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I did not know that residents of the housing area on post were permitted to keep firearms in the home? Does anyone know what the policy is for the Army Re: Possession of a firearm on a military post???? tom kelly
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It's not a big deal at all and easy to do on most Army or Air Force bases these days. Process is covered in detail by published post regulations available to all assigned. Don't know for sure about USN/USMC, but I'd assume pretty similar regulations and procedures. For married or bachelor housing, you can live with your weapons.
For junior troops residing in the barracks, things remain as they've always been. Stored in unit arms rooms w/ troops retaining weapons cards to draw out for personal use (range, hunting trips, maintenance, etc.).
Firearms kept in base housing must be registered at Provost Marshal Registration Office (same place you register vehicles). Weapons must be accompanied by paper registration sheets/cards when transporting between quarters and anywhere else on base. Same paperwork (kept in locked case with weapon) must be shown on demand when returning through base entry gates (if randomly queried by base police or MPs). No CCW or Open carry on post (except for designated hunting areas and certain ranges). Otherwise, weapons must be unloaded and in locked cases (separate from any ammo) while transported anywhere on post. No weapons may enter through main gates from off-post without being registered. Exceptions are newly purchased firearms. Either newly purchased off-post or newly purchased at on-base PX (or Rod & Gun Club). Then you have something like 24-48 hours to get the new weapon registered (or on next open Registration Office day if a weekend or holiday purchase). If you get cursory vehicle searched entering post and a weapon is properly registered, unloaded in a locking case, & ammo is separate... GTG. If not... potential federal felony & UCMJ.
Post Commanders have discretion to modify the rules, but in general, most bases utilize the same procedures. IIRC, what you do storage-wise with your firearms inside of your on-post quarters is up to you. In other words, you can keep loaded weapons for home defense. Naturally, you are required to keep them out of the hands of anyone not supposed to have access without your supervision... like household visitors or kids. I'm not completely sure on the storage thing anymore. I kept a household ready gun loaded... and was within post regs allowing me to do so.
Again, this is for permanent party people assigned quarters... not troop or TDY barracks space.
Done it as described while living on-base through late 2000s. Incidentally, those registrations are computerized and now transfer/show up at any other base you PCS to. At least CONUS ones.
Most large Army & USAF bases these days have pretty decent gun sales counters located inside of the AAFES main PX/BX. Lots of firearms, ammo, hunting accessories, optics, holsters, and CCW/tactical gear for sale. All of it sold tax-free. Meaning that out-the-door prices are pretty low. More bases today have POW ranges for public use (including some offering use to local civilian shooters). The military has gotten a lot more personal firearm friendly in recent years.
During the late '90s, several base commanders notoriously attempted to force their generally liberal elitist ( read anti-2A) views on all assigned troops. You know the type. They ordered folks living off-post to register all weapons. Even if stored at off post privately owned/rented domiciles or off-post storage units. Or if owned by non-military family members. This got heatedly challenged on constitutional grounds. Complaints to Representatives and Senators. An unusually angry Congress passed a law specifically forbidding military commanders (all services) from exercising such prescriptive authority outside of the confines of federal installations. Some generals & colonels got spanked from on high. DoD got the message and started going a lot more user friendly with military gun owners.
The CONUS policy today is that firearms fall under post regulations while on-base... and under State or Territory resident firearms laws once outside of federal installation gates.