Common Hunting Rifles to be Banned by New Jersey Law

Gun Watch ^ | 23 May, 2014 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

The gun ban that has gone to Governor Christie for signature has been described as a "gun magazine restriction",  but it bans numerous common sport and hunting rifles.   The ban has no exemption for rifles with fixed magazines, including most common .22 rimfire rifles that are used for sport and small game hunting, and almost never used in crime.

 Assembly Bill 2006 bans rifles that meet this definition:

(4)   A semi-automatic rifle with a fixed magazine capacity exceeding [15] 10 rounds.

The bracket and underline show the existing and proposed law.  There are no exemptions for grandfathering.   Anyone who possesses such rifles after the ban is put into effect will be immediately guilty of a felony.  This has already happened at least once, when an owner of a .22 Marlin that he won at a police raffle was convicted for owning the firearm.

The model owned was either the one pictured below a very similar Marlin.  It is an "Assault Weapon" under current New Jersey law, as it has a magazine capacity of 17:

Marlin Model 60 with 17 shot magazine:

After the ban, Marlin modified the design to reduce the Magazine capacity to 15, so that the rifles could be sold throughout the nation, without having to cater to specific state laws.    Now New Jersey is pushing to tighten the restrictions even further, outlawing  the current Marlin model 60, which has a 15 round capacity and is arguably the most popular .22 rifle in the world.

Marlin Model 60 with 15 shot magazine:

Nearly all .22 rifles that have fixed tubular magazines have a capacity of more than 10 rounds.   The Remington 552 has a capacity of 15-22 rounds.

Remington  552, 15-22 shot magazine:

Currently produced Browning Semi-Auto .22 rifles may slip under the ban that  is on Governor Christie's desk.  Browning says that the magazine capacity is exactly 10.   Because of the variation of .22 ammunition, it is likely that the rile would hold 11 rounds of some .22 ammunition.  Older versions of the rifle advertised a magazine capacity of 11 in .22 Long Rifle, and 16 in .22 Short.



Browning Semi-Auto .22 rifle:

.22 rimfire semi-auto rifles with tubular magazines are some of the most popular sporting firearms of all time.   Changing magazine capacity of one of these rifles is not simple, because the magazine is fixed, not easily removable.  The New Jersey ban would make all of them in the state instant contraband.  Here is a list of common sporting rifles banned by the law:


Browning  Semi-Auto .22
Colt Colteer and variants
Franchi Centennial .22
Marlin model 60 and variants
Norinco ATD .22 (Browning Clone)
Remington 6A and variants
Remington Nylon 66, clones, and variants
Remington 552
Remington 550
Remington 241
Savage model 87A and variants
Winchester model 74
Winchester 190, 290 and variants

This is not an  exhaustive list.  .22 semi-auto rifles with tubular magazines are one of the most common configurations of sporting rifles ever made.  Tens of millions of them have been made, most specifically for hunting, pest control, target shooting and practice.  Over 11 million have been manufactured of the Marlin Model 60 and variants alone.  It is hard to think of a rifle that is more completely designed for "sporting purposes".  To my knowledge, they are one of the few firearms designs that was not intended as a potential military design.  

It seems that New Jersey legislators have not heard that "No one wants to ban your hunting rifle."


©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

[marktwain]

Show this to people who say: "No one wants to ban your hunting guns!"

[onedoug]

If I lived there, they could go eff themselves. In fact they still can.

[Made In The USA]

HA! My Marlin 60 is an assault rifle?! Here I was just using it to plink away at targets, but I now I guess I’m ready to invade Oklahoma with it. Seriously, y’all up there, Capt. Rimfire is getting on I-35 right now! Oh...wait.. to actually find some .22 somewhere to load the tube with...

[RWB Patriot]

Here’s hoping someone challenges this on Fifth Amendment grounds.

[tanknetter]

I really have to wonder whether Christie is still under the increasingly epic delusion that he he has a shot at the GOP nomination.

[Jagdgewehr]

Gun-grabbers won't stop there. This will eventually make it on their list.

[ChildOfThe60s]

My Remington Nylon 66? I’m a dangerous dude.

More fascist crap. They..will..never..be..satisfied.

[43north]

I hope that’s a smooth-bore musket. If the barrel is rifled it is obviously a sniper’s weapon. Only fedgov officials may use weapons with rifled barrels...

This was actually british law prior to the first American Revolution. Here they come again.

[ChildOfThe60s]

There’s a turd that can’t be polished.

GOP wanna be contender hugs Obama, bans 22 plinkers.

That’ll get the base fired up all right. With pitchforks, tar and feathers.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

The Buffet Slaying Governor doesn’t have a shot in hell at the nomination. He’s a pathetic embarrassment to conservatives everywhere.

[Little Ray]

If Christie is the ‘Pubbie candidate, I’m voting something else.

[reefdiver]

Police and homeland security now have tanks and heavy weapons necessary to disarm Americans
No accident
Not fighting terrorist or gangs. Disarming America

[petro45acp]

Has cuddles signed the law? If he does/did, he can forget calling himself anything other than a democratin...

KYPD

[gr8eman]

He must have cut a deal with the D-mafia to support this if they got the attack dogs in the press to back off!

[Billthedrill]

...to actually find some .22 somewhere to load the tube with...

Yeah, that is the problem. I have a bucket of .22LR that, I believe, would make my bedroom closet an "arsenal" according to Joisey law. Do you REALIZE that there are no fewer than FIFTY cartridges in one of those little boxes? (Sound of hyperventilating)

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Do you seriously think for a second that anything they say is either true, or they would be embarrassed in the slightest if you pointed out that they were bold faced liars?

If Christie signs this disaster, the gun controllers won’t pause for an instant, but will demand even more controls.

If Christie doesn’t sign it, and enough Republicans cave to override his veto, it will also stimulate the gun controllers.

If Christie vetoes it, they will rant and rave, and also fund raise off it for years.

[deoetdoctrinae]

As far as the left is concerned, Americans cannot
be trusted with these high capacity lead delivery systems.

Click the Pic

Support Free Republic

[DPMD]

This bill will be hailed as a “reasonable and common sense” law. And when it is found to have failed to stop nutcases from using guns to kill, the cry will go up for a “reasonable common sense” gun bill that will take it a step or two further toward outright ban and confiscation.

It’s never enough for the fascists. And it isn’t that they want to stop gun violence, either.

[dartuser]

When was the last time a postal worker went on a shooting spree with at 22LR rifle?

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

They can have my Nylon 66 when they pry it from my cold dead right hand, and my Winchester 74 when they pry it from my cold Left Hand!