Guns

[JimmySidewalk]

How many of you own a gun ? What are the requirements in order to legally own a weapon in the US ?

I heard it depends from state to state. Also Texas is cool cause you can shoot any tresspasers. In comparison, in California it sucks cause you cant shoot him if he's not a threat to you or you family even if he is on your property. Meaning if he robs you and you find him and he starts running, you cant legally shoot the beep out of him to stop him from going away with your belongings.

Correct me if i am wrong. I'm only talking from what i read.

P.S. If you own one, have you ever been in a situation of using it ?

[DSM4Life]

I can shoot whomever walks through my door. I just can't forget to put a knife in his dead hands before i call the police.

[Ernst]

It does vary widely from state to state. Certain counties or cities will also pass laws or ordinances of their own, further complicating matters. Ultimately, in one place you can walk down the street with a gun in your pocket, and two miles away it's illegal to even own it. California over all has some of the dumbest gun laws in the nation. Not just restrictive, but very poorly conceived by politicians who had no clue what they were talking about.

I do own guns. There have been a couple of incidences where I have pulled one out in anticipation of having to defend myself, though it didn't come to that.

[zimmy]

How many of you own a gun ? What are the requirements in order to legally own a weapon in the US ?

I heard it depends from state to state. Also Texas is cool cause you can shoot any tresspasers. In comparison, in California it sucks cause you cant shoot him if he's not a threat to you or you family even if he is on your property. Meaning if he robs you and you find him and he starts running, you cant legally shoot the beep out of him to stop him from going away with your belongings.

Correct me if i am wrong. I'm only talking from what i read.

P.S. If you own one, have you ever been in a situation of using it ?

big time wrong! You kill some one unarmed who you can see and it's manslaughter...that being said ...a jury of your peers (texas citizens) aren't going to convict you.

[JimmySidewalk]

I heard there is a town in US where everyone is obligated to own a gun by local law, unless they have some kind of handicap or criminal record. Funny thing is that its one of the most safe places, crime rate beeing 0%, nothing criminal was reported in years. Its logical tho', if you were a theif, why would you go to rob someone in a town where you know there is a gun in every house ?

In some countries in europe its forbidden for citizens to own a lethal weapon(with metalic bullet). Those are reserved only for politicians, cops and prosecutors. The average Joe guy can only own a rubber bullet gun. They say its to keep lethal guns off of criminals hands, but if i were a criminal, why would i go and legally buy a gun so they can trace it back to me ? Of course a criminal will illegally buy a weapon. So you get to the point where criminals have lethal weapons and if you want to protect yourself you can only bruise him the most with those rubber bullet guns. They actually take away the means by which you could protect yourself.
Outrageous i know.. dumbazz politicians make laws to serve only themselves.

[LGM]

Texas nearly passed a law that allowed handguns at universities... To avoid another incident similar to WV (I can't recall for certain.) It almost passed.

Anyone without a criminal record can get a concealed weapon permit in Texas. And as long as you sprinkle a little crack on their dead body, you can shoot anyone you want.

[MastaMan]

Texas nearly passed a law that allowed handguns at universities... To avoid another incident similar to WV (I can't recall for certain.) It almost passed.

Anyone without a criminal record can get a concealed weapon permit in Texas. And as long as you sprinkle a little crack on their dead body, you can shoot anyone you want.

They're trying to avoid another University of Texas bro! Charles Whitman went on a heavily armed killing spree, without any warning really, because he had gone insane due to a tumor pressing on parts of his brain! Shot 46 people, 15 fatally.

[jtuner77]

In MI you are allowed to carry but it has to be concealed, in IN last time I checked the gun had to be visible at all times.

In MI I had a shot gun on a swivel under my store counter. I carried a Glock and possessed a total of 3 firearms. I never once had a use for them outside of shootin the sh1t out of a target.

[Twist]

I have one but I would rather have a bad ass rubber bullet gun. Shooting someone cuz they want your tv and going to jail really isn't worth it. Not many people break into your house to harm you (it does happen but rare), most just wanna steal stuff. So I would rather have a rubber bullet gun that will hurt like hell (maybe even break a bone), so I won't go to jail. Anyone know where to get one of those?

