Travel from Sweden to enjoy American gun culture.

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nyggis

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Feb 7, 2008
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Location
Umeå, Sweden
Dear fellow shooters!

Me and my girlfriend are fed up with the Swedish politically correct climate for gun ownership. You can have that, but don´t that... I´m ex Army, and she is in the Swedish Home Defence (National Guard). We often go to the range together, bring friends, and try to set a good example.

This spring we have talked some about going to America to enjoy sound gun culture, meet people like us, and if possible do some shooting. :D

Are there some places/events you can recommend?

Is it legal for us to hire guns at a local shooting range?

Warm regards from a cold Sweden/

Erik
 
Things have gotten difficult since 911, nyggis.
But once you get here and go through the process we'll welcome you with open arms.
Minnesota ,North Dakota,South Dakota and Montana,have Swedish descent residents,decent gun laws and similar weather.
I hope you can make the move,economically and practically.
You and your girlfriend will be most welcome.
With your backgrounds ,an eventual career in Law Enforcement or the Military seems possible.
I am an optimist.
Best of luck and keep us posted.
 
you will enjoy your visit to the united states of america.

there are lots of swedish familys here, (both of my dads parents came from sweden) and most of the country is gun loving. just a small vocal number are not so.

and yes there are a number of gun ranges that rent guns for shooting, some are even on the tourest routes, as people from prohibeted countries want to shoot.

if full auto is your intrest. look in the fallon nevada area, (very hot in the summer)

just "watch your 6" in the citys.

and welcome.
 
You're welcome to come to Tennessee and we'll arrange a shooting holiday with several shooters in the area, including a few selective fire firearms.

We'll also can help you get some more shooting in by taking you to the local indoor range that has a wide range of rental handguns as well as more selective fire firearms for rent on the range.
 
Thanks guys for your warm comments!

Since I have aging parents to keep an eye on, emigration is difficult. But a visit is mandatory! =)

It´s nice to hear that people in the USA remember their Swedish heritage! Those northern states sounds perfect. Never been much of a big city person, so smaller communitys up north would be great. Would be moved to see Swedish last names in phone books, street signs, village names and so on!

And for the gun ranges.. Perfect! Guess we will have to save some money for ammo!

Full autos are prohibited for civilians in Sweden, but since the time in the army I have lots of experience of HK G3:s, FN FNC, M240, Swedish K, MP5 and of course the Carl Gustav 84 mm Anti Tank gun... Would be fun to try something different!
 
Welcome!

My only advice to you is to remember that the US is a very big place, and the various states can be surprisingly different from one another. For example, New Jersey is notoriously hostile to gun rights while nearby New Hampshire has no state gun laws at all. It's like night and day.

Take your time and find the place that best suits you.
 
Nyggis,

It warms my heart to know that people want to visit my country. Perhaps we can do an exchange program -- Sweden is the home of Scandinavian heavy metal, as you know. :D

I live in a small town of about six - twelve thousand, depending on whose census you believe (we are very spread out), and even we have a machine gun shop with an indoor range and rentals. Once you've decided which part of the country you would like to go, ask around the THR or other forums to find a good place to visit and shoot. Right now, the weather is beautiful in north-western Pennsylvania. :cool:

Some places you might like to avoid:
- California. Home of Hollywood, yes, but also home of some pretty brutal and arbitrary restrictions upon firearm ownership and usage. It is plausible to go to California and shoot, but it would be more difficult.
- Illinois. Home of the windy city. Unfortunately, the wind up there has driven them mad, and in many places guns are reviled as instruments of evil. For a sensible patriot and sportsmen, their fear is the only evil there.
- Massachusetts. Once upon a time (centuries ago), Massachusetts was a fine place to be. But their insecurities have, like Illinois, reviled firearms.

The best places to be:
- Vermont.
- New Hampshire.
- North and South Dakota
- Montana
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Pennsylvania :D:D:D

And many more!

Come, visit, it will be worth it. It would be very nice if you knew some people before you come so they could make you feel welcomed and armed. Let us know!
 
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I can see why you feel the way you do. Being military (myself) I would want to at least visit a place where I could still do some of the things I did in the service without some restricting laws.


As some others have suggested look up the state's laws on gun handleing before you decide. This way you do not get here and be in a liberl state that has many restrictions.

