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MackTheKnife

Cherry Hill Intro

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Evening, folks....

 

I'm a 31 year old Cherry Hill resident looking into permits and certifications and whatever else NJ requires us to do to own a firearm. I would keep two weapons (shotgun and one revolver, maybe a semi-auto handgun) at most and rely on them primarily for home defense, but I plan on staying sharp and hitting the range and maybe even taking a class or two. I've fired handguns and rifles as a teenager but that was over ten years ago so it's as good as starting over, I figure.

 

Anyway, I'm glad to see a site and forum dedicated to NJ residents. The specificity will no doubt be helpful as I start figuring out the forms that need to be completed.

 

Thanks,

 

MtK

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Welcome. I wish you lots of luck with stopping at 2 guns. Most of us started that way and ended up with a safe too small to house the collection! :icon_e_biggrin:

 

Thanks Jon.... I'm well aware of the likelihood that I'll wind up with a small arsenal. My biggest deterrent is my soon-to-be wife, who is reluctant about this path I've set down. But she trusts me and agreed that she should also get familiar with the weapon. Pretty soon she'll want her own, too. :icon_mrgreen:

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Welcome

 

This site was also one of my first steps during the initial process for firearms ownership

you will, if you already haven't, find a wealth of knowledge from this sites contents and members.

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Living in Cherry Hill is adding insult to injury when it comes to firearms. There are several threads on here already about CH residents. The CHPD is so far over the line, they are out of sight. From what has been posted on here they require reference letters, spousal consent letters amd they also send one to your employer. The references and spousal consent letters must be notarized before they are returned.

 

All of this is illegal under NJ law and administrative code. Search for the other threads under the NJ GUN LAWS forum for more details. As PK90 said, you have to decide if your are going to succumb to their wishes or push back. CH seems to be one of the more out of control jurisdictions in this state. Before we can reform the gun laws, it would be nice if the PD's just complied with the existing laws.

 

JMHO

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

 

PS: BTW, welcome to the board and good luck dealing with CHPD.

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Mack...

Fellow CH resident here also. Until recently, Cherry Hill was a breeze... but new Chief and new Detective hanndling the process have thrown up some speed bumps.

 

Besides the usual process, they now ask that you get two references to sign forms and get them notarized. They also send a letter to you SO if you list one on your application notifying that person of your interest in acquirring a handgun and if they have an issue with it. That letter must be returned also, signed and notarized by the SO.

 

Both of those stipulations are against the law. You can just go ahead and follow through with their hoop jumping or fight it.

 

I am in the middle of my process currently. I will keep everyone here informed of my progress.

 

On a lighter note... welcome. We have a good group of people in the area and we share a good bit of info, compare stores, ffls etc etc, shoot together and swap bs. Wade on in and once it thaws out around here, we will get you out shooting.

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welcome! wives have a way of changing their minds. Mine was totally against guns in the house until I nagged her enough (women aren't the only ones with nagging capabilities :icon_e_biggrin: )

persevere with CHPD - there are others on the forum that can give advice.

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Greeting! B)

 

Another Cherry Hill resident here... As axeman said above it used be a breeze before the regime change, with Pistol permits being turned around in 28 days or less (not bad by most standards). Not so anymore :mad:

 

Wives can have a habit of turning around. My gf/turned fiancee/turned wife had never seen a firearm till we started dating. She was a Jersey resident since birth (I moved to the state for her... go figure) and was very anti-gun until she got to shoot one. Now she comes shooting with me 5-6 times a year, and understands my "hobby" and the costs associated with it :icon_twisted:

 

When the weather warms up perhaps we can head out and let you test drive some hardware :D

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Hey everybody... thanks for the warm welcome. I wonder how much a cop connection at CHPD would help.... I have one, maybe two...

 

Also, it is disheartening to hear that CH is such a mechanical bull ride when it comes to permits and licenses. I'm sure this has been said a million times but if the local PD's spent as much time getting the unregistered and illegal guns off the street as they did in preventing upstanding citizens from exercising their 2nd amendment rights, we'd be in a nicer place.