[JimmySidewalk]

Where to get rubber bullet gun ? Europe. Lots and lots of them. There even are some that are made out of steel, so they cand use more powerful amo. Fort 17 is pretty popular, there are a whole bunch of them fort 9,10,14,18 etc. They come in 9mm rubber bullets or they even have .45 which they just developed. There are others steel-made like Grand Power, Tangfolio , but in my opinion if you want rubber, at the moment fort is the best, with good amo of course. When talking rubber, amo makes the biggest difference.

BTW how much is a glock in the US ?

[LGM]

Glocks run about 300 and up, depending on what you want and where you get it. Cheapest places I've found are the sporting goods type stores.

[zimmy]

depends on which glock

[zimmy]

Gun shows are cheapest.

[clemont51]

AZ has done away with concealed carry permits. OK to carry concealed to without permits.

[LGM]

Gun shows are cheapest.

Any round us zimmy? All the ones I see are friggin high. (and the prices are up there too.)

[blacksmoke]

AZ has done away with concealed carry permits. OK to carry concealed to without permits.

When did this happen?

[thegodfather]

How many of you own a gun ? What are the requirements in order to legally own a weapon in the US ?

I heard it depends from state to state. Also Texas is cool cause you can shoot any tresspasers. In comparison, in California it sucks cause you cant shoot him if he's not a threat to you or you family even if he is on your property. Meaning if he robs you and you find him and he starts running, you cant legally shoot the beep out of him to stop him from going away with your belongings.

Correct me if i am wrong. I'm only talking from what i read.

P.S. If you own one, have you ever been in a situation of using it ?

Why did you ask a question, and then follow it up with statements, which are somewhat inaccurate? You are talking about two completely different subjects in one thread. You asked about the requirements for owning a weapon, but then began to go off into the laws governing the use of deadly force. So, let me clear up these issues, and a lot of the inaccurate information presented in this thread.

1.) Concerning the requirements for ownership of a firearm. The requirements will vary WIDELY from state to state. Each state will have specific requirements for owning a firearm, and some will require registration of those firearms depending on their class.

2.) There are two basic types of firearms when we speak about eligibility and ownership, that being HANDGUNS and LONG GUNS. A handgun is quite clearly what it states, any handgun/pistol. A Long Gun encompasses a wide range of firearms, such as rifles and shotguns. There are also other classifications, but you need not worry about them at this stage in the game. There are Class 3 firearms, which are fully automatic weapons, which in states where they are permitted, can be purchased by anyone who is eligible to own a firearm in that state, all that is necessary is that you pay a large fee for a tax stamp. The caveat however, is that owning a Class III firearm allows the BATF (Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms) to come and inspect your weapons, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for as long as you own them. They can ask to inspect them basically anytime they want, and they do not require a search warrant. If they do not like how you are STORING the weapons, you can be in a lot of trouble. In addition to Class III weapons, there are AOW's (Any Other Weapon) which is a classification for weapons that do not fall into defined categories, such as semi-automatic pistols that fire a rifle cartridge, like an AR-15 Pistol, this would be considered an AOW if you were to attach a stock to it. Attaching a stock to a pistol is a big no-no, and if you do not have the tax stamp and paperwork for an AOW, you will be in trouble. There is also a classification called SBR's (Short Barreled Rifles), that is, any rifle whos barrel length is UNDER 16" inches in length. You need a tax stamp in order to own an SBR.

3.) Magazines, Accessories, etc. Depending on the state, there will also be restrictions on the capacity of magazines that you may own. For instance, in New Jersey a magazines capacity may not exceed 15 rounds, in California magazines may not exceed 10 rounds. In other state's, magazines of 30,50,100,200 rds and so forth are perfectly legal and acceptable. Additionally, some states prohibit things such as bayonett lugs, bayonettes themselves, and other accessories which those states deem to have no legitimate sporting purpose.

4.) Your best course of action is to consult either your State Police, local BATF office, or visit your local gunshop regarding the laws governing the ownership of firearms in your state.

McDonald v. Chicago however, rendered a landmark decision, which fully incorporated the 2nd Amendment unto the states. Incorporation means that sections in the Bill of Rights are applied to the states and that the states must abide by them. By fully incorporating the 2nd Amendment unto the states, it prevents state&local governments from fully prohibiting firearms in those areas. So under this new decision, outright bans on handguns, such as those in Chicago are now invalid. The issue with Heller v. District Columbia, only pertained to Washington DC, which is not a state, and is under Federal jurisdiction, the McDonald case however cleared up all ambiguity about this issue. This is important, because the SCOTUS (Supreme Court) has declined to make decisions on 2nd amendment issues for almost 100 years.

