NYC Hunters?!

[LorenzoD]

Hello all, I want to get into hunting with a rifle But I live in NYC. As most of you may or may not know, Its impossible to own a firearm in NYC. I was wondering if i got a hunting license would that allow me to purchase a hunting rifle? or would I have to go through the impossible steps to get a permit for a long gun? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

[Elmo]

I'll PM you in a bit with the info you'll need but you will need to get a gun permit.

[Elmo]

Actually, I'll post here so others can use the info but I'll do it later when I get on a computer. Typing on iPhone can be annoying.

[WestchesterBowman]

NYC hunter here. I live in the Bronx, and hunt in Rockland county and the Catskills. BTW you can take the NYS hunter safety course right in the Bronx.

[Elmo]

To get a rifle/shotgun permit, you need to fill out the application and bring with you all the necessary documents to the shotgun and rifle division over in Kew Gardens. All the information you need are listed here:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/permits/rifle_licensing_information.shtml

The actual application is here:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/downloads/pdf/permits/rifle_shotgun_permit_application.pdf

After you fill everything out and have all your docs, bring it to the office in person. Someone will check through it and then they'll finger print you there. You have to pay for the finger printing process (about $100) and the applications (about $120). In roughly 4 months or so, they'll send you a letter letting you know if your application has been accepted or not. Once accepted, take the application back to Kew Gardens and they'll give you your license.

At this point, you will want to ask them to give you a few registration forms. Take several. They're free. Every time you purchase a rifle/shotgun, you have to fill this form out. You fill out half of it, the licensed seller fills out the other half. You then mail the registration form along with a copy of the receipt of the firearm purchase to the rifle/shotgun division and within a month or so, you'll receive that registration form back again with a stamp on it. You of course would have to save this as you don't want to lose it.

You should also familiarize yourself with the New York Penal Code Section 265

.htm'>http://wings.buffalo.edu/law/bclc/web/NewYork/ny3(.htm

Particularly the section regarding "assault weapons". You should also know that New York City is even stricter than New York State. The biggest difference is that NYC doesn't allow semi-automatic weapon with a pistol grip (like AR-15s). Also, no firearm can have a magazine capacity beyond 5 rounds. Some companies make specially designed 5 round magazine. For example, I purchased my Ruger 10/22 at Gander Mountain but they wouldn't let me walk out the store with the 10 round mag. (In retrospect, I should have demanded they give me the magazine because as long as I don't bring it with me into the city, I'm okay.) Instead, I ordered a 10/22 5 round mag online and use that. Firearms that you cannot order a 5 round magazine for you have to have proof of evidence by a gunsmith that shows the gun was modified to accept no more than 5 rounds.

Take charge of knowing the rules. Don't assume the shop owners know the rules. Many don't often deal with NYC buyers so they don't actually know the NYC rules. On more than one occasion, I actually had to show the shop owner how to fill out the registration form because he had never filled one out before. So if the shop owner tells you you're allowed to have something, don't assume it's true. It might be true for NY State but not for NY City. The judge won't accept "but the shop owner said it was cool" as an excuse.

If you have any other questions. Feel free to ask. This isn't something where if you make a mistake they'll say "it's okay just don't do it next time." This is something where if you make a mistake you'll spend a few years in jail. When in doubt, ask. Even if you think you know, ask anyway.

[Doc]

What the hell ...... I had no idea that there was anywhere in the USA where they had such a ridiculous system of gun registration for long guns. That is just crazy. That alone would keep me from ever living in that kind of repressive system. Seriously .. I am not a militia-type, but they certainly have crossed over the line.

$100 for finger-printing plus $120 for the application. And then 4 months until you get the license (if you get it). That is just plain harrassment! And it's not even a pistol that we are talking about, but your favorite shotgun or rifle. Man, that is just plain BS!!!

[Elmo]

What the hell ...... I had no idea that there was anywhere in the USA where they had such a ridiculous system of gun registration for long guns. That is just crazy. That alone would keep me from ever living in that kind of repressive system. Seriously .. I am not a militia-type, but they certainly have crossed over the line.

