How can I legally own a firearm in NYC? are there any legal alternatives?

[yhtomit]

You say "three years" and that you've got to keep everything nice and legal -- so I'm guessing Law school. Correct? That was my situation in Philadelphia. Home addy for those years (my mom's place) is in Harrisburg; I got a permit, but also lived for most of the time in graduate housing (Univ. owned), and part of the time also worked in city buildings, or interned at a county courthouse, etc -- meaning that (all logic aside) having a gun would have been either illegal or could have led to deep trouble with the school. So, despite the permit, I never carried in Philadelphia.

If I'm right about law school, you might spend most of your time indoors and relatively safe on campus (ignoring the problem with victim-disarmament zones), and much of the rest with friends in places where violence is unlikely. I hope so, at least!

timothy

 

[Caliban]

Stupid question of the day.

What if I have a CCW from another state? Can I carry in NY city?

(I am sure the answer is NO!).

it's not just no. it's "3.5 years in prison if you're caught with an illegal gun" no.

 

[tpaw]

The one guy i saw with a knife here had a butterfly knife... and when I asked about it (he was using it to open a box in the store he was working in) he just stated that he didn't know any laws about it but you could get it in chinatown... That didn't sound to me like a very intelligent thing to do in a city where (i've heard) officers routinly stop individuals so that they can perform 'terry frisks' on them.

I've patrolled lower Manhattan (NYPD) in both uniform and plainclothes for 10 years all around Chinatown and Columbia University. You'll be just fine. It's a tourist area of Manhattan (SOHO) which means south of Houston Street. Greenwich Village, Chinatown, The South Sea Port Museum, Wall Street Stock Market, and Battery Park, are just a few of the many sites to see. Because of that, the areas are saturated with police, not to mention that Police Headquarters is also down there. The area is patrolled by the 1st and 5th Police Precincts, as well as plainclothes (Anti Crime) units and others, not to mention a separate Precinct where they have the Mounted Police (Horse back) patrol. Relax, enjoy your stay and good luck in your studies.
PS....routine "terry frisks" are not part of the aggressive patrol function.

 

[RPCVYemen]

I've officers routinely stop individuals so that they can perform 'terry frisks' on them.

People have heard a lot of things about NYC. My experience matches what tpaw posted. I have never been stopped for a "terry frisk", or had any NYPD officer initiate any contact other than when I was doing something stupid that might have gotten me hurt (drinking beer in Morningside Park at 3:00 AM).

If you think about it, NYPD officers are generally going to need to develop a pretty fine sense of who's looking for trouble, and who's not. In Podunkville, the local force probably knows all the local players and mainly focuses on anyone who's different (from out of town, has a funny accent, gay, doesn't speak English, etc.) That won't wash in NYC - everyone's "different". The officers in NYC have to be able to determine whether someone who doesn't speak the language and isn't even from the US is trouble or not.

In general, the officers do an incredible job in NYC. I ascribe my lack of difficulty with NYPC in the last 50 years to the fact that I wasn't looking for trouble when I was there - at least not criminal trouble.

Do the officers ever make a mistake? There are something like 40,000 police officers in the NYPD. That's bigger than 95% of the towns in my state. Are there many towns of 40,000 where no one makes a mistake? I don't think so.

At any rate, my experiences in NYC back up tapw's post.

Mike

 

[Caliban]

i agree, i've lived in nyc (brooklyn and manhattan) all my life and i've never had any trouble with the police that i didn't bring upon myself. nor has anyone i know ever been randomly frisked or harassed in any way. the nypd is really one big sleeping giant... mind your business and you'll be fine, but god help you if you get busted doing something like carrying a firearm.

 

[mp510]

The one guy i saw with a knife here had a butterfly knife... and when I asked about it (he was using it to open a box in the store he was working in) he just stated that he didn't know any laws about it but you could get it in chinatown... That didn't sound to me like a very intelligent thing to do in a city where (i've heard) officers routinly stop individuals so that they can
perform 'terry frisks' on them.

I'll give you a brief overview of NYC knife laws:

Prohibitted

* carrying knives with blades longer than equal to or greater than 4" (including the unsharpened portion)
* gravity knives
* switchblades
* carrying knives in a visible manner
* "Dangerous Knives" (NYS Penal Code term)
* daggers


NYS State law defines a gravity knife as a lockblade knife that can be opened by centrifrugial force. In short, that means that if the blade locks, and it can be flicked open (either by holding the handle or blade), it is a gravity knife. Carrying a gravity knife constitutes "Criminal Posession of a Weapon" , which depending on your prior record could be charged as either an A Misdomeanor or a D (IIRC) felony. NYPD rabidly persues weapons violations, especially when it comes to carrying knives. In most other counties they aren't as emphatic about prosecuting people for gravity knives, but people have been charged under the same interpretation. There is an exemption in NYS law that allows the carrying of a gravity knife or switchblade while engaged in licensed hunting or fishing activities. The sale of gravity knives (and switchblades) is illegal in NYS, the exemption was really meant for people who already owned them. However, there is many retailers who do sell illegal knives, and are not shut down by NYC or NYS officials.

