The fact that some states like New York ban the private ownership of body armor basically tells me just one thing—they want to be able to kill you without you having any protection to avoid that. Such laws are absurd, making anyone who owns body armor for any reason a criminal.

Under current New York law, a “person is guilty of the unlawful purchase of body armor when, not being engaged or employed in an eligible profession, they knowingly purchase or take possession of body armor.” Further, it is not permitted for anyone to “sell, exchange, give or dispose of body armor … to an individual … not engaged or employed in an eligible profession.”

Violations are subject to a Class A misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class E felony for any subsequent offense.

A new lawsuit filed yesterday by the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) is challenging New York’s ban. FPC President Brandon Combs said his organization filed the case, Heeter v. James, because of the laws absurdity.

“New York’s body armor ban shows that the State’s commitment to authoritarianism has collapsed into absurdity, making it a crime to buy and use simple personal protection equipment,” Combs said in a release announcing the lawsuit. “New York’s laws have gone so far off the deep end that it would surprise exactly no one if Gov. Hochul and her goons banned safety glasses next. FPC looks forward to eliminating this unconstitutional law and teaching New York another lesson about constitutionally protected rights.”

One item highlighted in the lawsuit was the popularity and widespread use of body armor.

“Body armor is in common use in every state for lawful purposes,” the complaint stated. “Indeed, a recent analysis of the body armor market concluded that American civilians spent $41.9 million on body armor in 2022, which is projected to increase to $69.2 million by 2034, as the materials to make body armor become more and more lightweight, thereby increasing the popularity of body armor.”

The complaint also pointed out that in defending the ban the state will have a hard time living up to the second standard from the 2022 Supreme Court decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Club v. Bruen.

“New York cannot meet its burden; there exists no American tradition of depriving citizens of the ability to lawfully purchase, sell, or take possession of purely defensive arms and armor,” the complaint states. “Indeed, there were no restrictions concerning body armor at all prior to 1900.”

Through the lawsuit, FPC is seeking a declaratory judgment that plaintiffs have a fundamental, constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms, including body armor, and that New York’s ban is unconstitutional. FPC also seeks a permanent injunction to block enforcement of the ban.

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21 COMMENTS

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  2. Easy solution -rent a U-haul and move. So sick if the whiny babies who make excuses why they live in a Marxist pit.

    • Yep Nikita, kinda like those in california when they had a chance to recall newsom(or new scum same as the old scum as some UN-affectionately call him) and then did not vote him out.

    • Bruen called and not all of us have that much quit in us. Besides the constant evolution of retarded authoritarianism here makes it easier to prevent elsewhere and more apparent to everyone it is an actual threat. With that said what gun rights are you working on currently?

  3. The left yells that the AR15 makes it easier to kill as many people as possible quickly and then yells that they can’t kill as easily when people wear body armor.

    There was a time when it was all the rage sending body armor to soldiers in the middle east. I guess mothers living in NewYork cant help protect their sons without fear of arrest and jail time.

    The whole idea that these things must be banned because criminals have been seen wearing it is crazy. This isn’t leadership. It just keeps everyone vulnerable. If a cop understands that the perp is wearing chest protection then it shouldn’t be all that much of a stretch to shoot them somewhere else. The point is to make them stop. Why keep firing center mass at that point? Unless maybe the cop in question only fires their side arm for qualification. Otherwise, laws like these should be seen by everyone as a desire by law makers (Hochul) to see people killed.

    • Watching the law get rolled out was even more silly than you think as initially they only banned soft armor and we had months to panic order plates while waiting for them to figure out how much they missed. That they can only prevent in state purchase and taking possession of armor for those not on the qualified occupation list for purchase approval adds another level of silliness but I would guess it may reduce standing to challenge somehow in some of our judges’ minds. Wonder how this case will interact with the Armored Republic version.

    • Criminals have been seen using cars and shoes…..ban cars and shoes!!! Government merely wants their goons to have the ability to kill as many as possible quickly, and not be killed as easily wearing body armor…..classic for them, not you.

  4. Let me see if I understand this. You have to wear a mask for your protection but you can’t wear protective armor for your protection. Yeah, I understand.

    • At the time of the ban masks were largely optional outside of “medical facilities” but yes it is exactly that level of stupid.

    • Then why should we wear seat belts!
      How does the body armor restrictions deter crime?
      I ain’t got time to wait on an answer.
      ……………………OH! I get it. This is so only the bad guy will have body armor. Thus, because bad guys don’t obey laws anyway therefore they will be protected, but good citizens are S O L.

  5. I keep a couple of vests handy in the house. They are expired, but will still work. I shot an expired Second Chance with a “4 and “6 .357 back in the mid-80s. Worked as designed. When I would get a new vest I would give my old one to a friend. I outfitted four or five buddies over the years.

    • The expiration dates are for liability reasons. Also for repeat business. Unless you improperly store hard and soft armor, it will keep serving long after the date stamped on it.

      • Just double check it isn’t zylon and it should be fine so long as it isn’t stored in hot/humid conditions……or left in a hot car in southern summer conditions if UHMWPE.

      • Like many “Best Before” dates on supermarket items are for inventory and batch control. Makes it easier to issue a warning or a recall. Only really mandatory on perishables such as dairy products.

  6. The don’t want the bad guys to have body armor.
    They don’t want the bad guys to have gunms.
    It’s about stopping crime and the Second Amendment is about hunting.
    We need more laws.
    JRB in 2024.

    • Possum’s brain is playing possum again. 23,000+ anti-gun laws on the books, and it is still the old “we need just one more anti-gun law.” The Founders had not just returned from deer season when they penned the Second Amendment. They expected citizens to keep and bear current technology arms to deal with tyranny….if the government had it, the citizens needed it.

      And, once again, for the possum brained among us..
      Politicians with laws never stop bad guys with guns, evil intent.
      They only control the good guys, which is their true intent.

  9. While the politicians and their rich cronies ride around in armored cars with armed bodyguards, the average citizen is made a criminal if they try to protect their selves, this is absolutely insane.

  10. Gun control is intended to disarm law-abiding citizens for the benefit of criminals and tyrants.
    Body armor bans are intended to make law-abiding citizens easier for criminals and tyrants to kill. It’s that simple.
    Next they’ll ban rape whistles for the benefit of rapists, to make women easier to rape.
    They’ll ban insect repellent for the benefit of mosquitoes and ticks that cause fatal diseases.
    They’ll ban ear plugs to make shooters and hunters go deaf, ban safety glasses so we’ll go blind. Oops, I should stop giving them ideas.

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