$100 for finger-printing plus $120 for the application. And then 4 months until you get the license (if you get it). That is just plain harrassment! And it's not even a pistol that we are talking about, but your favorite shotgun or rifle. Man, that is just plain BS!!!

Don't even let me get into handguns. That's even worst.

Other stuff banned from NYC:

Pepper spray, tasers, blowguns, airguns, slingshots with wrist support.

[LorenzoD]

@Elmo

Thanks alot for the information, unfortunately this is enough to deter me from getting into hunting, I need to get out of this state.

[Deerthug]

@Elmo

Thanks alot for the information, unfortunately this is enough to deter me from getting into hunting, I need to get out of this state.

Or you can move anywhere else in the state and buy your long guns at Dicks or Gander in about 15 minutes.

[Elmo]

@Elmo

Thanks alot for the information, unfortunately this is enough to deter me from getting into hunting, I need to get out of this state.

Many have friends and family outside of the city that they keep in their place. Keep in mind, all the rules are for NYC. So as long as you don't bring it into the city you're not breaking any laws.

Even so, as long as you're patient, and you're only looking for a hunting rifle or shotgun, then it actually isn't a lot of work if you take it one step at a time. Yes, it is ridiculous that we have to register our long guns but then again, all you're doing is filling in your name, address, and permit # and dropping it in the mailbox (seller fills out the rest) so really, how much work is that? Like I said, the only real frustrating thing about this is having to wait 4 months for your permit, heading over to the shotgun/rifle division, and the $200+ combined fee at the beginning. But all that stuff you only have to do once in your life.

[Elmo]

@Elmo

Thanks alot for the information, unfortunately this is enough to deter me from getting into hunting, I need to get out of this state.

Or you can just get a bow or crossbow and hunt with that. No need for licenses or registration. Just need to take the bowhunting class and purchase the bowhunting license.

[ATbuckhunter]

I have 2 guns and i live in NYC and keep them in the city. The hardest part of getting the licence was waiting the 4 months and waiting 3 months between each weapon. NYC does have a lot of firearm rules but its not impossible at all. What would make it near impossible and sometimes it is, is if you have a criminal record.

[LorenzoD]

Well for one Im 19, and the firearms permit requires you to be 21, which is ridiculous, in most other states you can be 18 walk into a walmart fill out some paperwork and have a AR15 in the same day.

[BrianNY]

Don't let it deter you from eventually getting the rifles/shotguns you want, and hunting. That's exactly what they want. Don't let "them" win. Until you are 21, and are able to get the permit yourself, try to find someone out of the city that could store the long gun for you. Also, like others suggested, why not trying to take up bowhunting, or crossbow hunting? I would not let the whole situtation take you away from hunting.

Brian

[LorenzoD]

Don't let it deter you from eventually getting the rifles/shotguns you want, and hunting. That's exactly what they want. Don't let "them" win. Until you are 21, and are able to get the permit yourself, try to find someone out of the city that could store the long gun for you. Also, like others suggested, why not trying to take up bowhunting, or crossbow hunting? I would not let the whole situtation take you away from hunting.

Brian

Something about the crack of a gun has always drawn me to them. I dont think I'd get the same experience bow hunting.

[Nomad]

Wow you guys have my sympathy. I got my daughter an 870 while she was in high school,bought it at a garage sale.....

[Elmo]

Something about the crack of a gun has always drawn me to them. I dont think I'd get the same experience bow hunting.

Then that means what your really enjoy is firing a gun.

I'm not saying that as something bad; there is nothing wrong with that. I enjoy going to the range and shooting off a few rounds myself.

A common mistake for people who are new to the hunting and the sport of shooting is that the combine the two. This is common conversation I get sometimes.

I want to shoot something

why don't you shoot at a paper target at a range?

I want to shoot something moving

but when hunting, you're not suppose to shoot at a moving target.

