While I understand the answer is basically NO to all the questions asked, I had a different experience. Mind you this was the mid 1950's and I was in a service unit not combat arms.
When I went to Germany as a 17 years old Pvt E-2 I immediately set out to learn the language. The next thing I did was to join the Coleman Barracks Rod and Gun Club. I turned 18 and started to collect a smal personal arsenal. I bought a Winchester Model 77 .22 rifle that had a 'sear' problem. At the range which was about two or three blocks from the barracks I found that if I pulled the trigger and then released the trigger I could empty the 7 round magazine in two burst most of the time. It was my first time to fire full auto other than the cal .30 MG in BCT at Fort Ord a few months before.
My other firearms were a German P-38 in 9mm, a Remington military rebuilt .45 M1911, a Browning P-35 in 9mm, and eventually a Nagant seven shot 1929 revolver in 7.62(I used reloaded M1 carbine ammo in it) All the arms were kept in the arms room in a locked case. The ammo was locked up in the arms room as well.
When we moved to another post a few miles away the same rules applied. Now the range I had been using was still back at the other post but I had to travel on two street cars and a bus to get there. Sometimes a friend tat also liked to shoot would go with me. After he bought a little English car it was easier. we were instructed by the local Military Police that we had to carry the firearms in open carry. I did not like that but no one ever messed with you when you did. I had a friend in the German Army that liked to go shooting and when he came to his home on leave we would drive over to the range and practice. He had a P-08 in a genuine WW2 holster that had belonged to his father.
When the soldier that worked in the arms room went home the first sergeant asked for volunteers to be the armorer. I was selected and soon I was in my element working on M1 rifles, M2 carbines, M3A1 SMG's, and Cal .50 M2 MG's. My firearms were now more accessible and I passed several major inspections during the few months I worked there.
During the monthly alerts I was responsible in issuing out the firearms before the "umpires" put a big "X" in chalk on the door to the arms room. I had a driver and a 3/4 ton truck that would appear outside in the street. We would load the firearmsthat off-post personell had not yet picked up and the 3.5 rocket launchers and perhaps one of the .50 cal MG's and be ready to move out. At that time we were constantly reminded that there were people that would like to hijack firearms and take them to France a few miles away to sell to the Algerian Freedom Fighters as they were called then.
I would carry my personal .45 with at least one loaded magazine of 230 ball ammo in a tanker holster under my field jacket. I never bothered to ask permission and I never told anyone what I was doing. When a lieutenant that was issued a M2 carbine wanted to carry a .45 and asked to borrow mine I allwed him to do so. He still carried the carbine but he though it looked cool to have a sidearm on his pistol belt as well. I carried my Browning P-35 during the alerts when he was doing that. I had a magazine with 13 rounds of ball ammo.
When I joined the USAF I was just a month under 21 and I took my P-35 to the training school at Amarillo AFB which was my first assignment. Some people thought I was in the RAF when they saw my my duffle bag and my orders said RAF on them. The army guy that typed them up said "you must be regular air force, right?" When I was assigned to Clark Field in the PI a few months later I also brought my .45 pistol. I fired at the range at Clark during my time there.
After those 4 years were over and I was planning to get a civilian job my wife and I sat down for a talk. The small town in Oregon seemed to have 'zero' opportunities for decent work. We had a 6 months old daughhter and we were expecting our second child. I knew i had to make a choice soon. President Kennedy was killed on Friday and the next week I went down and signe up with the army again. After a brief few weeks at Fort Ord I was posted to Korea. Knowing that this was an unaccompanied tour I decided to make the most of it. I bought a Savage Model 24 in .22 LR/410 and brought my High Standard .22 pistol with me. In Korea i obtained a hunting license and went pheasant hunting with the CWO I worked for and a platoon sergeant. We used the dog the CWO bought from a Korean farmer. That was a great hunting dog.
When the Gulf of Tonkin incident came about we went into a high alert status. Peking Polly was telling us we were in deep kimchee and we already had caught some NK spies at our missile launch site on the mountain top. we went into the alert mode and carried a rifle wherever we went. The armorer (on the QT) asked if I wanted my .22 pistol to carry and of course I said yes. I still had the tanker holster from years before. (in fact I still have it) I kept it out of sight under my jacket. When the alert died down I returned it to the arms room.
After Korea I was sent to Fort Riley where the preps were being made to go to the RVN. When I managed to get assigned to a unit getting ready to ship out I went to a gun shop and bought a small pocket pistol in .38 special caliber. The catain at the base theatre when asked the question about personal forearms gave a "wink and a nod" to the idea by saying that it was not authorized but to be sure and get something in .38 special or .45 ACP if we chose to do that. I believe there were almost 10 % of my unit that brought a handgun with us. We were not issued ammo for our rifles when we debarked from the ship at Vung Tau in October 1965. We were not issued any ammo for another two weeks or more.
After we were sent to our forward area we were under mortar and sniper fire for some time. Our CO ordered us to unload our rifles one day when we were taking sniper fire. a few weeks later an edict came down from the PTB at First Division HQ. All personal fire arms were to be registered with the PMO. About a month after that we were ordered to turn in our handguns to the supply sergeant who placed them all in a field safe until we shipped home.
During a resupply convoy the first shirt asked me to drive a cargo ruck but told me there was no additional driver to spare. I said I would go if he would give my revolver back for the duration of the trip. At first he said no but when I told him he might want to look for another driver he relented. He told me that I was to tell no one or show the revolver to on one during the three day mission. Upon return I gave it back to the first sergeant and thanked him for trusting in me. when I returned to CONUS I had to apply for an export permit from the Vietnamese government!
During my time there I had a personally owned M3A1 with 8 magazines of 230 ball ammo along with my M14E2 converted rifle.
All the time I carried a personal firearm I knew that I was taking a chance but my firm belief in providing for my own self outweighed the negative. I also was prepared to deepsix any forearm that was in danger of being discovered.
I had a very interesting time when the USAF "misplaced" my Savage Combo when I was leaving Travis to go to Korea via Japan and it was left sitting at a bus stop at Kashine Barracks bt a japanese civilian bus driver. That will have to come at another time since I have taken to long on this story already.
BTW, I do not suggest that anyone copy what I did since I was extremely lucky and this was back in the mid 50's to mid 60's. There were no metal detectors in those days for one thing.
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