Subject line says it all.

Coming from Texas I feel like I'm moving behind enemy lines but I'm not so attached to my guns that I'd skip an opportunity like this.

However, even after reading the regs and the wiki pages on NJ gun laws I'm still left with questions. You have to understand that reading these laws seems completely foreign to me so just understanding them is difficult. So I'm going to have some straight forward questions...

1) 100% no AR15's right?
2) Semi-shotguns? Is there a mag limit?
3) I saw the 15 rd mag cap limit so I can bring my G19 or my G34 as long as I don't bring mags with a capacity higher than 15?
4) Are there any decent USPSA or action shooting clubs near northern New Jersey?
5) Bolt actions are good to go? with and without removable mags? Are there any decent long distance ranges?
6) In the absence of the above, are there any good sporting clays or skeet clubs up there?
7) Sounds like I can just move into NJ with them and not have to register them or anything?
8) Saw some of the stories of people being arrested, so there are very strict rules on transporting them?

I'll probably have more as time goes on.

Thanks in advance for your help and patience.

There are more knowledgeable folks than me but........

AR15's are legal but no more than 15 rounds(in any firearm), no noise suppressors or no flash hiders (also on any type of firearm)

As for your other questions - I'm not sure.


ETA: How far north?  I'm in south Jersey and we have everything at our club but a long rifle range, it's only 100 yards

If you like freedom then stay away from NJ. No one can understand the gun laws in NJ. They were written by geriatric retards and only geriatric retards can understand them.

AR15s are good to go; no flash hiders, bayonet lugs.

No mags over 15 rounds in any rifle/handgun.

Pump action shotguns have no restrictions. You can have a magazine with a thousand round capacity. Provided you could still wield it.

HQ is in Saddle Brook. Trying to get some idea from there...

No joke on the Ar15? Ok, so a muzzle brake is good to go? Is there a NJ-ruling on the Surefire Warden?

Are the laws so confused and convoluted that one should consider not risking their freedom over it?

In all likelihood, I'd move up there and feel things out before I just showed up with my collection.

Okay...  this is going to be one of those long, drawn-out replies.  Might want to get a cup of coffee.

1.  AR-15's - NJ has the nation's first and oldest Assault Weapons Ban.  In NJ, just consider it stuck in 1994-2004.  First off, the Colt AR-15 and the Colt CAR-15 (specific models) are banned by name.  No amount of neutering can make these legal.  Any other AR-15 (including other Colt models - the Match Target, the M4, the LE6920, etc.) are legal, PROVIDED that they have a fixed/pinned stock (can not telescope/fold/collapse), no bayonet log, a non-threaded barrel (target crown/bull barrel), or a permanently-attached MUZZLE BRAKE or COMPENSATOR (can NOT have a flash suppressor), and all magazines are 15 rounds or less.  For now, at least...  we expect this restriction to tighten up in the not-so-distant future, to mimic (or even upstage) CA, NY, and CT.

2.  Semi-auto shotguns - Semi-auto shotguns are legal with a mag capacity of 6 or less, NO collapsible/folding stock, NO pistol grip, and NO detachable magazines (no Saiga's, for instance).

3.  Mag limits - Yes, currently semi-auto mags with a 15 round capacity or lower are legal.  If he mag body can hold more, the mag must be permanently blocked to prevent loading more than 15 rounds.  What's permanent?  There's no good answer to that - but anything that can be removed, returning the mag. to it's standard capacity, it considered "not permanent".  Yes - your G19 mags are fine.

4 - 6:  not my area of expertise (nor is 1-3 or 7-8 either, but at least I can fake those  )

ETA:
5.  Bolt actions - Correct, no restrictions on bolt-actions.  Detachable mags, threaded barrels, flash suppressors, folding/collapsible stocks - all fine.

