Reading about guns, is it okay?

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dashootist

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Hi. Anyone know if reading a gun magazine or a gunsmithing book is legal in places that ban guns, like China/Japan? I was thinking of bringing some reading material with me for the airplane and train. But wonder if that will raise eyebrows in custom.
 
My guess would be that it may not be against the law, but is a very bad idea, especially in countries like China where the "law" is not quite so black and white. I would not want to come across as anything other than a boring, teetotaling, businessman, no need to wind up in an interogation room over a couple gun magazines.
 
Japan, sure, people will want to know. All the Japanese that are on my projects
love shooting our guns.

China, hell no. China is a 3rd world, communist country (technically, that makes it second world, but oh well) that you can go to prison forever in for minor offenses and never get out.
 
It is probably a bad idea to be seen reading a gun magazine in parts of Europe and maybe in an airport even in the U.S. All you need is some mad-dog anti-gun fanatic screaming that you are planning to engage in mass murder. Remember, some of the "gun control" folks once advocated summary executions for anyone even suspected of owning a gun. Those loonie fringe people are still around, looking to make things hard on us evil doers.

Of course, if you get your kicks out of "in your face" confrontations with authority, that is a different matter, but if you just want to get where you want to go with no trouble, leave the gunzines at home.

Jim
 
@Certaindeaf
These are the 108 capital crimes. Here's a brief list (not serious)

#1-100: <100% on school assignment.
#101: Did not do homework.
#102: Being connected to Manga, Manhwa, or Anime
#103: Looking up the term "Tienanmen Square"
#104: Listening to Chinese Democracy
#105: Finding flaws with your parents
#106: Wapanese
#107: Not hiding the lead paint well enough.
#108: Making a bad "Confucius say" joke

There real list actually contains 65 crimes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_offences_in_the_People's_Republic_of_China

You could get away with having a gun magazine or literature in Japan, but trying your luck with any other regime in the region except for South Korea is risky. Russia might not be too bad. Keep it hidden in airports and away from security. Counterterrorism is not known for its humorous credulity.
 
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I travel with gun-related reading material. It's never been a problem for me, even in Mexico with the gun smuggling situation.
 
I go to China 3-4 times a year and have never had a problem with gun mags in my briefcase. And when browsing the web from the hotel or our office I can even get on THR.

I just had a bunch of Chinese government employees over here in December and took 9 of them shooting, they had a great time. Up until a couple of years ago all college students received firearms training, they would spend 4 weeks learning about the rifle, how to clean it, disassemble and reassemble, then learning about marksmanship. Then (depending on the university) they got between 1 and 3 rounds of ammunition to actually shoot on the range.
 
Spent quite a bit of time in Japan. Never saw any problem with firearms related reading material.
 
I have bought G&A in Londan and in several US airports. I would not see any issues with traveling with a couple of magazines. Your a lot more likely to get grief over a Playboy due to some foreign countries draconian obscenity standards.
 
As long as you are travelling in the confines of the USA I would think, as a citizen, you would exercise your right under the 1st. Amendent. After all Americans have bled and died protecting.:banghead:
 
Considering airsoft is huge in Japan and China, you would be hardpressed not to have at least one gun magazine in your back pocket just to fit in. Ignore the misconceptions and bring some reading material.
.
I can only speak for the special administrative region but last time I was in Hong Kong, I swung by a famous street selling airsoft. Every storefront had miniguns and bazookas and grenades in the glass displays open to the street. Could you imagine the outrage in the USA if there was such a street in the middle of a city of 7 million people, a few blocks away from schools? People would be screaming and protesting about children and school shootings. The irony is you wouldn't see that in our country, even though we can own real guns or fake ones.
 
You never know

what might get a stranger all worked up. It can be confusing and dangerous to be a stranger in a strange land. :eek:
I remember hearing about a guy who was working his way through college by working as a janitor at the same college he was attending. He happened to be reading a book about how Notre Dame students successfully put a stop to an incursion of hooded KKK Klansmen back in the 1920`s.
One day, while he was eating lunch in a breakroom, someone saw him reading the book with its cover jacket and reported him in. Why? because the jacket had a photo of a Klansman.It was reported as an "inflamtory, offensive image designed to stir uptrouble'.:cuss:
The poor guy came close to being fired and was put through all kinds of hell because of it. Sometimes discretion is advisable.The incident described occurred at a mid-western college in the good `ole US of A! :banghead:
 
Some very fine gun magazines are published in Japan and widely read. The technical descriptions of guns are very expert and the photography is excellent. I wish gun mags in the US were only half as good.
 
The US is far from being the most reasonable country in the world. And as far as customs or airport officials are concerned, just a hair above the worst. They range from impersonal robot like types to rude self important mini-Hitlers. I wouldn't be worried about bringing gun mags into China or especially Japan. Honestly, I'd be more concerned with bringing a foreign gun magazine here.
 
Couple years ago I did time in both Japan and China( Beijing) and had some gun rags with me for the flights and train rides. Never got a second glance. The fact that your an American stands out more to them. Heck they already assume all Americans are gun crazy cowboys....

You would prob get more heat in China for having a bible....
 
Some very fine gun magazines are published in Japan and widely read. The technical descriptions of guns are very expert and the photography is excellent. I wish gun mags in the US were only half as good.
Click to expand...

That sure explains why many Japanese manga and anime get their guns and details right, even some of the minute details. Most American productions would just draw a generic 'gun' and be done with it.
 
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