Right to bear arms?

Question

No, not a 'is it right?', don't worry...

What exactly can US citizens carry? I'm given to believe that you can outfit your house with as many machine guns, hand guns, rocket launchers and grenades as you please, but as I have never seen anyone wandering the streets with an assault rifle I assume you have to conceal your gun if you are carrying it on the streets.

What exactly is the law (I know it will vary with state, but just roughly)? And what if you want to go to the bank? Do you hand it in when you get there?

I have no idea what Aztec is talking about...
In case I have offended the NRA I appologise for the rocket launcher bit, but I was genuinly under the impression that 'arms' wasn't properly defined and so you could do what you liked in your own house.

I'm from the UK where only criminals carry guns (which seems a tad unfair), so for the people who think I'm on an anti gun rant (DESPITE THE FACT THAT I STARTED MY QUESTION BY STATING THAT THAT WASN'T WHAT THIS WAS!) I honestly couldn't care less whether it is right or wrong to carry a gun, I'm just very curious about the exact law and what can/can't be carried etc...

Answer 1

As you said, ... it does vary from State to State. The link below is the very best site for explaining the laws of your State, as well as others.

Answer 2

Everyone should be allowed the right to defend themselves from criminals. The anti-gun crowd in the US , mostly Leftists, wants to disarm every honest citizen. That leaves criminals with guns, because they are not honest citizens. Yes, even honest citizens can go haywire and shoot someone, but that is rare.

Each state has its own regulations, in many states one can wear a handgun on the hip as long as it it not covered by any clothing. Most states allow concealed carry only by permit and some require a permit to carry a handgun off ones property period. Some cities have banned handguns and even rifles, un-Constitutionally. Generally there is no ban on bolt-action rifles and unmodified shotguns. Semi-automatic rifles are generally okay, except in a few cases where they look ugly. No difference in ammo, how fast they shoot, just appearance. No one is allowed to have a fully automatic weapon, a machine gun, except by special federal license, All larger weapons must be disabled and no live ammo is allowed for them. So no working bazookas, anti-tank guns or missiles. No grenades or explosive devices. period.

The number of guns and cartridges that qualifies as an arsenal varies by the media person, the local law enforcement and the seriousness of the charges. Three guns and several hundred cartridges may be called an "arsenal" by some anti-gun nut trying to create a stir. If one has collected several hundred guns, most taking different ammunition, and has 20-30 rounds for each, that is a collection, not an arsenal, yet to the anti-gun freak it is an arsenal even though the owner has committed no crime and the police are urged to steal the collection and destroy it. An arsenal would be over a dozen guns using the same ammo and over 100 rounds for each one. Some states have defined them legally too.

While it is legal in most places to walk down the street carrying a rifle or shotgun, the police will stop you, question why you have it and where you are going and you had better not have it loaded or have a loaded clip in your pocket. If you do you will have a lot of explaining to do. Best carry it in a case. Outside of cities the police may ask you where you are going and why you have a gun or they may not, depending on how populated the area is. If in the countryside, they may assume you are hunting or going to shoot at targets.

This is not Iraq where too many people have machine guns, fully automatic assault rifles, rocket launchers and grenades. I own 3 guns I haven't fired in years, 2 .22 cal and one .50 cal black powder muzzleloader. My father had more, about 9 in various calibers, for targets and hunting and just as collectibles. American gun owners are not crazy people, they like to hunt and want to protect themselves from ciminals. As for banks and such you lock it in your car or leave it at home. If you have a concealed carry permit, you can take a chance and just be sure it stays concealed, even in a bank, but it's not a good idea.

Answer 3

Rocket Launchers and Grenades are classified as "Destructive Devices" VERY RESTRICTED

Machine guns are outlawed in some states. However in states where machine guns are legal, you need to register them and pay a $400.00 transfer tax. (price may have gone up)

So called "Assault Rifles" (semi-automatic rifle or pistol) which is a media name tagged to vilify and paint a more evil picture of what has been legally owned for years by LAW ABIDING citizens since the turn of the 20th century.

Generally "Assault Rifles" are classified purely on cosmetic appearance and not on the mechanical operation of the arm.

Most gun control laws are focused on the law abiding, to force them into fearing arrest and to make a new class of criminal. Being that it is so hard to go after the real criminals, the anti gun liberals want to go after the law abiding.

