I'm a native and lifelong resident of northern Nevada.
In Nevada your vehicle is considered an extension of your home for the purposes of carrying a firearm. The only "wobbler" regarding a loaded firearm in your vehicle is a Dept. of Wildlife reg that's enforceable if you're engaged in hunting.
Parts of Vegas and Boulder City have local ordinances that apply to loaded firearms. Reno and CC don't. (I've been told there might be an old law left over from the 1800s in Virginia City. I've never heard of it being enforced.) Generally, you can carry what you want, where you want, in whatever condition you want in your vehicle in Northern Nevada.
Outside of Clark County (Las Vegas/Henderson/Boulder City) there is no firearms registration requirement.
Nevada allows for Class III "Implements of Destruction."
Your CCW permit is good statewide and is "shall issue." We got nonresident permits through the 2003 legislative session, but reciprocity stalled in the '05 Gathering of Fools. It will be back in '07.* The requirements state that you must qualify on the pistols you carry, and take and pass an 8-hour training session and pass an FBI background check. You are allowed two firearm models on your permit, but can expand it. IRRC, it costs about $30 per additional firearm. Your permit is tied to make and model, not a specific piece.
I haven't shot in Reno in many years. There was a good rifle range in Palomino Valley, about 30 minutes outside of town. Most locals will just head off into the desert, however.
Local law enforcement officers generally treat armed citizens with respect and view them as "allies." CCW permits laws were introduced into the legislature with strong backing from the police and sheriffs.
Nevada has no "retreat clause." If someone enters your home with the
intent of committing a felony, you can do whatever is necessary to stop or detain them.
There is no state "AW ban" or even a definition of such.
Generally weird stuff:
It's unlawful to fire tracers over public land. If you want to set the range on fire with your M60, you'll need to own the land.
Anything that uses powder, spring force or compressed gas to propel a projectile is a "firearm." This includes the beanbag launchers used for teaching a dog to retrieve. A friend of mine (a deputy at the time) had to reluctantly ask someone to leave the park after using one. If he'd been using a trebuchet, there might not have been any problem.
Belt buckle knives are unlawful to possess. Go figure.
If you want to know what winter is like in Reno, think Denver.
If you're planning on living outside of Reno (particularly Carson City or Gardnerville/Minden) be prepared for some real estate sticker shock. A "starter home" in Gardnerville is now ~$500k.
Couple of things to keep you from being spotted as a gringo:
The correct (Spanish) pronuciation of "Nevada" is "Knee-vah-dah" not "Nevoda." Only outworlders use the latter. The town of Verdi (outside of Reno) is named after the composer. However, it is pronouced "Verd-eye."
And please - don't ever call Carson a "suburb of Reno." (At least in Carson City.)
... although the argument can be made that Reno is as much a suburb of the Bay Area as Vegas is of Los Angeles.
Sparks is a sister city to Reno. (Hence the ancient and horrid joke, "Reno is so close to hell you can see Sparks."
...don't blame me I didn't make it up.)
*Under the State Constitution, the Legislature is mandated to meet for sixty days every two years. Efforts to change this to two days every sixty years are ongoing.