Regrading the use of deadly force.

1.) This issue will also vary widely state to state. I will give you some terms that will familiarize you with the basic doctrines and terms used for the application of deadly force.

Castle Doctrine - The Castle Doctrine means that you are authorised to use deadly force on anyone who enters your home unlawfully and without your permission. Using deadly force however, does not mean that you "INTEND" (with malice of forthought or with criminal intent) to kill that person, but simply that you are USING deadly force in order to STOP THE THREAT. This is a very important distinction. A civilian NEVER 'shoots to kill,' they merely shoot to stop a threat, but the state acknowledges that deadly force is a necessary component to doing this.

Stand Your Ground - This is a doctrine recently adopted by Florida, which goes a step further than the Castle Doctrine, in stating that you may use deadly force against a person who intends to cause you greivous bodily harm or death, in any place that you have a lawful right to be at. This extends to just about any public area or venue, the park, the parking lot, sidewalks, streets, etc, and so forth. You have no duty to retreat from a threat, you may, as the name of the law says "stand your ground" and you are authorised to use deadly force against a person who intends to, or attempts to cause your greivous bodily harm or death.

Duty To Retreat - You will find this doctrine most often in the more liberal states. The duty to retreat, with regards to your home, means that you must make a dilligent effort to retreat from a threat of greivous bodily harm or death, if you are able to retreat safely without possibly being harmed. There is clearly a wide range of ambiguity in this, as it can be argued many ways. An example however, is if you are near the back door of your home, and an intruder enters through the front door of your home, the law requires you to exit the backdoor of your home and essentially run from your own home, if you can do so without putting your life at risk. As this doctrine pertains to public venues where a person may be concealing and carrying a firearm (lawfully), it would dictate that you make at least a dilligent effort to first retreat from the deadly situation before resorting to the use of deadly force. This can be seen in Philadelphia v. Ung.


Since you are new to firearms, I recommend that you take a safety course offered by one of your local gunshops. They will go over the safe use, maitenance, and storage of firearms with you. It will also give you some trigger time, and perhaps point you in the direction of the type of firearm you'd like to buy. Additionally, you can also take a course on conceal&carrying a firearm, which many states require as a requesite to obtaining a conceal and carry permit. In this class, you will be taught about the safe use of firearms in public, using a firearm for lawful self defense, and the situations and times that you are permitted to use a firearm for lawful self defense. It will familiarise you with ALL of your states laws regarding the use of deadly force.

Good luck, and if you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

[BearGrillsBears]

I come from a family thats antiguns and has always been like that. My brother was a cop, and also worked volunteer EMT at one point and has some interesting opinions about guns.
But he said the majority of domestic violence cases turned deadly almost always involve a family keeping a gun in the house for "protection". One night the couple gets drunk, or is having problems paying bills, they get into a fight, someone goes to the gun cabinet and shoots the other. And his opinion his that keeping guns in your house is more likely to causes innocent deaths than prevent them. You might have 1 robber break in the neighborhood I live every 10 years. But you have lots of couples and lots of potential of arguements/fights happening. And if everyone kept a gun in their house I think things could really turn ugly.

People will usually bring up the arguement "guns don't kill people people kill people". And although thats true, you still can't deny that in certain situations if a guns available, someone might die as opposed to just getting assaulted had there been no weapons in the house.
I think only way I'd keep a gun in my house is if I lived in a poor and dangerous neighborhood like camden. Cause then the chances of robbery/violence usually trump the chances of killing someone in a fit of passion or rage then regretting it later. So although I feel like I'm antiguns I'm still not 100% sure where I stand. I feels more relative to the situation than anything I think.

[buffgator]

yup my az drivers license doubles as my concealed permit. In Utah you can carry a gun at any university

[Shol'va]

I come from a family thats antiguns and has always been like that. My brother was a cop, and also worked volunteer EMT at one point and has some interesting opinions about guns.
But he said the majority of domestic violence cases turned deadly almost always involve a family keeping a gun in the house for "protection". One night the couple gets drunk, or is having problems paying bills, they get into a fight, someone goes to the gun cabinet and shoots the other. And his opinion his that keeping guns in your house is more likely to causes innocent deaths than prevent them. You might have 1 robber break in the neighborhood I live every 10 years. But you have lots of couples and lots of potential of arguements/fights happening. And if everyone kept a gun in their house I think things could really turn ugly.

