Active Duty Military Buying Handgun?

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cox3497

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Howdy Folks,

Been a while since I posted on here and I was wondering if ya'll might be able to help me out. I'm currently on active duty stationed in Mississippi. My buddy (also active duty) wants to buy his first handgun and wants me to come along to give him some advice.

I'm pretty sure he's a resident of the state of California, but we've been stationed in MS for just about a year now. I purchased a shotgun a couple months ago and all I had to show was a copy of my orders and my ID, but if I recall correctly they are a bit more stringent with handgun purchases.

Is he able to purchase one out of state (with orders and having lived here for almost a year), or will he have to wait till he gets back to Cali?

Thanks very much for any and all advice!

All the Best,
cox3497
 
As long as his orders are dated and say that the state he's purchasing in is his permanent duty station, he's good to go.
 
absolutely but make sure both of you go strait to the provost martial office on base and register it first thing to avoid any internal conflict about posession and storage if he needs to keep it in the armory.
 
Heya,

Go to the Rockhouse or Garrett's - they'll do you right.

Unless something has changed, you don't have to register any guns on base unless you keep them on base (live on base or store them at the armory or hunt on base). Registering is a simple form with the gun type and serial # - you keep a copy in your glove box if you need to show it to security before entering exiting. (I never had to show mine in living there for 3 years).

Again, go to the Rockhouse or Garrett's - they are family run and honest people to deal with. Garrett's sometimes has one year no interest financing too for those really expensive items you may want.

Oh yeah to actually buy the gun you just give a copy of your orders and show your id.

L.W.
 
Once he goes back to CA, I believe he has to report the handgun within 60 days. Thanks for your service. Out of curiosity, what military base is in Meridian?
 
As long as his orders are dated and say that the state he's purchasing in is his permanent duty station, he's good to go.
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yep i am active duty and i have been for about 6 years. i am from N.C but i have been stationed in kansas and ga, and i have bought shotguns, rifles and handguns in both states.
 
Wow fellas!

Thanks very much for the help! Looks like we'll be good to go today. I'll definitely make sure he knows about registering the gun when we go on base, but both of us live off base so he'll have some time to do that. We are PCS here (Naval Air Station Meridian, by the way), so I'll make sure he gets his orders when we leave. Good point about registering the thing with California, I'll make sure he knows that. I'm not too familiar with Cali's laws, so I'll be sure to pass it on.

Rockhouse or Garrett's. I seem to remember hearing about the latter. I'll see if I can look them up online as I'm not certain where they are. We were planning on heading over to Jackson to some Surplus Something or other that has a range so he can shoot several different pistols. I'll figure out where these are and make a couple extra stops on the way! :D

Anyhow, gents, once again you guys are a lifesaver. Have a great weekend!

All the Best,
cox3497
 
Just to clarify, if you dont live on base and are not taking that gun on base, there is no reason at all to register it with the base.

Same thing with California, dont worry about that until he is moving back.
 
Wishin is correct 60 days after returning to cali he needs to complete a registration form. It can be found on the CA DOJ website and it will cost him $19.
 
Just to clarify, if you dont live on base and are not taking that gun on base, there is no reason at all to register it with the base.
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He needs to check what regulations apply to him. Not all bases are the same in this regard. And if you're suggesting that it's none of his command's business, well, he doesn't have the same rights a civilian does. It turns my stomach, but it's a fact.
 
tmpick said:
He needs to check what regulations apply to him. Not all bases are the same in this regard.
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Not to derail here, but do you know of a command that has forced people (who live off of base and never enter base with personal firearms) to register personal weapons with the base? I ask because I'm at my eighth command, and I've never heard of this.
 
Wishin is correct 60 days after returning to cali he needs to complete a registration form. It can be found on the CA DOJ website and it will cost him $19.
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All the more reason NOT to return to CA imo...

He needs to check what regulations apply to him. Not all bases are the same in this regard. And if you're suggesting that it's none of his command's business, well, he doesn't have the same rights a civilian does. It turns my stomach, but it's a fact.
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Firearms registration has been a requirement ONLY when said firearm is to be brought on base, or kept in either on base housing, or in unit arms rooms. Firearms stored off base and never brought on base do NOT need to be registered with the base provost. It's none of their business.

Commanders that try to pull that off are giving an unlawful order imo, and unlawful orders are NOT to be followed. Sadly, there may come a time when politically correct careerist military commanders opt to "set the standard" and require all members to be "firearms free" and turn in their weapons. Sound silly? Believe me, it's not, as the senior leadership of today has made political decisions I NEVER would have thought they EVER would have made 10 years ago.
 
Honestly if your firearms stay off base, you'll go through less headaches owning them then driving a motorcycle in the Army. Come PCS time, I couldn't tell you. But I've only heard firearms even brought up in a mandatory safety stand down once, and that was just a parroting of the standard "keep you firearms locked up separate from ammo" line. Motorcycle riders, on the other hand, get a bit more mandatory safety training.

As long as you and your firearms stay off base then you're under state law, and as long as you have a CCW you'll find that the state (if it's not like CA, that is) often seems to trust you with a gun more than the Army does.
 
You might look into getting a Concealed permit. You go through the hassle, but once you have it, you can buy to your hearts content. I don't tell the army about any of my weapons, I have a NC permit, and that qualifies me as a state resident. Plus you can carry. Check it out, it might be a lot easier if you plan on staying there for a while. (I DONT recommend keeping your weapons in your arms room, unless you lock them up in a pelican case or something. I know if I brought my stuff there it would get messed with every day, and generally treated like the rest of the unit weapons. I'm pretty anal about my guns, and who touches them. If you have to, keep them in a safe in a storage unit off base, so nobody messes with them and you can get to them any time you want.)
 
Hey Guys,

Well, good news. They had a blast at the range. We had a chance to shoot a .40 and a 9mm (in addition to the .22), and I think he's settled on the 9mm Springfield Armory XD (had to admit I liked the little bugger too). After a little coaching, he got pretty good with the pistol and I have full confidence that he could handle any of the autoloaders. He's getting married this fall however, and wants to get something his fiancee feels confident with over deployments. I told him my recommendation was to stay with the 9mm for those reasons. I also told him maybe he should rent a .22 and let her shoot that for a while first, before she moves on to the full size. He's waiting to purchase the actual gun until she can look at them as well -- that way he doesn't purchase something she's uncomfortable with.

Anyhow, thanks all for the help! Lot of great folks on this forum!!

All the Best,
cox3497
 
His 'n' Hers...

No reason to have to share!

(Only semi-serious. Yeah, I know, I'm A.D. too and I know what our pay-scale is. Sometimes you have to make do until you can save up a little. Good luck to them!)
 
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