7.  Moving into NJ - Correct.  You can just move in with the portion of your arsenal that is NJ-legal, with a couple of caveats.  You are permitted by statute to possess those firearms while moving from one residence to another, but your travel must be direct.  This means - once you cross the border into NJ, go directly to your new place of residence, unload the firearms, secure them...  THEN go back out to the grocery store, furniture store, etc.  Do not stop or deviate from your direct travel to your residence.  If possible, stop for food/gas before entering NJ.  And, of course, during course of travel, all firearms are kept unloaded, and secured in their cases (locked is not strictly necessary, but advisable).  Nothing that says "guns in car" should be visible from the outside.  Oh, and no cracked windshields, gaudy paint-jobs, and gun-related stickers/decals/murals painted on the vehicle, please (ref. recent story of PA guys going into NY with a truck full of guns).

Also, there is no mandatory registration of firearms here in NJ.  There's a voluntary registration, that can do you absolutely no good whatsoever, so let's just pretend that doesn't exist.  Why anyone in their right mind would avail themselves of that process is beyond me.

8. Rules on transporting - Mostly covered above, but the same rules for transporting to your place of residence also applies to transporting to/from a range (one of the only things you're allowed to do with firearms here in NJ).  Unloaded, secured in a case, and travel is directly to your destination.  No deviations.


Saddle Brook...  yeah, that's tough.  Even the closest places in PA is still a good 90min. commute, and that's without traffic...  practically more like 2 hours each way.

Like I said,

IF YOU LIKE FREEDOM. STAY THE FUCK OUT OF NEW JERSEY! YOU WILL NOT BE FREE HERE.

Seriously, stay away. No job is worth the loss of your freedom. If I were you I'd decline the job offer. It's not worth it.

The guy asked about what is legal and what is not. Tom filled him in as he usually does - great source of info here on the NJHTF.
It gets old when us NJ'ers constantly tell someone who is trying to better themselves not to do it. With all due respect, who are you
to tell him not to? I'm sure he is a big boy and can make that call himself. Yeah, things generally suck for us gun owners here but
hey, we can still own ARs and pistols and shotguns - it's not like with are totally disarmed - albeit the dreaded "yet".

I'm one of those who was born here in NJ, moved to a "free" state as a 20-something and couldn't find a good start to my career
in free America. I've been back 18 years now and while I'll never know for sure if I would have made it "big" somewhere else,
things have gone pretty well for me here. I've somehow managed to  get by without a flash hider, bayonets and collapsible stocks.
Would I REALLY like 30 round mags, and the ability to carry? - fuck yeah.The trade - off to me is a fucking no brainer - I would do it again
in a New York minute - pun intended.

I take it you live here in NJ right? Again with all due respect, why don't you take your own advice? Family? Pack them up too and take them
with you. You have a business? Sell and start up again somewhere else where you can be free... I'm a "gun guy' like the rest of you. I'm also
a family man, I'm someone who values what he does for a living, I value the kick-ass job I landed about a year ago mainly due to the fact that
I've been prepping myself for it ever since I moved back. I understand that for alot of arfcommers, life begins and ends with being armed to the
teeth. I am not one of those people - firearms are a part of my life and personal beliefs but not the be-all-end-all. I like to fish, camp, take vacations
with my family, have a nice meal out every once in a while and yeah, punch some paper with my neutered AR or the same G19 that the OP probably
owns in the great state of Texas.

I didn't type out this rant to piss TheTallest or anyone else off - I understand what we have to deal with but it does bother me when some here try to tell
others what the fuck to do with thier lives - especially when that individual is trying to better themselves and possibly provide a better life for the family.

OP: Tom's info is spot on as usual - digest the info on what you are up against regarding guns ( to me, the worst is the inability to carry) and make YOUR
OWN DECISION as to what is best for you and yours. Surprised no one has said it yet but PA may be an option if a long-ass commute is worth it to keep
most of the firearm freedoms you enjoy in TX but I've also heard rumblings about things changing for the worse there too. Perhaps some others here can
elaborate. Best of luck with whatever you decide. I'm not for from Saddlebrook if you visit let us know and perhaps a few of us can meet you for a beer or 2.