People will usually bring up the arguement "guns don't kill people people kill people". And although thats true, you still can't deny that in certain situations if a guns available, someone might die as opposed to just getting assaulted had there been no weapons in the house.
I think only way I'd keep a gun in my house is if I lived in a poor and dangerous neighborhood like camden. Cause then the chances of robbery/violence usually trump the chances of killing someone in a fit of passion or rage then regretting it later. So although I feel like I'm antiguns I'm still not 100% sure where I stand. I feels more relative to the situation than anything I think.

Or if you worked on the set of Jersey Shore so you could end the season real early.....

[thegodfather]

I come from a family thats antiguns and has always been like that. My brother was a cop, and also worked volunteer EMT at one point and has some interesting opinions about guns.
But he said the majority of domestic violence cases turned deadly almost always involve a family keeping a gun in the house for "protection". One night the couple gets drunk, or is having problems paying bills, they get into a fight, someone goes to the gun cabinet and shoots the other. And his opinion his that keeping guns in your house is more likely to causes innocent deaths than prevent them. You might have 1 robber break in the neighborhood I live every 10 years. But you have lots of couples and lots of potential of arguements/fights happening. And if everyone kept a gun in their house I think things could really turn ugly.

People will usually bring up the arguement "guns don't kill people people kill people". And although thats true, you still can't deny that in certain situations if a guns available, someone might die as opposed to just getting assaulted had there been no weapons in the house.
I think only way I'd keep a gun in my house is if I lived in a poor and dangerous neighborhood like camden. Cause then the chances of robbery/violence usually trump the chances of killing someone in a fit of passion or rage then regretting it later. So although I feel like I'm antiguns I'm still not 100% sure where I stand. I feels more relative to the situation than anything I think.

Unfortunately, that opinion holds no water when compared with the statistics on gun ownership, violent crime rates, gun deaths, and the amount of times guns are used to save lives.

According to the FBI, all four violent crime offense categories show declines nationwide for 2010, with murder and manslaughter down 4.4 percent from 2009, robbery down 9.5 percent and aggravated assault down 3.6 percent. Forcible rape was down 4.2 percent. Violent crime declined in all four regions of the country.

More than 6.2 million citizens are licensed to carry, . . .the NSSF reports that the largest surge in gun sales happened during the years 2008 to 2010.

So what does this data suggest? It suggests that during a 3 year period that resulted in the largest surge in gun sales in decades, nationwide the FBI reported drops in violent crime across the board. Ergo, more guns did not result in more violent crimes and deaths. Ergo, it would seem that more guns result in less crime, rather then more, and that anecdotal situations as you mentioned above, and other doomsday theories hold no water.

Additionally, rougly 17,000 people are killed by firearms every year. That number reflects murders, suicides, self-defense, etc. It encompasses all deaths where a firearm was the cause of death in our country. In contrast, the FBI reports that EVERY YEAR firearms are responsible for saving between 1.5-2 MILLION LIVES, EVERY SINGLE YEAR. The FBI also reports that in the majority of those cases, the firearm is never discharged, and the simple presence of that firearm results in saving the lives of innocent citizens.

We live in a nation of laws, with certain unalienable rights. The Supreme Court has ruled that the police have no duty to protect you and PREVENT crime, they cannot be held liable. We cannot expect citizens that live in a free society as ours, to be left helpless and defenseless because of what "might" happen. We can postulate theories all day long about what may or may not happen, but really all that matters are the cold hard facts. In addition, guns create an equalizing effect. Guns allow women and the elderly a fighting chance against younger or male counterparts who are much stronger and able to overpower them easily. It also turns the tables on situations which involve multiple attackers against one person. The arguments for the legal and lawful ownership of firearms, far outweighs the counter argument, predicated upon a small number of unfortunate incidences, theories of the possible, and rare scenarios.

[songdog]

I would rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6.You break in my house.You will be here when the police get there a hour later.My gun is right next to my bed.Feel lucky

[Flier]

I would rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6.You break in my house.You will be here when the police get there a hour later.My gun is right next to my bed.Feel lucky

I like it!
When I´m desperate for gear, I´ll find another AAS´rs house to break into.

