Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with gun

Shooting Range near NYC

2bucksplus — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:00:59 -0800

I'm looking for a gun range near New York City. I'm looking for a gun range within about an hour of New York City and accessible by public transportation (train, bus, subway).

I need to rent a gun, buy bullets and handle any paperwork in one visit or over the phone prior to arrival. I have fired a rifle before, my companion has not. We are in no way licensed to handle firearms.

Westside Pistol & Rifle Range is the most obvious choice, but we don't mind traveling to find something better.

Will I ever be able to get a CCW?

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:40:44 -0800

I made a supremely stupid decision and am now wondering whether it's going to ruin my chances of ever getting a CCW. More inside. Last summer in the Bay Area of California, I superficially cut my wrists. The police came, put me in an ambulance, and sent me to a mental health facility. I asked them not to take me to the hospital. I was told I was being 5150'd.
At the mental health facility, I signed documentation that stated I was aware I could be held for up to 72 hours for observation before being admitted involuntarily. The box that said "You cannot purchase a firearm for 5 years without a judge annulling this document" was left unchecked.
In about two hours, I was interviewed by the psychiatrist, who then deemed that I was stable and could be released the same day. So, I spent about 6 hours sitting in an emergency room-esque area with a bunch of other people, and then I was discharged to a friend and taken home. A few months later, I was billed for the cost of the hospital visit. Insurance covered it.
I have residency in the state of South Carolina and will soon be eligible to apply for a CCW. I would also like to be able to carry in Georgia.

Essentially, I am wondering if a) I should answer "No" to "Have you ever been adjudicated mentally incapacitated or committed to a mental institution?" on the South Carolina application and if b) I will pass a NICS background check.

On the 4473 form for purchasing a handgun, the section Adjudicated Mentally Defective states "A determination by a court, board, commission, or other lawful authority that a person, as a result of marked subnormal intelligence, or mental illness, incompetency, condition or disease: (1) is a danger to himself or to others; or (2) lacks the mental capacity to contract or manage his own affairs. This term shall include: (1) a finding of insanity by a court in a criminal case; and (2) Those persons found incompetent to stand trial or found not guilty by reason of lack of mental responsibility."
The section Committed to a Mental Institution states "A formal commitment of a person to a mental institution by a court, board, commission, or other lawful authority. The term includes commitment for mental defectiveness or mental illness. It also includes commitments for other reasons, such as for drug use. The term does not include a person in a mental institution for observation or a voluntary admission to a mental institution."

I know you are not a lawyer, but I have been unable to find clarification about this. I will likely speak to a lawyer soon, but perhaps some of you have insight. I really, really hope that an immature decision will not jeopardize my gun-owning chances for the rest of my life.

Throwaway email at 5150gunownership@gmail.com. Please email me for any clarification or advice. Thanks so much.

Which guns should I get?

ZaneJ. — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:54:54 -0800

What, or where could I find out, are the most common guns and ergo the most common types of ammunition in the United States? If I were to procure firearms I'd be curious to know which ones would I have the easiest time finding ammunition for say, in the instance of infrastructure collapse. Or, interchangeably, which guns have ammunition that the price isn't prohibitively expensive. I'd be talking about shotguns, rifles, and handguns.

Bringing "Guns" into Canada

jayne — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:27:46 -0800

Can one legally bring these into Canada as a Canadian citizen? If so, will customs "illegally" confiscate them?

an antique, cast-iron, replica handgun. It's solid, with no holes to put bullets in.
a transparent, plastic BB/airsoft gun (orange tip, fires 6-mm BB's at 304 ft/sec, 30.0 x 2.1 x 10.8 inches) bought at Walmart. (They're not bringing the ammo.)

I've read the recent article CBC: About Canadian Law and Gun Ownership but I'm still not sure. They'll be flying in checked luggage from the States. Any advice will be appreciated.

