In a move that undermines the pomp and circumstance of their investigation and lawsuit announcement, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin quietly announced a consent order on March 18, 2025, resolving a civil lawsuit against Point Blank Guns and Ammo LLC, along with a $2,500 fine. The settlement forces Point Blank to tighten its practices, but has been seen by many as just another step in the state’s crusade to choke out lawful firearms commerce.
The East Hanover retailer was accused of selling ammo and magazines to undercover investigators without verifying their credentials—sales that are completely lawful at both the state and federal levels. This is where the state’s arbitrary and capricious “public nuisance” law comes into play. It is a vague law that allows the attorney general to arbitrarily create “nuisance” criteria that violate the law and use it to target the firearms industry.
According to the AG’s press release, Point Blank sold a magazine and 1,000 rounds of .223 ammo to first-time buyers in 2024 without checking IDs or permits, violating N.J.S.A. 2C:58-35. The settlement mandates the store to vet customers with a valid NJ firearms card or permit, keep detailed sales records for three years, and fork over $2,500 in state costs. Platkin hailed it as a win against “lax and unlawful practices,” but critics see it as punishing a business for operating within its rights. After all, these were cash sales to undercover agents—not prohibited buyers—and the store’s now stuck with bureaucratic hoops that could scare off law-abiding customers.
Read the original press release here.
The press release does not address the other gun shop that was targeted by the attorney general and also mentioned in our original article. For gun rights advocates, it’s a pattern: New Jersey’s using every legal trick in the book to hassle FFLs, even when they’re playing by the rules. Point Blank’s agreement to comply might keep them in business, but it’s a bitter pill for those who see this as government overreach dressed up as public safety.
The Second Amendment doesn’t bend for red tape, and neither should lawful dealers, say supporters. As this saga unfolds, the question looms: who’s next on the AG’s hit list?
