English88

Hey,

My fiancée who is a US citizen by birth is thinking of buying a gun for us to use at the local range. We live in Florida and I'm just wondering what the rules/laws would be around that if I wanted to use the gun (only at the range).

1. Is it allowed for me to use it at a range?
2. Would she have to be there for me to use it?

Cheers!

Pulaski

You don't need, necessarily, to be a US to own a gun, so you will have no issues using someone else's gun, unless you are a convicted felon. Unless there is a policy at the range that restricts you from using a gun that you do not own, which I sincerely doubt there would be, so long as you have access to the range (I assume you would have your own membership), you will be allowed to fire the gun and you will not be breaking any law.

Welcome to 'Merica!

English88

Thanks for your reply!

I'm currently on an L1 visa and my understanding is that I cannot own a gun but when we get married and I have a GC, I will be able to own a gun. This gun will be hers for all intents and purposes but I'll probably use it more.

So do you think it'd be okay for me to take the gun to the range by myself or would that be illegal? I know the chances of getting "caught" would be very, very slim but not it's not worth the risk.

Hotscot

Call a range. Ask their policy.

Pulaski

That is incorrect, there are several exceptions, with the one that is most easily accessible, by far, is the purchase of a hunting license. In FL that will cost you $17.

You should check Google (FL hunting license) for the precise way to go about getting the license to be allowed to buy a gun, as only you can decide if it is worth the agro for the period until you get your green card.

I would guess that having the hunting license should be more than sufficient to enable you to carry your fiancée's gun without any worries.

English88

Ah excellent. I was aware that owning a hunting license opened up the option of buying a gun legally as a non-immigrant but I, incorrectly, assumed that getting a hunting license would be a huge PITA!

Thanks again, I'll look into it.

Pulaski

Nah, hunting is a very common pastime, and for USCs getting hunting license is no harder than buying a TV licence in the UK. I doubt that being on a visa changes much, and given the visa process you've been through you are, from any objective viewpoint, a lower risk for owning and operating a gun than a USC (so long as you follow appropriate gun safety procedures, .... which many Americans do not. )

Anian

The laws for buying a gun from a store are often far more restrictive than simply being able to own a gun. So you could maybe buy one off someone on Craigslist, be given one, or inherit one, without breaking any laws. Washington State has just introduced a law that cracks down on this, but most states haven't got any restrictions.

Pulaski

Gun shows. ..... No matter how you acquire a gun, it's still not legal if you're a felon though.

English88

Okay so I have a hunting license... They made a big deal of "You MUST complete a hunter safety course to get a license" then there's a checkbox of "click here if you can't be arsed".

Just means I can't go hunting without a "qualifed hunter" but seeing as I wasn't going to use the gun for hunting in the first place, it hardly matters.

I'll take it to the gun store tonight and see what happens!

LondonSquirrel

One question. Why?

English88

Why do anything? I enjoy shooting and renting guns is expensive.

sir_eccles

Which answers the question I was about to post. You have used a gun before and know how to handle it safely?

andrewlohnes

I shot a gun for the 1st time last month, when I make the move I shall buy 1 pretty quickly, but I'm going to get a shotgun or M16. Anyone breaks into my house then say hello to my little friend!

English88

I'm by no means an expert but the range I go to are very safety conscious and every time I try a new gun they will coach me on how to use it.

So far I've fired a 9mm glock, a 12 gauge shotgun, an AK-47, AR15 and Bushmaster .50 cal sniper rifle.

The .50 cal was actually the first gun I ever used because the range was closed for cleaning but they said I can't go back to England without having shot it (at the time was on a business trip and not living here). Crazy but fun!