Mr. Murphy’s action is likely to draw strong pushback from the gun industry and its allies, who have been swift to promise bans and boycotts of companies that have instituted policies aimed at the gun industry.

“That’s something that the governor’s office has to consider,” said Alex Roubian, the president of the New Jersey Second Amendment Society, referring to the possibility of a boycott of New Jersey by firearms manufacturers. “Because if they’re going to put police officers’ lives in danger because of politics, that’s on the governor, not on the gun industry.”

Supporters of gun rights said existing laws adequately governed gun sales.

“Federal law already requires retailers to conduct background checks on all sales,’’ said Amy Hunter, a spokeswoman for the National Rifle Association. “Any retailer illegally selling firearms is in violation of current law. We are confident the governor knows these facts, and we urge him to join the N.R.A. in seeking enforcement of existing laws.”

New Jersey’s action came on the same day that Congress began debating various gun control measures, including restricting high-capacity magazines, though it was unclear whether the Trump administration would lend its support.

Mr. Murphy and the governors of 11 other states, including New York and California, sent a letter on Tuesday to President Trump and Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, demanding that they support universal background checks and so-called red flag laws to prevent people who pose a risk to themselves or others from buying firearms.

“Putting an end to the gun violence epidemic is not a Republican or Democratic issue, it is an American issue,’’ the letter said.

While New Jersey has some of the country’s strictest gun control laws, Mr. Murphy’s executive order seeks to take on an issue that the state, like other states with similar laws, struggles with — stemming the flow of illegal guns into New Jersey.