[Shol'va]

I like it!
When I´m desperate for gear, I´ll find another AAS´rs house to break into.

If your going to break in go where the gear is at.. The pharmacy and while your at it pick up some pins and alcohol swipes on isle 3

[Flier]

If your going to break in go where the gear is at.. The pharmacy and while your at it pick up some pins and alcohol swipes on isle 3

Damn, u´re right....
If I do that, I´ll get me a free 6pack Bud, and some Cheetos.....although I might find that at Songdog´s house as well.

[Shol'va]

And if he is low on gear you can share your new found stash with him and get him on your good side and butter him up before you swipe his stash. Plow him with that Bud you picked up on your way out the back door of Walgreens. He'll never know what hit him and never suspect it was you since you just shared yours with him...Classic.....

[stack_it]

You can get a permit to own in IL but can not conceal. In Missouri you can conceal and carry. I live on the border of both states. I personally don't own a gun. Not my thing. A baseball bat in my closet is good enough for me and if someone comes in with a weapon well I guess they're gonna get a crappy tv and a couple xbox's lol

[Shol'va]

All I keep in my closet is a skeleton.....

[Hunter]

I am not going to go into how many firearms I own but I own a few and have my concealed to carry permit. Most of my firearms are hunting related. I also own a three bows and 70-80 traps. I actually hope to make time to do more trapping this winter.

[DSM4Life]

I own lazers guns. They are better for the environment.

[JimmySidewalk]

Lazer guns are gay. lol

[zimmy]

I use the schwartz

[Shol'va]

Yeh well I'm not wearing any schwartz

No schwartz? Bo....Jangles....

[clemont51]

Godfather, thanks for posting.

[scaredycat]

I own about 15 here in Kentucky. I can buy legally from a stranger. I own assault rifles, high capacity hand guns, and sniper rifles. It is our right in the USA. Our four father wrote it in the Constitution to protect us from evil people and our own government if it gets out of hand.

[dec11]

I own about 15 here in Kentucky. I can buy legally from a stranger. I own assault rifles, high capacity hand guns, and sniper rifles. It is our right in the USA. Our four father wrote it in the Constitution to protect us from evil people and our own government if it gets out of hand.

why the fvck would you need 15 guns??!

[lovbyts]

why the fvck would you need 15 guns??!

Some people it's a hobby and they collect them. As long as they are kept safe, disabled I dont see a big problem with it but the problem is when someone breaks in and steals them. I think I would rather have replicas unless I used them for playing often.

Ill stick to one Glock with 3 clips (I want the 1000 round auto clip) and enough ammo to take out a few zombies if needed.

[scaredycat]

I am into competitive shooting. I shoot long range matches with my sniper rifles, combat courses with my pistols, and I hunt. Shotguns for turkey, rifle and pistol for deer. It is pretty common here in Kentucky. I do all of this because I think it is fun. I also own assault rifles just in case and to protect my family. Do you see a problem with any of this, Dec11?

[scaredycat]

And all of my guns are kept away from my kids in a safe.

[Nooomoto]

I have an AR-15 (M4) and a Glock 23.

I live in Florida, the gun laws here are pretty slack, and getting slacker all the time. In order to acquire a gun in this state, it is perfectly legal for one private party to sell a gun to another private party with no background check of any kind. For example, if you wanted to buy a gun from me...all that is required is that we meet up, you give me money and I give you a gun. That being said, most private to private sales that happen here usually involve both parties signing some sort of receipt documenting the sale, to protect ourselves legally should something happen down the line...just so we can prove we no longer own the weapon.

If you were buying from a dealer (FFL), they usually do a quick background check over the phone, takes all of 30 seconds and you are good to go. All thats required by law here from them is that you aren't a convicted felon and that you are of age (18 for long guns, 21 for handguns).

If you have a CCW (which is also very easy to get) you can legally carry a concealed weapon in most places (with the exception of government buildings, school campuses although they are working to change that, bars). There is a bill in the Florida legislature right now that would make it illegal for an officer to arrest a CCW holder for accidentally showing the weapon (imprinting on clothing worn over the weapon, accidentally having your shirt lift up when bending over)...it will most likely pass as all the other pro-gun bills do.

I love FL.

"With guns, we are citizens...Without them, we are subjects"