Posted: 2/28/2005 4:08:49 PM EDT
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I'm looking to get a gun for my car. I'm 18 and my father is a LEO so I've grown up around guns my entire life. I believe I'm mature enough to have a gun for myself. What are the proper steps to buying a handgun? From what I've read you just go pick one and then there are some background checks. I'm looking at a SW 586 4inch. Other people have told me this might be a little big for a CCW. (Especially for my Carmaro) Any thoughts? Just an Indiana boy looking for some protection. Also, I'd like to get involved in Indiana. What's the best way to get into the Indiana gun scene? |
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Yes. You can posess at 18. The only thing you cannot do is buy from an FFL. You can receive one from your parents or a non-FFL. Also, you cannot buy handgun ammo although with the amount of pistol-caliber carbines out there, that law is fuzzy. You can even get an Indiana CCW permit at 18. As for what you carry, concealing any effective revolver is hard. I don't consider a 2" snub nose an "effective gun" since it is difficult to practice with and therefore get good enough with to carry. If you're looking to spend under $500 for a defensive gun, check out Glocks, XDs, Sig Pros, and the like in 9mm. The most important factor in concealing isn't physical size, it's thickness. 1911s can be concealed easier than many guns due to their single stack design. Also, consider weight and barrel length. How are you going to be carrying it? Is it going to be in your car, on you, in a bag? You don't want a 6" barrel sticking out from under your shirt and you probably don't want a 40 oz. stainless steel 1911 in an IWB holster. So why 9mm rather than .40 or .45? Simple, it's cheaper to practice with. Carrying isn't effective enough if you can't access your gun and get a shot off in under 2-3 seconds. It's a lot easier to practice that for half the price with a 9mm versus a .45. Hopefully that will get you started. I'd look for a Glock 19 or 16, Springfield XD 3" or 4" model, or a Sig Pro SP2009, a nice kydex hoster, and a few thousand rounds though the gun to really get used to it. |
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I like my father's glock 21. Although I think a .45 or even a 9mm is a little to much gun for my purposes. Isn't a .357 round comparable to a 9mm round though? I like the reliability of the glock, but I think i'd like the revolver even more. I'd really like to fire the SW 586-4 or the 6" and see which I like better. This would be a car only gun. Everyone and their mother has a glock now days, while they are wonderful guns I really would like to expand horizons. |
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The .38 special is close to the 9mm....the .357 is quite a bit hotter. I think what you need to do is go to a dealer and check out all the different models. Even though they can't sell to you they should be more than willing to offer you advice and let you "feel" the different models. As for getting involved, you might want to enroll in a class or join up with a local range. You should also be aware of the political side of gun ownership. Write or email your senators and representatives and let them know where you stand on gun control. Now that you are 18 and of voting age they will like hearing from you. Where you located? You are more than welcome to go shooting with me. I'm in Jackson County. Thx, Clint |
| Welcome to college, partner. If you're in Bloomington, stop by one of the indoor ranges in Indy and check out guns in all the calibers. Shoot at least half a dozen guns before you decide what you like. That way, you'll be sure of what features you want, the caliber, trigger type, etc. |
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No parties. O yeah, Purdue. That explains it. We probably have a few more parties but fewer guns. Damn the bad luck. I'll see if I can come up some time this spring, and stay with a friend. Does Purdue have a rifle team? I know some colleges have them others don't. I haven't checked here at IU. |
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I usually go to JP. Its further away than Wildcat, but its open to the public, (I am not a member of Wildcat) and I can remember how to get there. . .  Altho there is (just opened last fall) an indoor pay-to-play range here in Lafayette called Flat Creek. Cool place to shoot. But it is only 25 yds. (But you can pretty much shoot anything under the sun in there, as long as it isn't AP/steel-cored) We should really have another ARFCOM shoot here soon. The last one was a lot of fun. |
There is still a range down there although I haven't been down. Do you know who can shoot? What you can shoot? What it was like? I'm sure it's run by range commie's (not nazi's, as it is IU!) |
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I found some info on the net one time, but I tried looking for it again. If I remember correctly it's a public range w/ pistol caliber ammo permitted. I vaguely remember it being like shooting in a basement. This was nearly 10 years ago that I shot. I think there were only a few lanes in there. EDIT: I just called the Union building and talked to some snot nosed college student. I asked if the range was still there, and she said she didn't know. She asked someone else who informed her that it is no longer there. Typical IU. |
| If you come up to purdue say april 23rd, i think is the day, the rifle&pistol club is making a trip to JP, which means lots of cool things to shoot. Just about everyone takes 4 or 5 guns, and lets you shoot them, although sometimes they ask for some money for ammo. It is a fun time to try out all sorts of pistols and rifles and see what you like. |
Yes.