 

To level with you guys, all these police layoffs in Camden and my proximity to the area has been a bit of a wake-up call. The uncertainty regarding the quality of life in the area here is unnerving, to say the least, and to have to jump through hoops in order to take steps to secure your residence is counterproductive. I'm all about gun control, but a background/criminal check for me would uncover the following:

 

1. No previous arrests.

2. No charges.

3. No moving violations.

4. No restraining orders or complaints.

5. Secret US government clearance.

6. Stellar credit rating.

7. Homeowner.

 

 

The list could go on, but what else could you need to determine character and social standing of an applicant? I'm amused that a letter from a reference of my choosing should have to be notarized and considered in order to obtain a firearm permit. One of my references could be my hypothetical Bonnie.

 

Anyway, I'll see how I feel when it comes to hoop jumping versus constitutional rights. I'm typically the type who avoids making a big splash.

 

Thanks folks,

 

MtK

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I guess I'll continue posting in here with my progress reports...

 

So I printed out the forms listed by Maksim in the Gun law forums (thanks!) and filled them out and went to CH Municipal building. Once there, the lady saw that I had the two forms I thought I needed (a mental health check and the FPID card / handgun purchase permit), but she said, "in Cherry Hill, we have more forms than that".

 

So she stapled me a packet with:

 

a) A memo stating that fingerprinting is no longer being done at CHPD as of May 24, 2010 and that it had been outsourced to MorphoTrak (who does electronic fingerprinting). The cost of that is $60-something, which I just paid via their website. I got an appointment to be printed next Thursday morning (2/3).

 

B) FPID card / handgun purchase permit form.

 

c) The mental health records check form.

 

d) A form providing "next of kin" information (as it was explained to me by the lady there), however on the form it asks for "Nearest Relative". This must be what some of the guys were talking about whose wives got letters from the PD stating that their spouses were trying to register for firearms. I'm not married (yet) so I put my brother. I'll give him a heads up that something like that might come in the mail.

 

e) The MorphoTrak info form.

 

I don't really have any major issues with filling out these forms. I think the "Nearest Relative" form is kind of shady because, like I've read here, it's not required by law and CHPD is taking some liberties with their interpretation of the laws.

 

I have a childhood friend that's a CH cop (who I'm not really friends with anymore, more like acquaintances) that I called up today and asked him about CH's firearms application / registration / certification procedures and he told me that they had a guy who used to process these applications but he was recently laid off. Now, and I'll use his words, "the responsibility fell to a detective who is already overworked, so the process has really slowed down". However, he told me that he'd go talk to the detective after my application is submitted and see if he can nudge him for me to get me going.

 

So... that's where I am now. Thanks to you all for the information to get me started. I was browsing some of the online shops today and I think I'm leaning towards revolver.... and the S&W 686 (357) has caught my eye.

 

Cheers,

 

MtK

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Do not fill out form D) you are not required by law to give such information, and it is illegal by law for them to ask for it. You can state that when u drop the rest off.

 

The only forms required

a) application - FID + permits + references

b)mental health form

c)finger printing form

 

anything more or less is against the law.

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Cherry Hill? Isn't that the same town with that pistol grip shotgun fiasco? Whatever you do, try not to get pulled over there if you're transporting a weapon. You never know what charges they can come up with...lol

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Do not fill out form D) you are not required by law to give such information, and it is illegal by law for them to ask for it. You can state that when u drop the rest off.

 

The only forms required

a) application - FID + permits + references

b)mental health form

c)finger printing form

 

anything more or less is against the law.

 

I agree with you here. But at the same time I'm thinking that it's a means to an end. If this delays the processing of my applications I have to weigh the value of a) to fight the system because they are breaking the law or B)put up a fight on principle and see how I make out.

 

It's a predicament, for sure, but at the same time, I don't know what the purpose of form D) is besides to have a family member on file....

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OK. Start the clock. Forms turned in Friday afternoon 2/4.

 

Hey all...another new CH resident here. A little disheartened by this thread, though.

 

I grew up occasionally shooting with my dad, who is a retired police officer. Haven't shot in a long time so I'm basically starting from scratch.

 

Any update on your permit, Mack?

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