Photoshop or just a funny angle?

tiamat — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:46:24 -0800

This image of "A Mexican marine stands guard as 7000 Kg of seized marijuana are incinerated at the naval base in Guaymas, Sonora state, Mexico. seems way out of whack. Big gun, small marine... make it make sense... I'm not exactly a gun nut but I'm didn't think there was a rifle with grenade launcher quite that large... what am I missing?

Blanks fired in pistols

ackptui — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:55:42 -0800

Do blanks provide enough backward motion on the casing when fired to cycle the action of an automatic pistol? Thinking in particular of two different German military pistols, P-08 Luger which has a knuckle action, and P-38 which has a slide action similar to modern pistolas.

You'll shoot your eye out kid!

Anonymous — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:14:01 -0800

Where can I go to purchase a Red Ryder BB Gun? The sale of BB guns are apparently restricted in New York and New Jersey so ordering one online and having it shipped won't work. This is a gift. I have no one who lives outside of these two states to ship it to and I'm on a tight deadline. Where's the closest store I can get one from?

A gun by any other name

Oktober — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:06:47 -0800

What were some of the slang terms used for guns on The Wire? From what i remember, bodie and poot (and the other corner kids) had an unusual slang term for the guns they hid in the wheelwells of cars. It wasn't strap, heat, piece, or nine. Any ideas?

Music

cluelessguru — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:23:27 -0800

Can you remember the 1970s disco songs that start with sound effects such as machine gun fire, door opening slowly , and a man laughing ominously? I just cannot recall their names. And googling hasn't helped.

Please give me the names of a few of them.

Thanks a million.

TX to NV and back again, armed.

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:42:41 -0800

Posting anon because I don't like to advertise I have a gun. I wish to fly from Texas to Nevada with my pistol. I have reviewed Southwest's firearm policy, but I am still curious if I will be able to travel back to Texas with the gun. The reason I have this concern is because I did not have to register my gun in Texas, and I do not have any type of concealed carry license (or any other type of gun permit). All I have are the recieps proving I purchased this gun.

The issue I am worried about is getting stopped at the Nevada bag check having someone tell me I don't have a permit for my gun and thus cannot travel with it.

Advice?

You know in the movies when they have a briefcase with a pistol in it, and it's embedded in some sort of foam that's cut out so that it hugs the gun perfectly?

Glendale — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:30:52 -0800

You know in the movies when they have a briefcase with a pistol in it, and it's embedded in some sort of foam that's cut out so that it hugs the gun perfectly? What's that stuff called, and where can I buy some?

Recommendations for cheap hobby tattoo gun?

imaswinger — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:44:47 -0800

Can anyone recommend a cheap hobby tattoo machine? There's a bunch with varying prices online, but some anecdotal evidence never hurts. I was going to build my own until I found out how cheap some of them are, but only want to get one if it's worth it.

Help me identify this two canon hunting rifle. (.22 & shotgun)

PowerCat — Sun, 04 May 2008 14:50:37 -0800

I once saw a rifle that I really wanted. I forgot the name, I only know a description. The gun had two canons. One was a .22 size, and the other was a small shotgun size (don't remember the exact size).
On the top of the "butt" there was a "door" that held some bullets.
They had a steel and black model. I think it also folded in half.
It was very thin.

Does anyone know which rifle this is?

How do I best look after a friend who purchased a gun?

vaportrail — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:48:37 -0800

A close friend has purchased a gun and I'm worried. My friend has purchased his first handgun and is currently under the state mandated waiting period. I have a couple concerns; he is not the most stable person I know. He is on, by his own admittance, a high number of medications for pain and arthritic conditions. He smokes marijuana daily.

He sees/ hears ghosts in his house that his roommates do not.

Some of our other friends have suggested he is depressed; he hasn't had much luck with the opposite sex in a long time (years), despite being very popular in high school and college. He's gained a good deal of weight and has admitted to having self-confidence issues.

What responsibility do I have to both my friend, and myself?

