Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced a legal victory against Butch’s Gun World, a gun store in Vineland, New Jersey. The store was found to have sold over a thousand rounds of AR-15 ammunition and other gun-related products to undercover investigators without verifying if the buyers could legally possess firearms.
The case was part of civil lawsuits filed by Attorney General Platkin and the Statewide Affirmative Firearms Enforcement Office (SAFE) against two licensed firearms retailers. These lawsuits aim to enforce the Firearms Industry Public Safety Law, enacted in July 2022, which requires gun industry members to implement procedures preventing sales to individuals prohibited from possessing firearms.
In March 2025, one retailer agreed to comply with the law. This week, Judge Robert G. Malestein ruled against Butch’s Gun World, granting summary judgment in favor of the Attorney General and issuing an injunction for compliance with the law.
“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,” said Attorney General Platkin. “The judge explicitly found that the store had no safeguards in place to stop it from selling to people prohibited by law from possessing firearms, and that is a violation of our laws.”
Ravi Ramanathan, Director of SAFE, stated: “This kind of irresponsible behavior from gun industry members puts everyone at risk and illustrates why the Firearms Industry Public Safety Law is necessary.”
Under the injunction terms, Butch’s Gun World must establish procedures ensuring they do not sell gun-related products to prohibited individuals. Compliance can be achieved by selling only to licensed businesses or individuals with valid New Jersey firearms cards or permits.
The investigation involved Deputy Director Jeremy Ershow and several Assistant Attorneys General and Deputy Attorneys General from SAFE and the Division of Law's Special Litigation Section.
SAFE is recognized as a pioneering office focused on firearms industry compliance and accountability. It was established by Attorney General Platkin in 2022 under his authority granted by P.L. 2022, c. 56.