The other issue major issue that you will face in New York City is that NYC Administrative Code prohibits visibly carrying a knife when not in actual use (ie cutting something) with a couple of exceptions. If you carry a knife clipped to your pocket, you are subject to arrest. NYPD arrests a lot of people for illegal visible carry. If you do meet one of the exemptions (ie. the knife is for use in the course of your employment, and you're on your way to work when you get arrested), be prepared to provide documentation from your employer when you go to court. You can be punished with a fine and/or up to 15 days in jail (IIRC).

Daggers and "Dangerous Knives" are banned statewide via the NYS penal code.

If an officer asks you why you are carrying a knife, never tell them it is for self defense. That will indicate to them that you intend to use it as a weapon, and even if the knife is otherwise legal, will get you arrested.

There is several previous threads that on the subject of NYC case law as it pertains to knives. It would probably be good for you to read up on them.
http://bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=538628
http://bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=563133

On a personal note- I live in Connecticut. When I travel into NYC, I prefer to carry a smaller (small stockman or peanut or a red SAK usually) slipjoint knife, deep in my pocket. I also use it as sparingly as possible. Virtually every locking knife can be flipped open- with the right technique and a little effort.

 

[AJAX22]

I took a close look at the extended university weapons policy today, and it appears that even though my lease does not specify that firearms are prohibited, the university weapons policy extends to all property which is owned or controlled by Columbia university. (including my apartment building)

If I was caught even with a properly permitted firearm I would be expelled.

They use New york penal code 265.01[3] to justify their stance.

If I can obtain written authorization from the university to posses a firearm in my residence, then I can apply for the permit to own a long gun. (chances are that means I am completely prohibited from legally/contractually possessing a firearm while in NYC.

If I have to go through that much stuff to get anything at all I might as well try to get the best I can get. how much more work is it to get a properly papered SBS in NYC? any law specifically prohibit them or is it just the CLEO sign off that prevents citizens from having them?

It looks like I'll have to be getting an 'emergency fire axe' or something to that effect for use in the home for the meantime.

and I will be trying to sort out the whole knife issue. what exactly is a Dangerous knife?

PS....routine "terry frisks" are not part of the aggressive patrol function.

I'm glad that the whole random stop/search thing is just a myth, it seems like there is alot of hearsay when it comes to NYC and NYPD but not alot of first hand accounts.

I won't be be out looking for trouble, I intend to spend my time south of 125th street when out and about, and I will be living primarily in the library when out of my apartment.

 

[hnk45acp]

I can guarantee that you will not get an exemption from Columbia to own a shotgun, much less a Short Barrelled one (which is impossible in NYC). If you want to get a shotgun you will have to live OFF Columbia real-estate and change your residency to NY

 

[AJAX22]

I can't change my lease (its a condition of receiving funding to go to school) all direct costs are handled through an automated payment system.

So my only option is to apply to the college for permission to posses one in my residence. If that means I don't get to exercise even the most basic 2A rights while I'm in NYC... well I don't have any control over that.

I will be changing my residency to NY anyway (I need to in order to get TAP funding)

Do ranges provide any service where you can rent/buy/store/use a gun while at the range? (I'd like to stay proficient if nothing else.

Are SBS's banned because of NYC law? or is it just that they don't offer a CLEO signoff? I can bypass the CLEO requirement by forming a trust if that is the only barrier.

 

[RPCVYemen]

Do ranges provide any service where you can rent/buy/store/use a gun while at the range? (I'd like to stay proficient if nothing else.

"West Side Pistol and Rifle" - I stopped to jaw with them on my last visit, and they seemed like decent guys.

http://www.westsidepistolrange.com/

Mike

 

[scrat]

Antiques are firearms in NY if you simply have the components to load it (powder, balls, etc.). In NY state you don't need as far as I know any permit or license to own a shotgun or normal hunting rifle, but NYC is a different can of worms. You do need a license/permit to have even a shotgun there. I never thought I'd ever say this, but you'd be better off in CA as a gun owner, NYC is just that bad...

wow i never thought id see a state worst than CA wow

 

[762 shooter]

Develop a limp and listen to poster #42.

I could hurt you with a "walking stick/cane". Within 7 feet you're mine.

Better check though,it might be illegal to be handicapped in NYC also.

 

[AJAX22]

It appears that an exemption from the firearms prohibitions for columbia controlled buildings may not be as hard to get as I had previously thought.

At one point they apparently had a shooting team on campus with an underground range. Eisenhower was a big sponsor of the club when he was in charge of CU back in the late 40's early 50's.

It appears that there may still be a columbia university shooting team. If I can get on that, I may be able to get a waiver allowing me to posess a firearm in my home... I can then apply for a NYC permit.

I have a little time right now so I'll be doing as much research as possible before school starts (next tuesday)

 

[Caliban]

please do post up your experience. i'm aiming to join you at columbia in a year.

when i was at dartmouth in new hampshire we had all kinds of shooting teams, but they strictly enforced the firearms ban in college-owned residences (which out there is 99% of them) so you had to store your guns in a central college-monitored locker.

 

[FLA2760]

I lived and worked in NYC 33 years. It is a MAJOR hassle to get a permit just to have a firearm in your home. All funds are non refundable if denied. The 2nd Amendment in NYC is little more than a historical footnote. Here is the link to NYPD Licensing Division. FYI pepper spray and pocket knives with a blade over 4" is illegal too. No stun guns either.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/permits/handgun_licensing_information.shtml