack, slung shot (not sling shot!), dirk, dagger, sandbag and practically anything else whether toy or imitation. First conviction FIVE YEARS, Second Conviction Ten Years and so on. Approved December 7 1963. Notice it says slung shot, not sling shot
http://lawlibrary.rutgers.edu/cgi-bi…le=187&zoom=90
Chapter 212 Laws of 1928 Pages 384 – 385 License needed for carrying….I did a little more digging and found a law in 1928 that required a license to carry. There was exceptions for those who hunted and did target practice and that seems to jive with older members recalling that they or their dad or relatives open carried. They could have used the target practice exemption as a reason for carrying and probably a lot of people got away with it and especially in rural areas where no one would blink an eye if someone had a gun all the way into the mid 1960′s in those areas. My earlier comments (based on reports of others) that open carry was tolerated in some areas seems to ring true even though the law was that a license was needed. In addition there was a whole page of exemptions in addition to the target and hunting clauses. From law enforcement ,military, fish and game wardens, canal police, to even steamboat police as well as motor vehicle inspectors! Why did motor vehicle inspectors keep coming up in these various gun laws? Motor vehicle inspectors had more rights than a law abiding citizen! Approved April 3 1928
http://lawlibrary.ru…384&zoom=90
Couple of things I didn’t touch on when I did part two. The 1966 FID law in general seems to take elements of and, sections of earlier laws with the penalties and revised and updated them with the added requirement for the FID card for rifles and such. It seemed like a massive consolidation in one big pile. The thing about informing the police of purchases goes back to 1924 with the conceal carry law, and that is where these things started.
The current FID system seems to have roots in the 1927 machine gun law where one needed to procure and possess a license. Today one has to procure and possess a FID before one can obtain a rifle or shotgun in NJ.
A lot of the current regulations especially the handgun regulations actually has roots dating back over eighty years ago. The License to carry rule actually goes way back to 84 years ago!
Finally a big thanks to Rutgers Online Law Library for having an outstanding and very valuable and historical resource. Without that site, part two and this addition would not have been possible.
Originally posted on NJGunForums here, and here. Researched and compiled by Midwest.
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