My planning took a little set back recently. I've been planning on getting a handgun for protection purposes (including protecting the savings I'm not keeping in a bank). It never occurred to me that gun owner application form would ask a simple question of whether you have ever been treated as a patient in a mental health clinic during the last 5 years. Well, damn it, I got some anti-depressants from one in the last five years. They weren't really even necessary but I just wanted to see if they gave me more energy than usual. And I stopped using them some time ago. But apparently there's a law stating that you can't be approved as a gun owner if you've been a patient in such a clinic during the last five years. So what can I do now?? get a slingshot??? Of course, since I'm concerned about the infrastructure being destablized by y2k computer problems, and since I'm stocking up on a little food, well then, I guess I absolutely must be crazy. Hope you all feel safer without me owning a little gun.

-- JQP (not@crazy.com), February 10, 1999

Answers

It's still legal to make a private purchase of handguns without a background check, and it's perfectly legal. Look in the newspaper classifieds for a individual selling a gun. I would recomend asking ahead of time if it's a private sale, as gun dealers/pawn shops sometimes put an ad in that looks like a private sale. The real plus side of buying a gun this way is that the government has no record of the sale.

Disclaimer - check your local laws and regulations, but here in the Gunshine State (Florida) it is perfectly legal.

-- Online2Much (shooting@targets.com), February 10, 1999.

Gee, does the first line of my previous post qualify me to work at the Department of Redundancy Department?...lol

-- Online2Much (shooting@targets.com), February 10, 1999.

yeah, it's legal Online2much, until the law Clinton just announced he wants gets passed

yes, i do feel safer with one less idiot carrying a handgun

-- ... (.@...), February 10, 1999.

A second to checking the classifieds and buying from an individual. Check the local Thrifty Nickel, as well. I know people who have pistols, rifles and shotguns and not a one of them is on an alphabet agency list. Good luck. As for you, a, you're an idiot obviously incapable of cogent comment if you assume anyone with a gun is an idiot.

-- Vic (Roadrunner@compliant.com), February 10, 1999.

Regarding the private sale of any gun in California... I believe you must utilize the service of a gun dealer as a third party in the transaction...

Does anyone know if the penalty for not doing this is just a misdemeanor?

What about the aquisition of a hand gun or rifle through the death of a parent?

Mike =================================================================

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), February 10, 1999.

From what I've read, the law that Clinton has proposed specifically targets private sales at gun shows, not all private sales. Has anyone seen any specifics on this? As far as California, the third party involvement is exactly what Clinton has proposed for gun shows - maybe what you've read was talking about this proposal, and is not current law?

-- Online2Much (shooting@targets.com), February 10, 1999.

JQP

welcome to the New America, the so called experts say that 75% of the population has some kind of mental disorder, well well, I guess only 25% should be ALLOWED to own guns. In order to stop crime, instead of making gun ownership illegal, lets make crime illegal that should solve the problem. Right

Sorry no info on that part of Clintons communist agenda.

-- moose (tkh@earthlink.net), February 10, 1999.

whoah, there, vic, that's a big jump in logic

I said one less idiot w/ a handgun, that doesn't imply that all people with guns are idiots. Logic 101.

-- ... (.@...), February 10, 1999.

Have a friend buy it for you.

Had a situation where someone inherited a handgun, he said, "Guess I should go down to the gov'ment and register this."

I said, "Give it to me and the hell with the gov'ment."

Who is responsible for your personal safety, you or the gov'ment?

-- freeman (freeman@cali.com), February 10, 1999.

I can't comment with certainty about the laws in your state, JQP. It's my understanding that they are refering to people who have been commited to mental health institutions. If it was illegal for anyone who has been to a shrink to own a gun, damn, I wouldn't even want to guess at the number of people who would be affected. Even if the law is as you state it, I really doubt that they would find out with a standard check.

-- d (d@usedtobedgi.old), February 11, 1999.

California-- heck, it's not that much of a drive to Nevada. And the casinos serve pretty good food.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), February 11, 1999.

JQP -

please be careful, and do NOT have a friend buy your firearm for you just to avoid filling out the paperwork - that's now a federal felony called "strawmanning". The suggestion re: private sale is probably the way to go in this instance.

Arlin Adams

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), February 11, 1999.