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    | NJ: Retired Teacher Faces 10 Years for Flintlock Possession (video available) Submitted by: 
			
Bruce W. Krafft
 Website: http://www.keepandbeararms.com/
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			There 
				is 1 comment 
			 	on this storyPost Comments | Read Comments
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    | ... "Gordon Van Gilder, who taught in the New Jersey school system for 34 years, is a collector of 18th century memorabilia.  He acquired a genuine antique flintlock pistol from that era, and had it unloaded and wrapped in a cloth in his glove compartment when he was pulled over for an alleged minor traffic violation."
 
 "Van Gilder consented to a requested search of his vehicle, and when asked by the officer if there was anything in the car the officer should be worried about, Van Gilder informed him about the flintlock in the glove box. ..."
 
 "New Jersey’s draconian gun laws explicitly include antique firearms such as this 300-year-old pistol.  Indeed, possession of a slingshot is a felony under New Jersey law." ...
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    | Comment by: 
     Millwright66
     (2/17/2015) |  
    | This arrest just shows how divorced from reality NJ legislators, bureaucracy and law enforcement have become. Leaving aside some of the allegations surrounding the incident, one wonders why a sheriff''s deputy is engaging  in traffic violation stop.   And why the demand to search the vehicle ? 
 There can be manifold  reasons for law enforcement to target vehicles.   But upon discovery of a 70-yr. old co-operative retiree why continue ? As to why the NJ gun laws  make no distinction between a 300-year old flint lock antique and a modern cartridge firearm, we can only blame hoplophobic NJ legislators.
 
 But we ought to keep close tabs on this weapon.
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