GOA, GOF, and CNJFO Challenge New Jersey’s Unconstitutional Hollow Point Ammo Ban
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 5, 2025
Washington, D.C. — Gun Owners of America (GOA), Gun Owners Foundation (GOF), and the Coalition of New Jersey Firearm Owners, alongside plaintiff Heidi Bergmann-Schoch, have filed a lawsuit challenging New Jersey’s unconstitutional ban on possessing hollow point ammunition for self-defense outside the home. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, argues that the state’s restrictions violate the Second and Fourteenth Amendments by preventing law-abiding citizens from possessing and carrying the most effective forms of self-defense ammunition.
Despite being widely used by law enforcement and civilians across the country for personal protection, New Jersey’s draconian laws prohibit the possession of commonly used hollow point ammunition outside the home, leaving residents to carry substandard full metal jacket ammunition instead. The plaintiffs argue that there is no historical precedent for such a ban and cite Heller and Bruen as key Supreme Court decisions affirming their constitutional rights.
Erich Pratt, Senior Vice President of GOA, issued the following statement:
“The government does not get to decide for Americans what kind of books they may read, what brands of firearms they may own, or what kind of ammunition they can use. New Jersey’s unconstitutional ban on hollow points for self-defense outside the home is yet another example of anti-gun politicians disarming law-abiding citizens while criminals ignore the law. Self-defense is an enumerated right, and GOA will fight to ensure that New Jerseyans are no longer left vulnerable due to senseless restrictions.”
Sam Paredes, on behalf of Gun Owners Foundation, issued the following statement:
“This lawsuit is about holding New Jersey accountable for trampling on the Second Amendment. Hollow point ammunition is the gold standard for self-defense, and restricting it to usage only in the home does nothing to prevent crime—it only endangers law-abiding citizens. The state has no authority to pick and choose which tools Americans can use to protect themselves.”
GOA spokesmen are available for interviews. Gun Owners of America is a nonprofit grassroots lobbying organization dedicated to protecting the right to keep and bear arms without compromise. GOA represents over two million members and activists. For more information, visit GOA’s Press Center.
-GOA-
