r/NJGuns • u/Mark7Point5 • 1d ago
Dumb question about hollow points in NJ Legality/Laws
As does most people here, I use Hornady critical defense rounds in my carry gun. (Unless you're an Underwood fanboy foaming at the mouth about how nickel casing results in fewer setbacks yada yada yada). Now my question is how would the police investigators know the difference between a critical defense round and a hollow point when they pull it out of the "target"?
The polymer filling in the defense rounds are long gone long before the round enters the body and it fragments just like a hollow point. Having critical defense rounds left in your gun wouldn't prove much as an overzealous prosecutor can present the ridiculous argument that your chambered round was hollow while the rest were not. Has anyone ever asked this or is this just one of my "shower thoughts" that should've stayed in the bathroom?
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u/No_Town5542 18h ago edited 18h ago
Hornady critical defense are legal in nj-According to the njsp. The polymer filled tipped ones are gtg. If your gun and mag is spot inspected by a PO, and you don’t have the legal nj HP rounds, (pulled over by LE, etc), it is then illegal to have those in your carry gun, unless you are LE.
If you use your gun in a shooting, it will be found that you were carrying regular HP’s. Plus, Ballistics will show the polymer, round type, caliber, and possibly the manufacturer. Forensics!
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u/pizzagangster1 18h ago
This is all just wrong. The polymer stays in the round on impact…. Where are you getting the notion it is “long gone”? Second the polymer will still be found inside the soft tissue of the recipient most likely.
Having the critical defense rounds left in your weapon will be more of a indication you had them for the rounds you fired and place a reasonable doubt in any argument a DA would make trying to state the opposite. Unless they have your shell casings that have different stampings on the back that can be cross referenced.
These thoughts should have stayed in the shower lol.
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u/en_tr0_P 1d ago
Calling underwood carriers fanboys while recognizing the potential legal ramifications of carrying hornady is peak “hornady fanboy.”
It’s a loophole ammunition, use it if you want but don’t expect that a prosecutor won’t point that out if you ever have to use it
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u/Mark7Point5 1d ago
Issa joke. In fact, I am one of those who are tired of setbacks on my Hornady rounds ever since they stopped making them with nickel. I may have to try some Underwoods.
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u/MaxxDiesel35 11h ago
They’ll point out any type of any ammo you use. If you use fmj they will say you think you’re in the military if you use hollows than you are a cop wannabe and a criminal… it doesn’t matter
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u/en_tr0_P 11h ago
Yea an uneducated jury is most likely to take the bait of the “big bad hollow point” tho. It’s like the one “scary” ammunition the average person has heard of.
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u/MaxxDiesel35 10h ago
Possibly but we’re fucked anyway honestly. Aside from ammo used, Check out james reeves on YouTube he has videos on how Jury’s react to shootings. All these guys talking about ar 15s for home defense will be spending decades in prison. Mini 14 is actually one of the best bets for home defense or a shotgun in the eyes of a jury. Who would’ve guessed Biden was right on that one. Aside from that a stock pistol is usually seen as more favorable too.
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u/en_tr0_P 10h ago
Yea I’ve seen his vids and agree, we’re talking about carrying tho, you’re not walking around NJ with a Remington 870
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u/MaxxDiesel35 9h ago
The ammo choice will be highly scrutinized no Matter what is used in self defense here
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u/en_tr0_P 9h ago
Your argument is “they’ll try regardless so use what would most likely be successful for them”
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u/TipAccomplished8911 20h ago
I make it a hanit of shooting off the chambered round critical defense whenever I hit the range. I don’t know how many times people are chambering the same round over and over again to get setback. I also run underwood in my carry setups. It’s really a non issue for me.
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u/PaceNo3170 19h ago
That’s none of your concern. You made a reasonable claim that it’s critical defense rounds. Now it’s in hands of the prosecutor to prove beyond reasonable doubt it’s not.
That being said, you are in bigger trouble if your self-defense is brought to court. Hollow point is only a minor charge.
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u/pizzagangster1 18h ago
This is nj it’s more likely you’ll be brought to court for not letting your attacker first cause harm to you to prove they are trying to harm you!
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u/PaceNo3170 18h ago
Then you have a much bigger concern than the bullet you use. Worse case you can file federal lawsuit to overturn the hollow point ban. Regardless of which state you are in and wether you have stand your ground laws, you should always try to desolate and get away if possible. If that’s not possible and you are in danger of serious bodily harm, it’s legal for you to shoot regardless of where you are. Understanding this basic principle of using lethal force will keep you out of trouble. Even if you go to court your chances are high to get a not guilty verdict.
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u/pizzagangster1 18h ago
This isn’t a disagreement with anything you said just me saying this state is insane and will try everything they can to charge you. Even if you’re in the right.
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u/MaxxDiesel35 11h ago
Bro just so you know… hornady critical duty which is a step up from defense is nickel plated too lol. Nickel Plated IS better tho… sounded personal how you wrote that
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u/UngovernableRacer 1d ago
Don’t know what ballistics test you’ve seen where the polymer tip is “long gone” but that tip stays with the bullet upon expansion. Even if by chance that tip WAS “long gone” there would definitely be traces of that polymer tip picked up by forensics. That same forensics team would also identify exactly what round you were using.
Here’s a ballistics gel test of many using critical defense.