It is easier to herd sheep, then it is to herd wolves!

Answer 4

hehe...rocket launchers would fall into the category of destructive devices which unfortunately are illegal. Machine guns, very legal you need to have paperwork for class III weapons and pay a $200 transfer fee but you can have them unless your state prohibits it. Many states such as California, New Jersey, New York and some others have caps on the size of magazines that can be sold as well as characteristics that classify a weapon as a "bad gun" detatchable magazines, pistol grips, bayonet lugs, short barrels etc. generally classify a gun as a bad gun.

The DC court struck down the handgun ban as unconstitutional last week citing that the constitutional amendment applies to individual citizens to defend themselves, not the states right to a militia. I think this issue is going to break wide open and many more gun laws will be struck as unconstitutional. It all depends on what the supreme court does with it.

In a bank, generally weapons are frowned upon. If you have a concealed carry permit, you would generally leave your firearm in your vehicle.

Answer 5

ok if we're talking USA there's a difference between federal and state. State supercedes federal in this case: So if the country may allow you to carry a gun but a city or state prohibits it, the city/state wins.

Any American citizen without a criminal record may purchase a handgun, a background check and waiting period difers from state to state. It must be registered with the proper authorities. Open Carry means to carry the gun in plain sight in public places, and some allow this without special consideration while others ban it. Carry and Conceal means to conceal the firearm upon your person whilst carrying it in p;ublic and this often requires a license. Licensing is achieved through a short course on gun safety handling and maintenace, plus also there must be a reasonable justification to need to conceal a weapon upon your person.

Any private establishment may ban guns if they show proper signposting. Public places vary form state to state.

Answer 6

In Maine you need a concealed weapons permit to carry a concealed firearm. If you're willing to have it out in full view for all to see, no permit required. Although some places specifically state no firearms allowed. I've seen bars with those signs and no reasonable thinking individual should take one into places like banks, courthouses, churches, hospitals, etc. good judgment is also a function of gun ownership too.

Answer 7

i can tell you yes you can buy automatic guns like machine guns and it cost $200 to get it transferred in your name not 400 as the other guy said i should know because i have one but you can just about get any machine gun like a MG 42 , M2 50.cal ,Tommy guns but you need to get a permit for machine guns or suppresses/silencers but its not hard to get as long as you are not a criminal in most states you can get a permit to carry a concealed gun i got that also but you can only carry a pistol but you can carry in the open but its not to good of a idea the cop might stop you to see what you are up to

Answer 8

No we don't have rocket launchers and grenades at least not all of us. In my state you can carry a weapon concealed if you take a three hour course and pay for the fingerprint and background to purchase a handgun takes ten minutes, the only place that you must not "pack" is in a federal building i.e. courthouse etc. or in an airport terminal.

Answer 9

in spite of in case you like it or no longer, choose for to or no longer, you have the guy good to submit to hands, as has been many times desperate by ability of the US preferrred courtroom in its interpretation of the 2d modification. Like different rights secure under the form, there could be "genuine looking regulations" on your good to submit to hands, provided they have a rational foundation and are calculated to be the least available intrusion upon that good. for people who have self belief "no weapons" is a safer way, look at how properly that has worked out in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, interior the final couple of years (very almost finished ban on civilian weapons) as against any city in usa the place the lawful voters can guard themselves. if fact be told, ten circumstances greater crimes are stopped by ability of armed voters than each and all of the police prepare (police in particular check out after the reality and barely provide up crimes, such by way of fact the only the place you chosen to waive your good to submit to hands and have been murdered on your individual homestead by ability of a criminal who could no longer care much less approximately "gun administration" regulations).

Answer 10

U MUST BE REGISTERED FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF CONCEALMENT. OTHERWISE U MUST BE ABLE TO SEE THE GUN. U MUST HAVE SPECIAL REGISTRATION FOR ASSAULT WEAPONS. IF U HAVE MORE THAN 100 GUNS OF VARIOUS TYPES YOU WOULD BE REQUIRED TO HAVE A REGISTERED ARSENAL. MOST OF THE WEAPONS U LISTED ARE NOT LEGAL TO POSSESS IN ANY STATE, US. DIFFERENT ORDINANCE ARE SUBJECT TO VARYING LAWS WITCH MAY DIFFER FROM STATE TO STATE.
MY LITTLE POLITICAL STATEMENT... "PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE..."