[LiteraryLark]

I am trying to figure out the gun laws in California for possession of a weapon and firing a weapon at a shooting range.

I do believe I can legally possess and shoot a firearm because it's been five years since I was hospitalized, but my parents refuse to take me to the shooting range because they don't want to be responsible for teaching me how to shoot due to my mental illness. It sucks, but there's not much I can do about it.

My parents are in law enforcement and my grandparents are part of the NRA so they go all the time, and I have to be stuck at home.

[Travelinglady]

Alas, we folks with mental illness are assumed to take a gun and use it to kill someone.

[x123]

I guess that means the government knows everybody's mental health diagnosis in California? I was diagnosed with delusional disorder, and it is not entirely accurate. I wonder if that diagnosis is available to government now.

[healingme4me]

I don't know if they've yet passed a bill requiring a mh eval report for a license? That's a hotly contested point on the conservative side, it's too much government intrusion, is the heart of that matter.

MA has some of the more stricter of laws and I don't believe that is here, here is more about storage safety.

With that in mind it could also be parental concern about danger to self, not always about danger to others. Which seems fair enough in the big picture of things.

I have an 03 FFL, which means I can buy guns anywhere in the US ad have then shipped right to my door. They have to be deemed collectible or over 50 years old though. Not a problem, I like the older stuff anyways. I have decided not to renew my license though. You can go broke real quick buying what you want!!

[eskielover]

I lived in California for 54 years.....the last 13 years I lived there I was dealing with depression & suicide attempts.

Alas, we folks with mental illness are assumed to take a gun and use it to kill someone.

In Calif, the only limitation didn't have to do with being Dx'ed with a mental illness....it was based on whether you had a 5150 (72 hour) hold put on you from having a suicide attempt & being brought into the hospital. The limitation to not being able to buy a gun was 5 years from the point in time when the 5150 was filed.

Voluntary hospitalizations for feeling suicidal didn't count against your being able to have a gun...only the actual attempts with the 5150 hold placed on that actually went on your record (probably police record since it was usually the police that were part of who would end up taking you to the hospital).

I can understand the reasoning behind that limitation. I am in the process of learning how to shoot now & to get a gun. Everyone around me has one & everyone around here has their concealed carry. When you live out in the country, it's important to be able to have a gun. Never know when you may need to have one for protection even against coyotes. I love to wander in my woods with my dogs & there was one time when the coyotes came too close. Even firing a gun would have scared them off. A lot easier than carrying pot lids along though nice shrill whistle might be just as effective in that case.

I definitely believe in gun ownership & the learning how to handle a gun safely & properly. Just like driving a car, it's a responsibility, not a right & should be handled with serious maturity. Hey, never know when we might need it for survival in the future.

Just to stir up the pot, I fail to understand the need for a gun - unless of course you are filling your family's freezer

[eskielover]

Farm living has different requirements....but there are good points to people other than police having guns. There have been cases where an armed civilian has stopped a tragedy by taking out the person before they could finish accomplishing their goal & before the police could get there. Also, I would rather shoot someone that allow them to harm me if it came to that. Living alone in the country, it's important to be able to defend ones self.

My neighbors do hunt our woods for food, deer, turkey, etc. I doubt I could shoot an animal unless threatened by it or I come across it sick & dying or hit by a car & suffering (not talking about cat or dog but coyote or deer). Vets don't handle things like that & it takes the sheriff department forever to arrive & they usually shoot them anyway so why make them suffer longer. I wouldn't think twice about shooting someone breaking into my house to steal or do me harm though. Like I said, living alone its important to have protection when neighbors aren't anywhere close by.

[healingme4me]

Originally Posted by eskielover

Farm living has different requirements....but there are good points to people other than police having guns. There have been cases where an armed civilian has stopped a tragedy by taking out the person before they could finish accomplishing their goal & before the police could get there. Also, I would rather shoot someone that allow them to harm me if it came to that. Living alone in the country, it's important to be able to defend ones self.

My neighbors do hunt our woods for food, deer, turkey, etc. I doubt I could shoot an animal unless threatened by it or I come across it sick & dying or hit by a car & suffering (not talking about cat or dog but coyote or deer). Vets don't handle things like that & it takes the sheriff department forever to arrive & they usually shoot them anyway so why make them suffer longer. I wouldn't think twice about shooting someone breaking into my house to steal or do me harm though. Like I said, living alone its important to have protection when neighbors aren't anywhere close by.

I'd err on the side of understanding state laws where self defense laws stand. Massachusetts does Not allow for the self defense reasoning. It might be the only state, but worth knowing if considering.

Coyotes sound serious, Eskie. I'm glad that you can stay safe.

[eskielover]

I remember in Calif, if someone broke into your house & got shot it was ok IF they were all the way inside the house. Ky, one can shoot people just trespassing on your property if "no trespassing" is posted. I would never do that. I would only shoot if I knew my life was in danger. Anything else I would have to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that someone else's life was in danger.

I honestly feel safer knowing that most people around me have their concealed carry.