I hope that you will consider Arizona as one of the favorable states to visit?:cool:
 
Erik. If you come to the north east, feel free to look me up for any advice, etc. NH has many ranges that allow you to rent all manner of guns. Not sure if that's common in VT. I am in MA (not very gun friendly state, but not the worst) which is right below the most gun friendly states, VT and NH. Come for a visit, and look around!
 
Nyggis,

Sorry to be the one to bring you the bad news, but you cannot legally participate in any shooting in the United States while you are here on a tourist visa:

http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/faq2.htm#b5

(B5) Are there certain persons who cannot legally receive or possess firearms and/or ammunition? [Back]


Yes, a person who –

(1) Has been convicted in any court of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding 1 year;

(2) Is a fugitive from justice;

(3) Is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance;

(4) Has been adjudicated as a mental defective or has been committed to a mental institution;

(5) Is an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States or an alien admitted to the United States under a nonimmigrant visa;

(6) Has been discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions;

(7) Having been a citizen of the United States, has renounced his or her citizenship;

(8) Is subject to a court order that restrains the person from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner or child of such intimate partner; or

(9) Has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence

(10) Cannot lawfully receive, possess, ship, or transport a firearm.

A person who is under indictment or information for a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding 1 year cannot lawfully receive a firearm.

Such person may continue to lawfully possess firearms obtained prior to the indictment or information.

[18 U.S.C. 922(g) and (n), 27 CFR 478.32]
Click to expand...

While the fedderal laws in the USA are, for the most part, less restrictive than laws in other countries, there are certain exceptions. Unfortunately, you fall squarely into one of the biggest exceptions - not being a citizenof the USA.

I hope that in spite of this news you and your girlfriend still decide to vacation in the USA. Besides all the wonderful places to see and the wonderful people from THR that you might arrange to meet, we need your hard currency. Please be sure to schedule your visit before 20 January 2009 - after that date it is possible that the country will no longer exist in its current form.

stay safe.

skidmark
 
Nyggis you need to figure out where you want to go first. If i were you then i would hook up with a fellow THR member. For the fact that it may be a lot easier to go shooting with someone and shoot there guns rather than try to get a gun to shoot. Only place you may be able to get a gun to shoot would be an indoor range. But im not too sure how they would go about renting to a non U.S.. Now you talk about weather. Im in Southern california. Weather is usually in the 70's all year round. Ya we will get a cold front or a hot front from time to time but for the most part sunny skies 70 degrees.
check it out my zip code is 91016.
 
Nyggis, As anti-gun as Chicago is I would recommend coming here. Chicago is a world class city. There is an endless amount of activities to do here as well see. There are plenty of places in the burbs to shoot where laws are relaxed. more out in the sticks there are some really good places to shoot. I for example go to Buffalo Range Shooting Park in Ottawa, IL (http://www.buffalorangeshootingpark.com/Home_Page.php).
I couldn't think of a nicer place to shoot. Anyway, that said, I know there are better places in this country to strictly shoot, but if you want to have a vacation along with the shooting Chicago is second to none. All depends what you are into though. Oh, you'll eat well here too! Hope to see you.
 
Welcome to the USA!
While we talk and rant and spout about how downhill everything is going and about how terrible our leaders are and how our freedoms are going down the tubes, it really isn't all that bad. Sure, we have to deal with politicians, but who doesn't?
Anyway, this country is an excellent place to enjoy shooting without being shot at. Find a state that isn't California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, or Maryland (except Southern MD, nobody cares here), and you'll be alright. Move into a house near a nice range, and you'll have a blast.
Again, welcome!
 
God morgan!

We wish to welcome you to the U.S.

As some have mentioned you should plan your trip carefully. Don't get off the plan in NYC and walk around hoping to find a range or gun shop. That could be a very frustrating experience.

You need to research this ahead of time

I would certainly plan a normal tourist visit, then try to add in some firearms events (rather than the other way around). You don't want to go out to Idaho to shoot, then realize you wanted to visit Disney World or see the White House in DC, etc.

