Very close to submitting my gun permit app in NJ, have a question.

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Downr@nge

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I'm about a week away from submitting my gun permit application in NJ. In NJ, you need to have two references. If I'm not mistaking, your references need to live near you. My question is how close is "near" you? I have a few LEO friends, one of which lives within two miles of me. He said he'll vouch for me. I also have another good friend that will vouch for me that lives within 3 miles of me.

I really don't want all my neighbors knowing I have a gun since I've only been living there for a little less than two years and don't know them as well as I know my friends who will vouch for me.

Does anyone know the distance requirement for NJ for references?

Thanks guys!
 
Both of my references live in SC (where I went to university). It wasn't a problem for me, but YMMV. Where did you learn that your references must be nearby?
 
The state police aren't involved in contacting your references (unless your town has no PD) so the definitive word will be given by the chief of police. Give him/her a call to be sure.
 
Also, instead of making a new thread, I'm split between the HK 45, the S&W M&P 45, and a Glock 45 (don't know the Glock number corresponding to the Glock 45, but I will say I'm not too fond of Glock style trigger safeties since this will be my first gun). Which brand would you recommend? I've been watching a lot of nutnfancy's vids on the guns and i'll say the S&W is really talking to me above the other two choices.

I have shot a 1911 .45 and the recoil isn't a problem for me. I plan on doing a LOT of range shooting and home defense.
 
There's no "distance requirement" in the law... the law simply states:

"The application shall be signed by the applicant and shall contain as references the names and addresses of two reputable citizens personally acquainted with him."

However, under the section "Who may obtain", it states:

"No person of good character and good repute in the community in which he lives, [...] shall be denied a [...] FID card"

So, one could interpret this to mean that your references need to come from your "community" in order to establish your "good repute in the community".

Your two references sound fine to me.
 
If you're doing a lot of range shooting, .45 ACP will eat into your wallet pretty quickly. Just something to keep in mind. It's an excellent defense caliber and yes, you should practice as much as possible with your defense setup-- but if you plan to do any informal competition shooting at some point, you might want to keep your eye on some 9mm options as well.

Whatever you decide to do, don't make the mistake of requesting only one pistol permit like I did. Put in for 2 or 3 and when you get them, consider submitting another app then and there.
 
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The state police aren't involved in contacting your references (unless your town has no PD) so the definitive word will be given by the chief of police.
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When I lived in NJ, and as far as I know (unless it has changed) permit applications go to the State Police in NJ for the background check and approval. The local PD just calls you and collects their fee when they get it back from them. I received many "reference" calls for permits for my friends, all were from the NJ State Police, and all of them lived in towns with a police force.

Am I ever glad that I live in PA now whenever I read the NJ threads.
 
I shoot several calibers, but as Alec mentioned you are looking at double the price going from 9mm to 45. Maybe a bit less but right around there. Last week I bought a box of federal 9mm FMJ's for 9.95, at Wallyworld, and the 45's were 18.00 a box, so it's an expensive caliber to shoot, considering that I can easily shoot 2-4 boxes, given the cash in my wallett. The old range trip 10 yrs ago was 30-40 dollars now it's a hundred bucks unless you buy your ammo right and just pay for the use of the range. I unerstand even in my own state some ranges in some counties won't allow you to use your own ammo, so you have to buy at an even higher price than normal, like 25 dollars a box. It can get pretty expensive, I would go with a 9mm for your first. Get a lot of rounds downrange, then get the 45 as your second gun, You will want more guns. If you go once a week in the beginning, it can cost you a car payment shooting 45's every week.
 
I really don't want all my neighbors knowing I have a gun
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I guess it is a cultural difference but I WANT potential robbers to know they will be facing an armed household if they choose my house to break into. Also I don't know ANY of my neighbors who DON'T have a gun (or several). It is quite normal to see and hear neigbors out practicing with their arms.
 
You know jimmyraythomason, I was thinking about the cost of ammo. It also just so happens that I thought about getting a 9mm for the range and a 45 for home defense. What do you guys think about the Sig Sauer P250 and it's modular system? Going from a 9mm to a .45 with the same gun sounds like it makes a lot of sense.
 
I do not think they need to be close, but it helps if they are LEO.

They will likely be contacted, so make sure they are willing to promptly get back to the person investigating your application.

Do NOT apply for a carry permit. It will likely be denied and then you will likely need a Court Order each time you want to buy a handgun in New Jersey.
 
What do you guys think about the Sig Sauer P250 and it's modular system?
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I have this exact setup... bought a P250 compact in 9mm, then bought a .45ACP caliber conversion kit. Overall, I like it. I essentially bought a Sig in .45 for about $300. It takes less than a minute to convert it over, and both calibers shoot very well for me. And, it's the easiest pistol I own to thoroughly clean, given that all the internals come out of the frame just by removing the takedown lever.

And, of great importance to those of us in NJ, there's no pistol permit required for the caliber conversion kits. :neener:
 
I think it is a sad state of affairs when a citizen of this country has to worry about the mileage to his references as part of jumping through the hoops designed by the Ruling Class.
 
^ No doubt, but kudos to those folks that live/shoot/hunt/ and posess firearms legally in NJ. I lived there for 4 years, and its not easy to live within the law, given the sheer number of laws on the books. Keep up the good fight, and don't forget to invite your neighbors to the range for an afternoon of fun.
 
I really don't want all my neighbors knowing I have a gun
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...I guess it is a cultural difference...
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You bet it is, and it is absolutely not a joke.

People can and will get *very* weird when they find out you are (or even credibly might be!) a gun owner. You will encounter everything from people treating you as an outright pariah, to folks getting these weird little stressy outbursts & tics.

Frankly, some of it borders on clinical.

I'm dead serious on this.

Of course, that's not *every* person you meet, but it is a distressing proportion of them, and furthtermore, their culture supports the premise that you, as the armed citizen, are the aberrant one, and therefore this pall of suspicion and anxiety is justified.

And yes, where social consequences go, economic consequences follow.

Word.
 
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