Life, food, events, and community in Albuquerque, NM

Gun laws in New Mexico

Some years ago, my dad was moving to Singapore, so he sent me his derringer for safe keeping (Singapore wouldn't let him bring it in). But when it arrived at customs, I had to register it before I could pick it up. Maybe that was because of some federal law, but I thought registration was a state law, too.

Apparently not, or at least not now. In New Mexico, no registration or permit is required for purchase of a handgun. There is no waiting period. There has to be a background check, only because that's a federal law. You can carry a concealed weapon if you have a permit.

Did others know we have such liberal gun laws in our state?

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Permalink Reply by Brendan on March 22, 2009 at 6:32pm: Hey, are those liberal gun laws or conservative? :-)

You can also carry an unconcealed weapon without a permit. The way Albuquerque is growing up, it's easy to forget we're surrounded by the wild west. Think: Lincoln County Wars.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Phil_0 on April 7, 2009 at 1:44pm: Think 1881? NM's done a bit of growing up since then...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Brendan on April 7, 2009 at 2:02pm: Speaking as somebody with relations in a remote part of NM I can tell you with certainty there are parts of NM that are just as socially undeveloped as then.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by rudolph on March 22, 2009 at 8:29pm: the fact is if youi get seen with a weapon you will be target or kill byn apd. di wouldt try it.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Lynn on March 22, 2009 at 9:28pm: Uhh, What?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by IrishRider on March 23, 2009 at 4:44pm: "Seriously though. NM guns laws are in line with the majority of other states. Any new gun purchases obviously do require a waiting period for purchase by federal law."

I'm a bit confused. We have never had a waiting period before purchasing one of our weapons. We go in, fill out what we need to fill out, they do their little background thing and voila!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Michael P. "Martini Mike" D'Arco on April 9, 2009 at 9:50pm: Same here- everywhere in town.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by once banned twice shy on March 23, 2009 at 10:46am: NMGolfHacker: there is no federal assault weapons ban. Republican congress repealed it during the past eight years. To the great delight of Mexican drug cartels.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Brendan on March 23, 2009 at 10:52am: I don't recall any federal repeal- just an expiration date on the law.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by once banned twice shy on March 23, 2009 at 10:58am: Well, yeah, I was clumsy in my terminology. Congress allowed the ban to expire--didn't renew it.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by JMG on April 7, 2009 at 4:58pm: And, NMGH, I'm pretty sure there is no waiting period to buy guns here.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by once banned twice shy on March 23, 2009 at 10:47am: Also...why do gun advocates hate the idea of registering to own a gun? Oh, wait, I just answered my own question. Never mind--it's all about the paranoia, man.; ▶ Reply to This