Depends. Maybe?
The more the merrier. |
Yes. And I am glad to escape the goddam liberals who run WI.
If you call collegic aged feminists who think that you are a dumb, ignorant pile of DNA, then yes.
Eh, I dunno. Lots of females around here. . . . |
Where in the law does it state you have to be 21 to purchase? Maybe I'm interpreting this incorrectly, but this is quoted from: http://www.lcav.org/states/indiana.asp
Furthermore;
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cant buy a pistol under 21 from a dealer, can in a private face to face at 18 Cant buy hand gun ammo till 21 Range at IU closed due to bullets getting through back stop and walls What I suggest: Compact aka normal Sig P229 .40 Walther P99 .40 HK USP .40 Small enough to carry in a pocket and not really bother you Sig P232 HK USPC .40 Small enough to fit in a pocket and not exist Keltec P32 If I remember correctly you were down here in Bloomington Keep in mind that you cant carry on campus or they will fuck up your student world. Locked in your car is fine. I dont like glocks and would sooner own a Hi-Point |
Not until I get my AK together!! Which should be pretty soon now. 
If you're just looking for a car gun, the size really shouldn't matter much. If you like revolvers, get one. You'll probably buy something different later anyway. If you're looking for something to carry on your person, then it gets more complex. Officers 1911, compact Glock, S&W snubbie, lot's of choices. My favorite carry gun is my S&W .38 Special hammerless. |
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I believe the law has changed, or i'm just interpreting it incorrectly. The first red part establishes the minimum age to posess a handgun or assault rifle (18 years old). The second red part establishes that transactions between persons or dealers and persons should be treated the same so long as they meet the requirements to posess a handgun. (I believe it was amended in 1997) Would someone please verify this?
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| You can't buy it from a dealer unless your 21 due to fed laws. You can personal transfer, borrow, or use if your 18 assuming you have a proper conceal carry license. Which is ridiculously easy to get. This thread is really back from the dead. You guys are really over thinking this. |
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you cant buy from anyone legally till your 21 your parents would have to buy it and the ammo you can get a permit 18 i got mine at 18 and so did my cousins and carried without issue. some cops are stupid about the permit thing and they think you have to tell them you have a gun thats a gray area in the law you cant carry on school grounds even at purdue, so that might create a problem if you live in a dorm |
| My understanding is the federal law only applies to dealer transfers. Person to person is regulated by the state. Which in Indianas case is not at all. Course the transfer of ammunition conflicts with federal law for people that own pistols at 18. Its messed up. My license took about 3 weeks the first time, little under. |
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [Laws in effect as of January 2, 2001] [CITE: 18USC922] TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE PART I--CRIMES CHAPTER 44--FIREARMS Sec. 922. Unlawful acts b) It shall be unlawful for any licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector to sell or deliver-- (1) any firearm or ammunition to any individual who the licensee knows or has reasonable cause to believe is less than eighteen years of age, and, if the firearm, or ammunition is other than a shotgun or rifle, or ammunition for a shotgun or rifle, to any individual who the licensee knows or has reasonable cause to believe is less than twenty-one years of age; Link>frwebgate4.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=60982113914+2+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve Handguns fall under the "other than a shotgun or rifle" catagory. IN INDIANA, you can get a handgun permit at 18, but you may not buy one OR ammunition for a handgun until you are 21. Like others, I have carried my Glock since I was 18, but my brother had to make the original purchase. As soon as we walked out the door of the dealer, he handed to me... BTW> Buy A Glock 17!! Great gun for a first purchase, and the 9mm is a lot cheaper to shoot than the .40 cal. If $$ not a problem, then get the Glock 22. |