What hunting is really about is tracking an animal. Learning about it's patterns. Understanding its habitat. The actually killing of the animal is not hunting. It is killing plain and simple. The other day I went squirrel hunting. For someone from the Bronx who has never been squirrel hunting, it is not what you think. These are not the squirrels in Central Park who come towards people hoping they'll give them food. These are the squirrels who think every little noise is a hawk or coyote out to kill them. You can spend all day in the woods and never see a single squirrel.

I hike an area. Found it's nesting area. Found it's feeding area. Then sat nearby like a sniper. 1st squirrel I saw, I shot it. The next 2 squirrels I saw, I simply held my finger at it with my thumb up to make the form of a pistol and I whispered "bang...I gotcha." and I watched the squirrels grab their acorns and walked away. I had successfully hunted those last two squirrels. I just didn't kill them.

Point is, you don't need a gun to hunt. You need a gun to kill something. They are two different things and they are both very enjoyable. I enjoy doing both. I too don't care for bows as much but I enjoy hunting so much that if it means I have to do it with a bow, then a bow is what I'll use. Enough so that I spend hours practicing with the bow just so that I can hunt properly with it. On the other side of the coin, I also own a rifle that I can't not hunt with because it weighs over 14 lbs. It's a great bench gun though and I love taking it to the range and shooting it.

My advise to you is that if you really do want to hunt. Get a bow. If you want to shoot and can only live in the city, then wait till you're 21. If you want to combine shooting with hunting and still want to live in the city...then you still need to wait till you're 21.

Edited September 23, 2012 by Elmo

[sidewinder]

what the hell is up with that BS and here i thought that at my age walking into the basspro shop and getting a shotgun but having to show proof of age and a back ground check was nuts. sorry for those of you that live in the BIG city. kiss my rear end i think i would find a friend of a friend that lived across town and........ just plain nuts imho.

now that i settled down a bit........ i understand the need i guess for a background check? but to make a person get finger printed (last i knew all of this is kept on record at birth) pay for that ink blot and then turn around and pay another fee for the application......? no wonder why folk's that live in the CITY are so pissed all the time

[Elmo]

Also, Lorenzo...I guess asking your parents to get you a gun is out of the question?

[sidewinder]

well said elmo (tipping my hat to you sir) well said

[Elmo]

The strict check has its pluses and its minues. The good thing is that it is a one time thing. Sure when I was getting mine I was frustrated as heck. But now that is behind me, I do get a sense of comfort knowing that not any crazy criminal can just go in a get one. Now the ridiculous restrictions on the other hand...that's another story. The AR-15 and the Henry Lever Action are two rifles I want that I cannot get.

[BrianNY]

I agree. I thought the same thing elmo, but couldnt figure out to word it as to not sounds rude.

Some of the best hunting memories I have are pre season scouting, times when ammo was left at home or in the car, or a funny story of me and 2 other guys sharing one shotgun last deer season.

[sidewinder]

The strict check has its pluses and its minues. The good thing is that it is a one time thing. Sure when I was getting mine I was frustrated as heck. But now that is behind me, I do get a sense of comfort knowing that not any crazy criminal can just go in a get one. Now the ridiculous restrictions on the other hand...that's another story. The AR-15 and the Henry Lever Action are two rifles I want that I cannot get.

like i said i kinda understand for some of the checks but if somebody truly wants........ they are gonna get regardless of forms and fee's i guess that is a mute point. on the other hand....i can see a restriction on the big bad military type firearm but a henry rifle?

[Elmo]

like i said i kinda understand for some of the checks but if somebody truly wants........ they are gonna get regardless of forms and fee's i guess that is a mute point. on the other hand....i can see a restriction on the big bad military type firearm but a henry rifle?

Yep. Wanted to golden boy in either a 22LR or 22WMR to use for plinking. But the tubular mag feed exceeds the 5 round limit and the only way to go around that is to get a gunsmith to so of "plug it up". Having to reload every 5 rounds makes plinking less fun.

Edited September 23, 2012 by Elmo

[sidewinder]

no other words to sum it up............NUT'S but like you said there are other forms of hunting with out the use of a gun. at least you did not give up and take up chess or checkers. like i said man tipping my hat to you.