Anyone here know the legal process to obtain a gun

Post Reply New Topic

I just want for protection around my house. I am wondering what is the legal process to obtain one.

I have no felonies

Depends what country you are in. If you are in Canada, it is a beauracratic nightmare with the gun registry and all.

Are you in the US?

Walk into a gun shop and buy one. That's it.

They will run an instant background check for rifles and shotguns (they call the feds as you wait). For pistols, they make you wait about a week before you can pick it up. The local police check you out while you wait.

All that happens behind the scenes. The only action on your part is filling out paperwork at the shop and paying for the gun.

Some types of firearms are banned in some states. Don't worry about that. If it is banned it won't be at your local shop.

That will get you a gun. Now what???? You need to learn how to shoot it.

Now for a more sensible approach. Find someone well versed in firearms. Have them take you to a shooting range where you can rent various firearms. Ask them to teach you firearm safety. If you don't know anyone, you can Google for an NRA safety course near you. Try a lot of different firearms at the range until you find something that fits your hand well, and you can hit the target with it. The best firearm is the one you can use effectively.

Once you know what you want, then to go a gun shop and buy it. Take it to the range periodically.

DO NOT TAKE THIS LIGHTLY. Guns aren't toys. You have a lot of learning ahead of you.

My advice... for home defense get a shotgun.

One last thing... you don't need a license to own a gun and keep one in your house. You do need a license to carry a gun. Read your local firearm laws!

Simple? Yes and no. You can just walk in and buy a gun. They will run a background check but that happens behind the scenes. You won't have to deal with that directly.

Fill out a form, show ID, pay, and it's yours.

However it is really a BAD BAD BAD idea to just buy a brand X handgun because you saw one on TV, or whatever. Take a safety course, learn about all this, learn how to shoot, find a gun you like, then buy one.

This is a serious matter. Don't screw it up by taking shortcuts.

Get a 12 gauge Remington 870 shotgun with a short barrel. The pump action on this is loud you can scare intruders with just the sound of you pumping a shell into the chamber. Stick with 00 buckshot or a heavy game load. Stay away from deer slugs or sabots they will go through your intruder into another house and who knows what else. If you can't find a Remington 870 try a Mossberg 500. A Ruger 10/22 is also a good firearm it fires .22 Long rifle rounds. Despite what some dopes will tell you the .22 LR round does pretty good damage at close ranges.

Just remember when you shoot an intruder they will take that firearm and you will not get it back. So do not spend too much money on a firearm for home defense. Also if the intruder turns and runs you cannot shoot him in the back you have to let him go.

I believe regulations vary from state to state here in the USA, and I have heard there are even places that are virtually crime-free because citizens are actually required to have at least one gun in the house and know how to handle it safely.

Where I used to live, even a felon could have one in the house ... but had better never take it outside for any reason whatsoever unless ready-and-willing to go do some more time if caught.

To get a carry permit for taking a gun outside the house will at least require an application at your local law-enforcement department, and that will likely include an NCIC (Federal) background check ... and I believe a "concealed carry" permit requires stating a specific reason or purpose and getting approval or "agreement" as to "Why?"

Drive to Nevada, buy one at a gun show, and don't tell anyone about it.

Will someone explain to me why shootings arent more common then....if it really is that easy?

I was afraid of this.. you are completely naive when it comes to this, aren't you?

LEARN! That's your first priority at this point, if you want to go through with this. Go to a range with a friend and rent some guns to shoot.

To answer your question, that's how law obiding citizens obtain guns. They won't be used in any shootings.

Crooks steal guns, or buy them on the street from other crooks.

In the state of Washington, it is legal to carry a firearm openly, although some municipalities will have restrictions on when and where you can get away with it. To obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon, make application to the state; they then have seven business days to show cause why such a permit should not be issued. If they don't, the permit is yours. (Don't recall the cost of the permit, but there is a cost.)

Do get some firearms training first. And remember always the prime laws of guns:

1) There's no such thing as an unloaded gun. Until you have personally ensured that its magazine/cylinders have been emptied, and that the firing chamber is empty, assume it is loaded. And even after you've checked all that, if you put it down, assume someone has reloaded it.

2) Even when you're sure it's empty, never point the barrel at anything you don't intend to kill. As a corollary, don't shoot at anything you don't intend to kill; shooting to wound usually means shooting to miss, and sometimes to hit the wrong target. Odds are you'll only wound your target anyway, unless you turn out to be a crack shot.

3) Keep your finger away from the trigger until you're ready to fire. Safeties are wonderful, but they can fail, and you don't want to accidentally fire your weapon while it's still trained on the ceiling.