Gun Registration Myth Debunked
OpenCarry.org state by state survey concludes gun registration is largely unknown in America.
Maine – -(AmmoLand.com)-USA – -(AmmoLand.com)- There’s a myth in the mainstream media and entertainment industry that guns are required to be “registered” in the United States, either by the federal government, or the states.
In fact, the opposite is true. Outside of 4 cities (DC, Chicago, Omaha, and Clark County, NV), and 3 states (California, Michigan and Hawaii), gun registration is essentially unknown in America.
In fact only DC, Chicago, and Hawaii register garden variety long guns at all.
See map above and at https://www.opencarry.org/register.html
OpenCarry.org’s gun registration map clearly demonstrates that when it comes to gun ownership, the United States is a big sea of gun freedom with just a few rocky shoals of registration. And with the notable exceptions of New York and the cities of DC & Chicago, these shoals are fairly easy for gun owners to safely navigate.
A couple of notes:
- Machine gun and other unusual weapon (e.g., flame thrower) collectors must register their weapons with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), and sometimes a state agency if state law requires. Only 9 states and DC ban machine gun ownership, see map at https://www.opencarry.org/machinegun.html
- 3 states (California, Connecticut, and New Jersey) require registration of so-called “assault weapons” which are merely otherwise normal firearms which have been deemed to be cosmetically scary looking by these 3 states because of features like pistol grips and bayonet lugs (they are not machine guns, see note 1 above).
- In 2008 the Michigan House voted to repeal pistol registration but the Senate changed the bill to merely repeal the associated police “safety inspection requirement.”
4. Only New York and the cities of DC & Chicago fail to offer a registration grace period for visitors and new residents. - Canada is widely expected to repeal their national long gun registration scheme this year.
About:
OpenCarry.org was founded in 2004 by Virginia gun-rights activists John Pierce and Mike Stollenwerk and has served to ignite the “Open Carry Movement” that is sweeping the country. In addition to being an invaluable legal resource for gun owners, the site has quickly grown to be a social networking portal for thousands of American gun owners. Visit: www.OpenCarry.org
the paperwork you fill out at the FFL dealer, does not leave their shop (unless specifically requested for some type or audit or investigation). it does not go to the government as some type of registration. you do not get added to any type of searchable database.
@Diane, Diane you are correct, sort of. When one buys a handgun, shotgun, or rifle through a FFL holder, the paperwork that you fill out registers that gun to the buyer with the federal government. When I trade that gun to my neighbor for harvesting my hay, the registration is lost, as the Congress fully intended. When I loose that gun in a poker game, the registration is lost, as the Congress fully intended. When I give that gun to my favorite nephew to commemorate his last tour in Afghanistan, that registration is lost, as Congress fully intended. Congress never… Read more »
Not wanting to argue but I don’t believe this is true. The paperwork that you fill out to purchase a gun is required to be kept on file by the gun seller (FFL). Those records are subject to inspection by the ATF if they desire. If and when a gun store goes out of business those records are then submitted to the ATF. There is no federal gun registry. In fact I think there are specific laws against that practice. Thanks and have a good day.
I thought the paperwork you fill out when you buy a handgun registered it.???
It does not. Only 4 states require registration. 3 more have limited registration.
I’m not sure about other states, but the info-graphic is mistaken about the People’s Republic of Maryland. Here is a small sampling of the bureocracy we Maryland firearm owners are subjected to: •Maryland has a handgun and “assault rifle” (AR) registration requirement that’s been in place for many years now. Even private party sales of handguns require the two parties to either go through an FFL or show up at the State Police barracks on one of the two days per month when they offer to facilitate the transfer (for a fee). •Every sale includes a background check prior to… Read more »
Very interesting. However, point (4) is misleading. The private bill before parliament would abolish long-gun registration but WOULD KEEP PERSONAL REGISTRATION — that is, the requirement for any gun owner to have a personal gun license. This license must be renewed every five years, requires answering intrusive questions (on one's love life, for instance), and can be revoked at any time. This license is required even if you only borrow a gun from a licensed owner. Non-compliance can be prosecuted as a felony liable to 10 years in jail. For example, see https://www.westernstandard.ca/website/article.php….