Complimentary service.

Meatbomb — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 14:16:48 -0800

What are we bombing them with, exactly? A question for weapons geeks. As a part of an art project, I need a list of full technical names of some of the common munitions / bombs / rockets / missles that are currently being used in Afghanistan by US forces, and the name of the company that makes them. As I don't know much about the US millitary / industrial complex, I am at a loss as to how to find this information.

What I need is something like this (made up examples): J-DAM bunker busting laser guided bomb, Raytheon Corporation; hollow point DU 5.56mm small arms round, Smith and Wesson. Websites / resources where I can get this detailed level of information would be great, too.

Thanks in advance for any assistance in this matter.

Cute thing downed by bb gun

typewriter — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 21:27:14 -0800

In the 1950s, what small game might a young boy in rural Louisiana be able to fatally or severely injure with a bb gun? I'm thinking a jackrabbit, or squirrel. Something cute and thus regretful in hindsight. What kind of terrain would it be? Tall and grassy, wooded? Also looking for a location that may not be too far from his house.

(Creating a small backstory for a character.)

Get a gun? I may be crazy but I am not criminally insane

DetonatedManiac — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 17:52:10 -0800

In the past I was committed to a mental hospital. Now I would like to learn to be a long range marksman and perhaps shoot skeet. What options do I have to legally purchase, own and use a firearm for these purposes? To be perfectly blunt about my mental condition, I was diagnosed Bipolar and committed to a mental hospital twice in consecutive years for Manic episodes. This occurred in Colorado and both times prior to my episode I was either un-medicated had been off meds for many months. Since then I have been faithfully on medications and totally stable (or at least as stable as any average sane person).

Further, I have *NEVER*, even in my manic episodes, been violent towards myself or others. I would take all necessary precautions of informing my family, friends and medical professionals about my owning of a firearm. I take this quite seriously but do not want to get bogged down in issues regarding the rights of the Mentally Ill (as poor as they are).

That said, I now live in North Carolina. I would like to get into sharpshooting and skeet shooting. I don't intend to do any hunting so the most I would use the guns would be on a shooting range or perhaps in the countryside on a friend's land.

How can I legally purchase, own, and use a rifle/shot gun as described above?

Barring that, how could I non-criminally obtain said gun and own/use it in a manner that would not run into problems with the law in the State of North Carolina?

Baring that how could I rent/borrow said gun legally for target practice?

Gun clubs and shops in the Boston area

swhitt — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:17:36 -0800

Pistol club and gun shops near Boston / Somerville, MA? Where do I go to learn? Hey everyone. I was recently introduced to the fun that is pistol shooting through a course at my university. We've been mostly shooting Smith and Wesson Model 41s that are .22LR. I enjoy it very much, but I'm looking to step it up a notch. I'd like to step it up a notch, to 9mm, .38 and eventually .45.

Are there any good places to learn in the Somerville area? Eventually I'd like to own a pistol of my own so I'd like to learn all about safety and usage as it applies to ownership.

Also, I was curious about good gun shops in the area. Where do you all recommend?

Handgun recommendations for women

Anonymous — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 18:55:12 -0800

Any recommendations for a concealed-carry handgun to be used by a woman? My significant other is getting a concealed carry permit, but finds that my Beretta 9MM is too big and heavy for her hand. She's aware of all the drawbacks of guns, so she doesn't need to be reminded of them. Please post recommendations as comments on this thread, but I've also got this throwaway account: handgunrecommendations@gmail.com

Help me find an affordable Air Compressor and Spray Gun combination?

austinlee — Tue, 29 May 2007 20:53:29 -0800

What is an affordable air compressor and spray gun combination? I'm not sure about how powerful a compressor I'll need. Also, I'm planning on keeping it down the basement and running the hose up through the floor. Is there a way to turn the compressor on and off without having to venture downstairs? (I'm in an apartment and the basement door is outside) I've seen things that allow you to shut off lights with a remote control. Maybe something similar to that? The main use will be to quickly and evenly coat canvases for paintings. I would also like to be able to use it to repaint the walls of my studio/gallery when they have become messy as well. Thanks!

