US Gun Laws, in general

Hello folks,

I'm from Canada, and I just wanted to learn about your gun laws, both federal and state.

Now correct me if I'm wrong but here's the way I understand it:

Federally:

There is no federal license to own semi-auto rifles, shotguns, and pistols. A license is required to own sawed-off shotguns and automatic firearms. There is no registry (officially) of semi-autos, but there is a registry of sawed-off shotguns and automatic firearms.

Transfers of ANY firearms from FFL dealers to individuals must involve a federal background check. This is not required for individual-individual transfers, WITHIN any given state, but between states, an seller must transfer his firearm to a local FFL, to be mailed to the buyer's local FFL, where he will take possession of the firearm after going through a federal background check. Most FFLs will charge a fee for this service.


Now state-wise:

Most states do not require a license for possession and acquisition of long arms, but do require a license for pistols. Minimum age for said licenses is usually 21.


Am I OK so far? How are the laws concerning Open Carry? I find that it is a less-often discussed issue.

If folks here are interested, I can describe Canadian gun laws.

First off, all criminal law is governed by the federal govt, and therefore is constant across the whole country. When discussing gun control in Canada, we're talking pretty much about only one bill- Bill C-68, passed in 1995, the Firearms Act. It is the talk of the town.

As of 1 Jan 03, the Firearms Act dictates that all firearms, non-restricted, restricted, and prohibited, must be registered. Before, non-restricteds did not have to be registered.

Basically, non-restricted firearms are rifles and shotguns with barrels 18.5" or longer, restricted firearms are pistols, AR-15s, short-barrelled longarms, and prohibited firearms are, for the most part, short-barrelled (4" or less) handguns (AKA section 12(6)'s).

In order to own any firearms, one must have a Posession and Acquisition License. There is a mandatory course, which takes 2 weekends, cost depending on instructor, and the license itself costs $80 for 5 years. I don't recall if it is shall-issue, but there are some pretty intrusive questions on the application.

Up until recently, whenever one transfers any firearm from one owner to another, both must call the Canadian Firearms Centre to get the transfer authourised. One of them must pay the $25 transfer fee. The transfer can be completed anywhere from immediately, to a few days. Just recently, the transfer fee has been removed.

Whenever you transport a restricted or prohibited firearm, you must have an Authorisation to Transport, or ATT, which is written permission from the CFC to move your restricted. So say I buy a handgun from a store. I have to transfer the gun into my possession. Then I have to apply for an ATT to move the gun back to my home. If I want to bring the gun to the range, I have to apply for another ATT (I can have the ATT cover all my regular trips to the range).

In order to have a license to Pos or Acq a prohib, you must have been in posession of that type of prohib (the latest is the 12.6, short barrelled handguns) the day they became prohib. You're given "grandfather" status, and can keep that gun, and buy more of that same class of gun. If, however, you sell all your 12.6's, you lose your GF status.





That pretty much sums up getting and owning. But that's not all, folks. C-68 also covers storage and transport. All NRs have to be stored unloaded, with trigger locks OR in locked opaque containers. They can be transported unlocked, however. They merely have to be unloaded. So technically, one can walk down the street with, say, an M1 Garand, wearing an ammo belt, and according to the law, that'd be fine. However, cops don't know that, and they'd probably arrest you anyhow (if they don't shoot you first).

With Rs and Ps, they must be unloaded, TLocked, and locked in an opaque container, both in transport and storage.

All magazines designed to be used with semi-auto centrefire long arms must be pinned to 5 rds (pinning meaning not easily reverted without tools, IIRC). Handguns, it's 10.

If you cut a barrel down below 18", it's illegal. If you cut a firearm down below 26", it's illegal. However, if you put a 16" barrel on an AR-15, it's OK, as you did not modify the barrel itself. But if you put a 7.5" barrel, and a collapsible stock, which IIRC makes the AR less than 26", it's illegal, as you did modify the firearm.

Open carry, forget it. Concealed carry, forget it. Apparently, there is a mechanism through which a citizen can apply for an ATC, or Authorisation to Carry, AKA CCW. But only approx 30 people in all of Communist Canada have it. They are, for the most part, Crown (federal) informants/snitches, politicians, police chiefs.


I think that's pretty much it. Feel free to ask any questions, or describe gun laws in your state.

OK, how about this: how socially accepted is Open Carry? How about CCW? What percentage of the folks in your area carry either openly or concealed? If you revealed that you were carrying concealed, would you be given wierd looks?

"So you only have to get an ATT once that will cover all your range trips, right? You don't have to get permission every time?"

Yep, once per gun, unless conditions change (ie special occasion).

from http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?threadid=107769 :

"Here is my delema. I work part time at Dicks Sporting Goods in the gun department. Today i come into work, only to see a no weapons sign on the front door. The company has never allowed me to carry on the job, but becasue of the way the ohio CCW law is worded, me so much as touching on of the guns we have for sale would be a felony in a building where the sign is posted. I told my boss this, and he agree's that the sign should not be posted, but said that this policy comes straight from the top, and that there is nothing that can be done."

Is it illegal for someone who is CCWing to touch another gun?

"StandOnGuard, ir's reall great to see your posts."

Thank you.

"A friend told me that the government was trying to make it illegal to buy any ammunition unless the buyer had a FAC. Did that come to pass?"

It's now illegal to purchase (or possess, I suppose) any ammunition without a PAL.

"I've heard that the Firearms Act (C-68) was never voted on by the people of Canada, but was an edict from the Canadian Prime Minister following England's example. To what extent is that so?"

Well, C-68 was a bill that, like all bills, are voted upon in the elected House of Commons, then brought to the appointed Senate to be, for all practical purposes, rubber-stamped, then finally rubber-stamped by the Queen.

"If, so, how can the people of Canada change it?"

What, civilly? Vote in a Conservative govt, which will scrap it.

Candidates representing their respective political parties run in each riding (there are 308 ridings in total). The candidate with the most votes becomes Member of Parliament (in the H of C) representing that riding. The party with the most seats becomes the party in power, and the leader of that party (assuming he wins a seat, which he usually does), becomes the Prime Minister. The PM appoints members of the Cabinet, almost always from his own party. Unlike in the US, where Cabinet members must NOT be Congressmen or Senators, in Canada Cabinet Ministers MUST be MPs.

OK, here's another question. Now I know it is illegal to brandish your concealed firearm, or otherwise reveal that you are carrying. But say you set up some sort of armed crime watch patrol, where every member CCWs. Would it be legal for these members to identify themselves as belonging to this patrol, verbally, or through the use of uniforms?

What is a Class 3 firearm? And how many classes are there?