TRENTON, NJ — A Vineland gun retailer has been ordered to immediately comply with New Jersey’s Firearms Industry Public Safety Law after a state judge ruled the store made unlawful sales of AR-15 ammunition and other gun-related products without verifying buyers’ legal eligibility.
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced Thursday that the Superior Court of New Jersey granted summary judgment against Butch’s Gun World following a civil lawsuit filed by the Statewide Affirmative Firearms Enforcement Office (SAFE). The court found the store sold over 1,000 rounds of AR-15 ammunition to undercover investigators for cash, without conducting any verification of the buyers’ legal ability to possess firearms.
The Firearms Industry Public Safety Law, enacted in July 2022, requires gun sellers to have safeguards in place to prevent sales to individuals prohibited under state or federal law from possessing firearms. According to the court’s ruling, Butch’s Gun World had not “established ANY controls” over such transactions.
Under the injunction, the store must now verify that all individual buyers hold a valid New Jersey firearms card or permit before completing any sale of gun-related products. The order also mandates staff training, sale record-keeping, and policy postings.
Attorney General Platkin stated, “This gun store was selling the same kind of ammunition used in mass shootings without taking any steps to determine if the buyers were even lawfully permitted to possess a firearm.”
SAFE Director Ravi Ramanathan added that the case highlights the necessity of enforcing accountability within the firearms industry.