EDIT: Tom covered PA too - Who's better than you Tom?

Firearm laws are the least of your worries.

You should seriously consider taking a week, or at the very least a weekend, vacation to the area before you make the move. I doubt you're going to live in Saddle Brook or a surrounding town, and if you do I doubt you'll want to.

Living in NJ, especially the Saddle Brook area (which I'm very familiar with), is extremely different from Texas (I was stationed in San Antonio for a few months if that means anything).

The location of Saddle Brook is rough and busy; mostly commercial, surrounded by semi-urban towns with extremely urban crime-ridden cities around those (Paterson, Passaic, Hackensack) and very loud with Route 80, 46, and the Garden State Parkway going right through it. Everywhere you go to/from the area around Saddle Brook is going to be traffic-filled. One of the biggest and busiest malls in the country (#17 according to wikipedia, but I swear it feels like it's in the top 5) is located right outside Saddle Brook: Garden State Plaza. This area can make you country boys claustrophobic and home-sick really quickly.

Besides location, let's talk about money... This "promotion" as you call it... have you factored in the cost of living around here? An ok 1 bedroom apartment in an ok area can easily run $1.2k. A 4 bedroom house in ok condition with very little property can easily run $500k. I'm not sure what your marital/family status is but this "promotion" by Texas standards could be a demotion in NJ standards.

But with all that said, this area is ideal for certain people. It has everything you could possibly want, and if it doesn't, it's within a couple hours. But like I said at the beginning of this post: come here for a couple days and see for yourself.

TLDR

"Why don't you take your own advice?"

I am, next summer me and my family will be out of this shit hole.

If the OP was really trying to better himself and provide a better life for his family NJ wouldn't even been a thought. Yeah, he says the job is going to pay more. Does he also not realize that NJ is by far one of the most expensive places to live? That extra money is going to go for bills. Not his bank account.

I stand by my original statement to the OP, DO NOT COME HERE.

For the record, I was born and raised here, I moved to Colorado in 2002 and then made a bunch of really stupid decisions that cost me my job and I lost everything I had in Colorado and the only place left for me to go in 2005 was my mother's couch. It wasn't a decision I made lightly and I had even contemplated living out of my car because I didn't want to come back to this crap state. It however, would not have been practical to live out of my car. The plan however was to get back out of NJ.

It would likely have to be a pretty substantial bump in income to even match your current standard of living in TX. The cost of living in NJ is insane, just wait until you get your first paycheck and see NJ take their ~6% right off the top. Something you've probably not experienced before in TX. That and spending $1500-2000 a month to rent a 2bd apartment.

The cons far outweigh the pros. I mean, if there are actually any pros to being in NJ. Which...I highly doubt.

good Italian food is the only thing I'll miss when I'm gone

don't forget our insane taxes on EVERYTHING (including our brand new $.23/gallon gas tax), car insurance rates that are through the roof, high food prices, state AND fed income tax, high as hell utilities, ETC.


......smokes are close to $9 a pack here too. fucking shit---I gotta quit LOL.

I made the move back to NJ for 2 years to be close to my family and childhood home.  2 years was all I could take, now I'm in Virginia and have my freedom back.  Seriously, it's not worth it man.  Stay in Texas, no joke

As a former NJ and now TX resident, I implore you not to go there.  I had to leave despite the fact I made $95K - 105K a year.  I could survive, but not save money for anything - no vacations, no retirement.  I owned a 1500 sq foot house in Lawrence Twp on .33 acres, and my property taxes were $8,500 a year and climbing.  Extra taxes on tires, cell phones, alcohol, gym memberships, real estate transactions and more.  I left behind a successful business that I built for 17 years, and could not sell.  Starting over in TX has been rough, really rough.  That said, I could never live there again.  The attitude on guns would be a culture shock to you.  You don't mention to ANYONE that you have guns.  You will be equated with a mass murdering psychopath.  I am still hesitant to mention them here in TX, that's how brainwashed you get.  

