How do you buy a firearm in your locality?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Well, just a little insight, this question (and it’s a poll from what I gather, so I put it in this forum) was instigated by this thread, and a couple of others that garnered my curiosity: I’m wondering of the legal procedures of which one goes about purchasing a firearm (both a longarm and sidearm) in your locality.

The history:
As I was growing up in New Jersey, the law was that one had to obtain a firearm permit to purchase guns. A ‘longarm permit’ was good for life, and good for as many rifles and shotguns as you cared to buy. A ‘handgun permit’ was good for 90 days on the date of issue from the issuing authority (IIRC, the state police) and was only good for one pistol/revolver.

When I went to college, and after that, joined the Air Force, I changed residency of different states, and they all had different requirements. Since I left New Jersey, North Dakota and Montana only required ‘proof of residency’ and a five minute phone call to the NCIC, granting a quick background check to allow me to purchase any firearm. No permits, no questions, no waiting period. So long as I had a photo ID and a cash/credit card, I could walk away with a new .357 Magnum with my father, as I did within 15 minutes the Tuesday before Thanksgiving of this year (talk about “splurge shopping”!! :smiley: ).

The question:
I know different countries have different systems, and I once talked to a couple of Canadians about their laws. Apparently, you guys have to apply for a national firearms card to purchase a single firearm. Britian, I have no idea. Australia, I have no idea. Ohio, California, Flordia, Barbados, I have no idea.

I’m simply curious on the legal differences between the states/nations.

So, if you wanted to buy a li’l plinker to knock over tin cans, how does your jurisdiction require you to jump through the hoops?

Tripler
It’s a poll, and I’m genuinely curious.
[sub]Mods, you reserve that right to do what you do . . .[/sub]

2

In New Mexico (and probably Pennsylvania, though I’m not a resident and it’s kinda hard to tell with the legal language) I can just walk into a store and walk out with a gun, though they’ll probably do a Brady check on purchase of a handgun. Here is a good summary of the gun laws, including purchase, for every state.

3

Gun laws looser than you’re skanky grandma!

Yeah, no permit needed for anything, no background check, no nuthin’.

4

Well, in California there is a mandatory 15 day waiting period for everything but C&R firearms. You have to have a Basic Safety Certificate or the equivalent to purchase a handgun, and they do a NCIC check. The BSC is very simple to pass, and it’s good for life. Other than that, not many hoops. I just mosey down to Turner’s, hand them my BSC and my Visa card, and 15 days later I have something else to polish. :smiley:

5

In Texas the procedure for me, I have a CHL (Concealed Handgun License) is as follows:
Choose the Gun.
Fill out a one page form.
Show my CHL.
Pay.
Take my new Gun and leave.
(I think if you do not have a CHL you have to wait a week to pick it up, I could be wrong about that though).

Unclviny
Beretta 96 Brigadier, .40S&W
North American Arms Mini Revolver, .22LR
Mossberg Cruiser Shotgun, 20G
Ruger Mark II target pistol, .22LR
Thompson Center .22 Classic rifle, .22LR
Intratec Tec-9, 9MM (don’t ask)

6

You could be useful in this thread.

7

To purchase a handgun in PA, you show an operators license or other acceptable proof of age, fill out the BATF registry form, and fill out a form sent to the county in which the purchase is based. IIRC you then return to the store 48 hours later and pick up the handgun. If you have a valid CCP, you can load it and stick it in your pocket, too at that point.

The main problem with the PA system is that it is unrealistic to expect the county sheriff to research records in 48 hours. Depending on when the paperwork was mailed, it may not have even hit the sheriff’s desk within 48 hours. A fellow that I bought from was a police officer, and he had a sign posted in his shop explaining that if you weren’t willing to wait 96 hours for your paperwork to clear, than take your business elsewhere.

Can’t comment on long guns-my only such purchase was private, from a state trooper. I was of age and had cash.

.380 Grendel P-10
10mm S&W 1006
.44 Mag Taurus

8

Never purchased a handgun(The one I have was inheirted), but when I purchased a rifle(one of those ugly ones), I walked into the store, filled out the background check form, waited for the dealer to make his phone call to the FBI to make sure I wasn’t an insane felon, plopped down the cash and walked out with the gun.

In and out in 10 minutes.

9

I’ve only bought handguns in Washington state, and this was several years back, but this is how it worked.

Go to gun shop. Pick out gun. Fill out paperwork. Wait X amount of days (I think it was one week or 15 days). Return after waiting. Pay. Leave.

After I got a CWP (Concealed Weapons Permit) the routine was: Enter gun shop. Pick out handgun. FIll out paperwork. Show CWP. Have CWP photocopied. Pay. Leave.

The CWP involved heading down to the county courthouse. Fill out paperwork. Be fingerprinted. Wait 30 days. Return to courthouse. Put fingerprint on CWP. Pay. Leave.

For Oregon it is my understanding you can get a CWP but you have to take a class and pass a test which shows you understand gun safety and use.

10

Well, in Britain you basically don’t.

Not without enough red tape to encircle the M25.

Handguns are banned outright.

Rifles (including air weapons with a muzzle energy of greater than 12ft/lb) would require a section 1 firearms certificate, which is obtained from the Chief Constable of whichever police force covers your area. Once you have applied and submitted the relevant fee, background checks are carried out, and you are then visited by an officer who willl discuss your application and any neccesary security you will need. If the authorities are satisfied that you have ‘good reason’ for wanting the weapon, and the security of your property, you will be issued with a firearms certificate. The firearms certificate will detail the individual weapons that you are allowed to hold, and the uses for which you are allowed them. You may also be limited as to where you are allowed to keep them and use them.