You may want to look into a course where you could learn gun safety, tactics, and do some shooting. I think this may be more satisfying than a random shooting range. Here is an example of one in GA:

http://www.firearmz.net/

Here is a list:

http://www.martialartsresource.com/firearms.htm

Good luck. Oh and by the way, we don't have a Systembolaget (alcohol tax) like you do in Sweden! With the exchange rate, I'm sure you'll be able to eat and drink well.

PM me if you have anymore questions or need suggestions on places to visit.

Hej då ! :)
 
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Mexican shooters regularly participate in silhouette matches conducted in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, etc. Many Canadian shooters participate in shooting activities throuout the US. Japanese tourists LOVE our commercial ranges. I dont see any problem with these Swedish folks coming over here and enjoying some of our freedoms, if they show up here in Wyoming I guarantee you they will get plenty of shooting, I will personally see to it.
 
skidmark said:
Sorry to be the one to bring you the bad news, but you cannot legally participate in any shooting in the United States while you are here on a tourist visa:

http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/faq2.htm#b5

Quote:
(B5) Are there certain persons who cannot legally receive or possess firearms and/or ammunition? [Back]


Yes, a person who –

(5) Is an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States or an alien admitted to the United States under a nonimmigrant visa;
Click to expand...
This just means you can't give 'em one to keep in their hotel room.

So long as the owner of the firearms they're using is present, they're not 'in possession'.

OTW, you'd be illegally in possession of an NFA weapon every time you went to a gun show and fondled one of those cool NFA guns. Same deal with the ranges that rent full auto weapons.
 
I shoot a lot in Downtown Los Angeles and I see plenty of Japanese tourists shooting, from what I've seen all they need is their passport.
 
Actually, you can bring firearms in. But you have to have either a hunting license or be participating in a competition.

Information Regarding the Temporary Importation
of Firearms and Ammunition By Nonimmigrant Aliens
Generally, any nonimmigrant alien temporarily bringing firearms or ammunition into the United States for legitimate hunting or other lawful sporting purposes must first obtain an approved ATF Form 6NIA (5330.3D), Application/Permit for Temporary Importation of Firearms and Ammunition by Nonimmigrant Aliens. Nonimmigrant aliens generally are prohibited from possessing or receiving (purchasing) firearms and ammunition in the United States, but there are exceptions to this general prohibition. They are as follows:
nonimmigrant aliens who possess a valid (unexpired) hunting license or permit lawfully issued by a State in the United States;

nonimmigrant aliens entering the United States to participate in a competitive target shooting event or to display firearms at a sports or hunting trade show sponsored by a national, State, or local firearms trade organization devoted to the collection, competitive use or other sporting use of firearms.
Accordingly, you must attach documentation to your ATF Form 6NIA application that establishes that you fall within exception 1 or 2 above in order to demonstrate your possession of the firearm(s) and ammunition in the United States will be lawful.



Please be advised that the processing time for a Form 6NIA is 6-8 weeks. It may be submitted by the nonimmigrant alien, without utilizing the services of a Federal firearms licensee.



Forms may be submitted via U.S. mail or faxed to (304) 616-4551. Fax only one copy of the Form 6NIA with a copy of the U.S. hunting license from any state or an invitation from a national, state or local firearms trade organization. Please include a contact telephone number and a return fax number in case FEIB personnel need to contact you.
Click to expand...

See http://www.atf.gov/firearms/feib/form6nia_info.htm for details.

So, what kind of shooting are you interested in?
 
Skidmark Did Not Look Far Enough

(R33) I'm a nonimmigrant alien who is coming to the United States for two weeks to go hunting. Can I rent a firearm in the United States to use on this trip? What if I want to go to a shooting range one day - can I rent a firearm there as well?

As long as you possess a valid hunting license from a State within the United States, you may rent firearms to hunt and to use at a shooting range. If you do not have the hunting license, your possession of the firearms and ammunition will be unlawful. The hunting license does NOT have to be from the State where you will be possessing the guns and ammunition.

[18 U.S.C. 922(a)(5) and (9), 922(g)(5)(B) and 922(y)]
Click to expand...
ATF FAQ's
 
Erik, I would recomend a stop in Cody Wyoming. Look here;

http://www.bbhc.org/home/index.cfm

You can easily spend a couple days in this museum, and there's a LOT of beautiful country all around, Yellowstone Park, and several mountain ranges. Very gun friendly country here. With some advance notice, we could likely find some things for you to shoot.
 
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