You will regret it.  It will be a huge waste of resources, effort, time and money, and the return will be minimal.  NJ doesn't deserve you.

Whoa guys! Thanks for all the responses. I appreciate them - I truly do.

I'm going to take a few days up there and visit and get to figure out where I'd want to live if I go through with this.

I've never lived in this part of the country and would look forward to the adventure associated with that. It's not the first time I've lived in a "not free" place. I lived and worked in Europe for over 2 years. Been there, done that. The fact that I can even own a firearm is a step in the right direction compared to that. To me, the biggest loss is the no CHL part.

As far as the expense of living there, I'm fairly sure that what I'm being offered would take care of that. They want me to be happy, comfortable and making progress if I move up there. That's been made quite clear to me. I'll have a company car.

It's not expected to be more than a 2-3 year gig.

I'm trying to remain upbeat about it despite you alls feedback. It appears, and I believe is, such a huge career opportunity for me that I HAVE to consider it.

If it's a short-term thing, and will benefit you professionally in the long run, then yeah - it could be worth it.  Yes, the gun laws suck - but that's not all there is to life.  Weigh all the pros and cons, and make the best decision for your situation.  No one else here can understand your particular situation, so the blanket "RUN AWAY!" advice is worth exactly what you paid for it.

I just left NJ last week for Virginia.  I really love the freedom.

About the only thing I'd miss from Jersey is Taylor Ham, Ted's North (in Paramus) and Sal's in Cranbury. But I'd get over it real fucking quick to be free.

OP, STAY. AWAY.

just for the record, you can get taylor ham anywhere. it's called "pork roll" to non-NJ residents.

Not true. When I lived in Colorado I got weird looks when I asked for "pork roll" but then again, Coloradians think Subway is a deli. Also, when I visited South Carolina no one there had any idea what "pork roll" was either.

not to go too off topic, but I've eaten pork roll in CA, AZ, FL, and LA. you just gotta be determined

I have to agree, stay the hell out of "Peoples Republic of New Jersey  I was born and raised, here got out in the 80's and did a stupid thing and came back and I regretted it ever since. Im looking to get over to PA soon but not soon enough

If ya'll think NJ sucks now just wait till our next Gov. is Steve Sweeney!!

He is bought and paid for by the Liberal Left Unionized Democratic NJ political machine.

Your taxes are cheap right now compared to what this guy owes the Unions. When he is elected Gov. which is inevitable, you will fully understand.

Get out while you can if your under 30.  Forget about "diggin in".

5 more years for me.

Oh, and forget about that CCW that others promise. It's never going to happen!!!!!!!

Leave your stuff in Texas with trusted family or friends. If the position is going to advance your career and earn you more money, do it.  
You can't carry in Nazi Jerzi, but you can get the permits  to own  guns and shoot here.  It is only a couple of years  you will be fine  what I miss about NJ when I leave is the food.  The best Italian food outside of Italy.

Leave your stuff in Texas with trusted family or friends. If the position is going to advance your career and earn you more money, do it.  
You can't carry in Nazi Jerzi, but you can get the permits  to own  guns and shoot here.  It is only a couple of years  you will be fine  what I miss about NJ when I leave is the food.  The best Italian food outside of Italy.

Escaped ten years ago. Love the freedom, still miss some of the comforts and friends. That said, I have a lot of new friends and I have discovered that Publix supermarkets stocks Taylor Ham (Which the GF calls bologna, but we will not go into that as it is a work in progress....)

I couldn't move back. I do miss it, but the cost benefit doesn't support it. And you can do well financially outside the occupied areas. Good luck on your decision whatever it is!

Thanks for the words of support.

Bringing this back to the top:

If I understand the NJ AWB correctly, I need to take the collapsing stock off my AR, and pin a muzzle brake. That would keep me at 1 "evil" feature according to here.

