7/22    I went to a gun range last week with a bunch of co-workers as part
        of the group offsite event and I gained a lot of appreciation for
        shooting guns. I have a few questions:
        1) How hard is it to get a CCW permit?
        2) How do you find out what % and # of people in SF have a permit?
        3) Does there exist a range that lets you rent their guns without:
                i) having to own a gun
                ii) having to bring a friend with you if you don't have one?
        4) If I buy a gun for recreational purpose (not for defense but
           for weekend practice), do I need to register it, and will other
           people (e.g. your spouse, neighbor, coworkers) find out?
        5) What is a legal way to transport your gun in your car and/or
           airplane if you don't have a CCW permit? For car-- trunk? Glove
           compartment?
           \_ If you get an exensive gun, it is best to carry it in a dark
              velvet bag. -lewis
              \_ what is considered expensive? 500? 1000?
        \_ http://www.calguns.net
        \_ Carry a gun and you become a liability 99.99% of the time.
           Don't carry a gun, you'll only be robbed 0.01% of the time.
           I mean, assume you're in a safe place.
           Which one is more desirable? The latter of course.
           Don't be a dumbass like emarkp. Don't carry a gun.
           \_ And you got your 99.99% and 0.01% numbers from....? -emarkp
              \_ Obviously from his ass.  I wonder if he thinks cops with
                 guns are a liability also.  And if not if he is one the
                 morons who believes that if you take an idiot and "train"
                 him, he stops being an idiot. -crebbs
              \_ Even if it were 95% vs 5%, the argument holds.
                 You totally missed the point, dumb fuck.
                 \_ Except that your 95% number is patently absurd.  The very
                    large set of law abiding citizens with CCW permits in
                    the US are not causing problems 95% of the time when they
                    carry a concealed firearm.
                    \_ Yet it only takes 0.0001% of problem to occur to
                       mess up whatever point you're trying to make.
                    \_ "very large set"? Really? What are the actual numbers
                       involved? -!pp
        \_ Dude, seriously, Google is your friend.
        \_ Is this your first time shooting? Take a gun safety course
           first, before doing anything else. I think you should put
           at least 1000 rounds into a Ron Paul voter before you even consider
           buying one for yourself. -ex-military
        \_ 1) In CA, it depends on county--in SF, pretty much impossible
           2) Contact the county sheriff
           3) Yes
           4) All guns have to be registered
              \_wrong.. rifles and semi auto rifles do not have to be
                only assault rifles
                \_ Sorry, all handguns. -emarkp
                \_ wrong.  assault *weapons* have to be registered, and that's
                   a larger set than assault *rifles* (which would require not
                   merely registration, but a class 3 FFL).  "assault rifle"
                   has actual meaning in firearms nomenclature, while "assault
                   weapon" is a political term referring to anything that
                   politicians think looks scary (including cosmetic
                   similarities to assault rifles).
              \_ No tips on how to keep your guns hidden from your spouse?
              \_ Where can I find this information? I'd like to generate
                 a Google heat map showing where registered gun owners
                 are, similar to the Megan Law offender web site.
           5) Guns must be transported in a locked container.  The trunk
              qualifies, as well as a hard or soft case with a lock.
           6) A good automatic handgun will cost $600-$1000.
                \_ The glove compartment, however, and any other biult in box,
                    even if locked, specifically DOES NOT qualify. -phuqm
           6) A good automatic handgun will cost $600-$1000.  Revolver may be
              less.
           -emarkp
        \_ First, go and get your CA Handgun Safety Certificate. It is required
           before buying a gun here and teaches a lot of the info you want.
           http://ag.ca.gov/firearms/hscinfo.php
           I don't think a class is needed, but I guess it might help you
           avoid hurting yourself when you fire it (don't put your hand in the
           way of the slide).
           \_ Unfortunately, the test for the cert is useless.  You can pass
              with common sense.  The best thing is to have a friend go over
              some safety tips with you, and use common sense:  never point a
              gun at anything you don't want to shoot, keep it locked up and
              out of the reach of children, etc.  -emarkp
           \_ The NRA offers a lot of great free classes:
              \_ But handgun safety, like most safety, is common sense. The
                 legal info about transporting stuff etc. is in the "study
                 guide" so it's up to you to learn it, even though the actual
                 test is kind of a joke.
                 \_ The best guide I've seen about the legal side of things is
                    "How to Own a Gun & Stay Out of Jail"
                    It covers written and case law, in plain English, and in
                    detail. -emarkp
                    \_ Ha ha ha ha ha. Don't own a gun, rarely have to
                       worry about anything.
                       \_ Ha ha ha?
           \_ The NRA offers a lot of great classes:
              http://www.nrahq.org/education/training/basictraining.asp
        \_ In California, (1) tends to be easier in the rural counties.
           Otherwise, you basically need political connections (ie, contribute
           heavily to the sheriff's reelection capaign, or be an elected
           heavily to the sherriff's reelection capaign, or be an elected
           official yourself).
           \_ How the hell did emarkp get a CCW then?
        \_ I still want to know if emarkp carries a concealed weapon into
           temple.