Ammo Restrictions

  • Ammo Restrictions
    • 1. Is it legal to own ARMOR PIERCING ammo?
    • 2. Is it legal to own HOLLOW POINT ammo?

Ammo Restrictions

Short answer: No, it’s illegal to own armor piercing rounds (defined in N.J.S.2C:39-1) as per N.J.S.2C:39-3(f(2)).

Long answer: First, we need to define “armor piercing rounds” which we look to N.J.S.2C:39-1 Definitions, and then we review N.J.S.2C:39-3 Prohibited weapons and devices to see how it explicitly bans said defined ammunition.

gg. “Armor piercing ammunition” means: (1) a projectile or projectile core which may be used in a handgun and is constructed entirely, excluding the presence of traces of other substances, from one or a combination of tungsten alloys, steel, iron, brass, bronze, beryllium copper, or depleted uranium; or (2) a full jacketed projectile larger than .22 caliber designed and intended for use in a handgun and whose jacket has a weight of more than 25 percent of the total weight of the projectile. “Armor piercing ammunition” shall not include shotgun shot required by federal or State environmental or game regulations for hunting purposes, a frangible projectile designed for target shooting, a projectile which the United States Attorney General finds is primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes, or any other projectile or projectile core which the United States Attorney General finds is intended to be used for industrial purposes, including a charge used in an oil gas well perforating device.

With the above defined, the following in N.J.S.2C:39-3 bans it:

f. Dum-dum or armor piercing ammunition. (1) Any person, other than a law enforcement officer or persons engaged in activities pursuant to subsection f. of N.J.S.2C:39-6, who knowingly has in his possession any hollow nose or dum-dum bullet, or (2) any person, other than a collector of firearms or ammunition as curios or relics as defined in Title 18, United States Code, section 921 (a) (13) and has in his possession a valid Collector of Curios and Relics License issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, who knowingly has in his possession any armor piercing ammunition, as defined in subsection gg. of N.J.S.2C:39-1, is guilty of a crime of the fourth degree. For purposes of this section, a collector may possess not more than three examples of each distinctive variation of the ammunition described above. A distinctive variation includes a different head stamp, composition, design, or color.

Short answer: Yes, it’s legal to own hollow point rounds. Reference #13 of the NJSP FAQ to see which HP are permitted.

Long answer: Technically, possession of hollow point rounds is legal if possession meets any of the exemptions highlighted in N.J.S.2C:39-3(g)(2)(a) or N.J.S.2C:39-6(f).

The application of 39-6(f) exemptions is called out in N.J.S.2C:39-3(f)(1):

f. Dum-dum or armor piercing ammunition. (1) Any person, other than a law enforcement officer or persons engaged in activities pursuant to subsection f. of N.J.S.2C:39-6…

Long story short, the exemptions to consider:

In addition to the above, the NJSP have provided guidance on the Transportation and Use of Hollow Point Ammunition by Sportsmen.

It can be difficult to follow along with the subsection to subsection references, but with a little patience, one can come to their own conclusion.