Don't call me Dirty Harry.

Gordion Knott — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 03:02:25 -0800

When Jack Bauer unholsters his sidearm, he invariably cups his left hand and uses it to support the right. Have movie heroes from Gary Cooper through Dirty Harry been fooling us all along? You'd think the two-handed approach would be used to improve aiming, but that's not always the case -- last night, in a repeat of an episode on DVD, he knocked Tony Almeida to the ground and pointed his gun at him with both hands. From point blank range.

I'm no gun nut, but the grip on pistols seems designed for one-handed holding and aiming. What's the deal here? Is the two-handed technique a passing fad? Has it been used since way-back-when, despite movie characterizations?

What's the purpose? Aiming at a target, or stabilizing the gun against recoil -- or a kick from an enemy? Is the two-handed technique part of a specific special ops technique in Bauer's arsenal?

Why does America have more school shootings than other countries?

twirlypen — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 04:06:02 -0800

I realise this is a very sensitive topic at the moment, but that's what makes it so relevant. It seems to me that the US has a history of school shooting type incidents that no other country has. Is that true? If so, what is it that makes this more common in the US than anywhere else? I come from Australia and can't think of any incidents like the recent Virginia Tech massacre that have happened here. I'm not saying that makes us better in any way. The Port Arthur massacre here was equally horrible, but we've never had a school shooting incident, as far as I'm aware. I haven't heard about any other countries where it happens as much as it does in the US either.

I hope this doesn't come across in an accusatory tone. I'm genuinely curious, and I think finding out why these things happen would be the first step towards preventing them.

So: why? I know it's easier to purchase a gun in the states than in some other countries, but that alone doesn't seem like enough to explain it. I'm a foreigner and have travelled through America a fair bit, but I can't come up with any reason why these things would happen more there than anywhere else.

Thanks in advance, and I'm sorry if this is painful for anyone associated with the recent Virginia Tech shooting.

Questions on 40 year old pistols

phritosan — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 12:40:17 -0800

Inheriting a couple of 40 year old pistols from my grandfather, what do I need to know? First, please forgive me, I know nothing about firearms.

Last time I was in Dallas, my grandfather told me that I will be inheriting two of his pistols when he passes. Both are over 40 years old. One is a 5 shot revolver that someone made him as payment for repair services. The second is a small one he bought at the hardware store. Neither of them have ever been registered anywhere. I doubt the handmade one even has a serial number.

I'm fairly sure they've been fired, but certainly not in the last couple of decades. And I'm sure they haven't been cleaned or maintained. I do have some interest in firing them at some point.

Do I need to have them registered? How?
What cost am I looking at to have them safely functional?
Should I discard the 40 year old ammunition? How?
What if any training do I legally need?

Thanks!

Janie's got a gun! How do I disarm her?

bjork24 — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 09:35:50 -0800

If someone's pointing a gun at you, and they look away for a moment, what's the most effective way to disarm them? Which would work better to knock the gun loose: hitting them on the back of the hand, or hitting them from beneath the gun? Is there a better way to knock the gun free? I'm not planning on being held hostage any time soon, I'm just curious.

What guns should I rent at an indoor range?

jeditanuki — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 13:01:50 -0800

What types of guns would be fun or interesting to rent and shoot in an indoor range? My girlfriend mentioned in conversation last week that she had never fired a gun before, and had expressed an interest in doing so. As a result, we've decided to find an indoor range nearby, rent some guns, and make a day of it. I've done some soda can ventilating with pistols in my teens, but I don't really know much about guns outside of your usual first-person shooter video games. What sort of gun would you recommend for the first time user? What guns are wicked fun to shoot? Should I spend the extra dough to rent a full-auto?