A shotgun certificate is required to buy or hold most smoothbore waepons (including muskets) these are temed section 2 weapons. These are issued by a the local police licensing team but the process is similar to that for a firearm certificate in that you must have ‘good reason’ although the reasons accepted are slightly different for section 2 firearms and to refuse one the Chief Officer of Police must be satisfied that the applicant does not have a good reason for posession of the weapon, rather than the applicant having to satisfy the Police that he/she does have good reason.
Here is the Metropolitan Police’s firearms enquiries page, which tells you everything you may need to know on the subject.

Basically you are going to have to jump through ALOT of hoops just to get any kind of firearm in Britain. I do nmot know what procedures are in Scotland or Northern Ireland, as they sometimes differ from British law.

Hope that helps satisfy your interest

Zac

11

I have a Concealed Weapons Permit for my home state of Conecticut. To purchase any firearm - handgun or longgun, it’s:

[ol]
[li]Walk into the gunshop[/li][li]Choose firearm[/li][li]Show my permit[/li][li]Fill out the BATF form[/li][li]Wait for the instant background check[/li][li]Pay the dealer[/li][li]Walk out of the store with my shiny new shootin’ iron.[/li][/ol]

Don’t remember what the procedure is if there’s no CWP involved.

12

I don’t know about handguns, but for rifles and shotguns, you go to the store, pick it out, fill out a one page form, wait while the guy verifies you over the phone, pay, then leave.

My gun, I ordered off the internet and had it shipped to my house UPS. Apparently it is officially not a firearm.

13

In Pennsylvania there is no longer the 48 hour waiting period. Choose your gun, undergo the instacheck (takes about 15 minutes), pay for the gun and leave with it.

14

Step one: Move.

15

Canadian checking in. This is really a rough idea, since I don’t personally have any firearms. Plus, I’m a little confused with how the FAC fits in with it (Which I really should get, Dad keeps bugging me about it).

To buy a firearm, you have to have a Possession and Aquisition License (PAL). There’s also the POL, which is possession only. You can own a gun, you just can’t buy one. Once you have the gun, you have to register it with the Billion Dollar Exercise in Futility…Erm, I mean, the National Gun Registry. This can be done through the mail or online. They’ll then send you your papers, as well as stickers to put on your guns. (Oh, great idea, I’m taking these things through the woods for hours on end, in possibly very wet conditions, and now I have to worry about keeping a sticker on it? Brilliant). Guns which are already registered you have to transfer to the new owner. If I’m not mistaken, these are the steps you take for anything from a pellet gun (and perhaps even some BB guns) on up. (Anyone who wants to jump in and correct any of this, please do)

I’ll just say right here that I grew up with hunting. I used to go with my Dad, and him and all his friends hunt every year. So my views on the gun registry come from this background. Also, I’ve heard horror stories about people trying to register their guns, like a guy who ended up with 10 stickers for 4 guns. I’m for gun control, I just think that the registry is a waste of money.

16

I sold guns this past summer here in Texas.

Here’s the procedure:

Choose gun from dealer’s selection.

Fill out ATF Form 4473. This requires their drivers license, address and some other stuff.

Dealer calls FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). NICS guy asks for certain sections of the 4473 and the dealer’s FFL number and phone number. He then says that the sale’s approved, denied or pending.

If it’s pending, the FBI has 72 hours to deny it, or it’s automatically approved.

If it’s denied, you tell the customer it’s denied, and they go away.

If it’s approved, you write down the NICS approval code and the name of the NICS operator you spoke with and their NICS ID number.

Once the 4473 and NICS stuff are out of the way, the customer is clear to buy the gun. Some stores have different policies at this point- we had to walk the customer out of the store, then give them their gun, but that’s neither a TX nor a Federal rule.
If a customer had a CHL or was a peace officer (police, sheriff, FBI agent, etc…) they skipped the NICS check and just could buy the gun. Only saved them about 3 minutes though.

17

For Texas, what bump said. I’ve bought a rifle, pistol and shotgun this year and each time the regulatory procedure, from the time I said “This one” to the time I walked out with gun in tow, took about 20 minutes.

18
      • In IL-USA, the state issues a Firearms Owners ID card (FOID) that is good for five years. Having violent offenses will prevent its issue or suspend its use; I think some civil federal offenses will also. When you buy a gun or ammo, you must show your valid FOID card. For firearm purchases there is an instant-check, and there is a waiting period of one day for long guns and three days for handguns if bought from a dealer. I think there’s a minium age for guns also, 18 for long guns and 21 for handguns.

  • State gun groups’ argument against the FOID card is that if the instant-check is required for firearm purchases anyway and not required for ammo purchases, then there’s not much need to make people obtain, renew or carry around a FOID card. Overall, FOID card issues prevent very few purchases of all types from occurring.

  • There is probably additional regulations in Cook county, where Chicago is located. I know that it is not legal to order ammunition through the mail in Cook county, but not in other IL counties. Gun enthusiasts here have a saying: Illinois Democrats make annoying gun laws because they are afraid of the Cook County voters who put them into office.
    ~

19

No, just because Vermont doesn’t have any special laws doesn’t mean there isn’t a federal requirement for background check. This can often be done in one phone call with no waiting.

Arizona is pretty much the same except a concealed weapons permit is required for concealed carry. If a purchaser has a CCW then there is no need for NIC because a background check has already been done along with a fingerprint card.

20

Well, no added state background check, then. Still, the laws are pretty loose.