Christ - it feels like I'm going back in time to the Pre-2004 era.

pistol grip, 15 round mag, fixed stock, no bayonet lug (most people who go with free float rails don't really need to worry as you dont usually use an A2 sight post), pinned/welded muzzle brake or comp.

VOILA!

Exactly.  What do you think served as the model for the 1994 federal assault weapons ban?  Yes - New Jersey's state AWB.  The language is/was almost identical.  So yes, we still have the federal AWB here in place, with no sunset clause.  It's just that we allow up to 15 round magazines (for now...  expect that to change in 2018).

ETA:  Just realized...  I told you the same thing 2 months ago.  Well, just to confirm...  nothing's changed since then.  

haha! Roger that...

Nothing has changed on this end either really. Still in a holding pattern.

Personally, 1 day I'm for it, the next I'm not.

Do you guys often travel across to PA for carbine classes? Looks like some decent classes get hosted within a few hours of North NJ.

Yes we do. Plenty of Classes  in Eastern   and Central Pa.

That's good to hear.

I'll probably bring up a minimum of my stuff with me once i get settled and better understand the legalities. Definitely feels like I'm moving to Soviet Russia in that regard.

Here in NJ  we have quite the shooting scene.

From HP RIfle, F Class, IDPA, USPSA, Steel Matches, Trap , Skeet and even Small Bore Shooting.

Although  you must be willing to travel.


 Good luck and let us know  when you are in the People's  Republic of NJ.

Accepted today.

I'll say it again, you're making a mistake.

Welcome the Gun Owner's Hell.

Your next move is finding  a place to live.

What town will your job be in ?

When is your start date ?

You really don't know enough to make that determination.  What if his move here results in a large career advancement, where in 2-3 years he gets to return home, but now making twice what he was previously?  Let's put some random numbers down:

Say he's 30 years old, making $75K per year now.  Let's say he'll stay with his current company until retirement, at age 60.  If he works 30 years at his current salary, he'll make $2.2 million over the rest of his career.  But, if he does the NJ thing, after the three years, let's assume he'll move to $150K per year.  Plus, let's say he'll get a bump to $90K per year while working in NJ.  That's a total of $4.3 million over the course of his career.

Sucking it up for three years isn't worth over $2 million?  And it's actually more than that, as I didn't figure in raises/bonuses over the course of employment.

Better life for his family, better schools for his kids, earlier retirement....  in his place, you'd really deny your family those long-term benefits but for a couple of years of a little-less freedom?  I know you can't say yes to that, since you yourself did it.  You came back to NJ, because it offered a better life for you and your family than staying out west did....  regardless of circumstances.  The fact is, you weighed the pros and cons, and decided that a temporary move back to NJ offered you a better deal.  Why can't you allow that for others?

To the OP - life here sure isn't what it is in Texas, or many other places for that matter.  On the other hand, as you said...  it's not like it's Europe.  And it wouldn't hurt to have another proper-minded individual at the polls every year.  Heck, if we could get another few million people like you, perhaps things would start to turn around here.  Stranger things have happened.  Best of luck to you, and don't hesitate to reach out here if you need anything.

Henceforth,  you will be  " Big Picture Tom"

Ding Ding. You hit the nail on the head.

Thanks very much and I appreciate your support.

I'll be based in Saddle Brook. Trying to be within a 20 min commute of there and hopefully against traffic. Ideally would be between there and Newark airport.

When I came up for a visit we poked around Paramus and Montclair.

Don't know an exact start date yet, but I'll be up there full time in October if I were to guess.

The money your going to spend to live here for a few years for your job it wont be worth it, state tax,cost to rent,car insurance, etc.......Trust me this state SUCKS and Im counting the days till I can get out,the "THUGS" are taking over this state all the nice towns like Irvington,Maplewood,Livingston turned to crap, forget Atlantic city its a shithole.....So good luck and stay out

Irvington was never a nice town. Maplewood and Livingston were always boarder line ghettos.