As things stand at the moment I am a twenty year old male considering joining the Coast Guard. I am also a firearms owner and am curious as to whether or not I would be allowed to purchase firearms and keep them at my provided place of residence, as I quite enjoy target shooting and hunting.

Your knowledge is much appreciated.

Hey, now, it's not like we're exiled out of society here. Hahaha.

Yes, you can buy your own weapons. However, it might be different considering the different branches. For example, on my Air Force base, if you live in base housing, you can have a weapon to defend yourself only with permission from your major command, or the unit that owns the base you're stationed at. You CANNOT have weapons in the dormitories (which is where you'd be living if you were a single airman <E-5. They're kind of like college dorms.), you'd have to have your weapons stored in the base armory. Every time you want to use them, you'd just have to go there, check them out, then go out and do whatever, and when you come back just return it to the armory.

You can't of course just be lugging around an unaccounted for weapon on a military installation.

If you live off base (if you're married or are at or above E-5, not living on base housing), you can have whatever you want in accordance with state laws, just as you would normally.

Around my area, hunting is a big thing. I know plenty of people who like to go out hunting on their days off, and they just check out their weapons from the armory. No big hassle.

I'm sure this counts for all states, but you are definately NOT allowed to have your weapon, registered in your name, stored at someone elses' house. I'm not saying it doesnt happen ;-) but just don't do it.

Hope this helped.

Thank you for the informative reply.

Like I said I'm in it for target shooting and hunting, and assuming I were to live on a base of the uniformed services, street thugs wouldn't exactly be my first concern, one of multiple reasons I own weapons at the moment anyway.

Thanks again.

I know each army post has its own rules. If you live on post you have to follow them. Around here if you live in the barracks they have to be stored in the arms room(where you have to notify the commander 1 week before signing it out) if you live in an on post house, the firearms have to be registered with the post police.

Your best bet is to store them with a friend off post, or better yet live off post.

I am not aware of a single military installation in the U.S. that does not have an armory.

As said before, each installation has different rules that you can easily find out about once you are at that post. However, it is true (as far as I know) that every installation DOES have an armory for you to keep your weapons at.

Someone said earlier that it would be best to keep them with someone else off-station. . . Yeah, if you want them to be stolen by some untrustworthy jerk.

No, just ask where your armory is, check them in, and they'll be there for you whenever you want them.

What is an armory? Are you a nasty girl or some shit?

You dont put your personal weapons in your units arms room unless you want them to get fucked around with by every dickhead that walks in there.

Off station? Were not on a helicopter attack mission.

Excuse me if I've adopted a lingo used so frequently in the military; it's general for those of us who truly accept what our life's career is. So yes, off-fucking-station.

And I guess I don't have the luxury of being in a unit where you can't trust your peers. Being Air Force, we don't have to worry as much about our private belongings as much as a person in the Army; where they have an A.S.V.A.B. waiver for scores as low as 18.

I'm not saying you're Army (although you might be); but generally it's that branch that can't be trusted as far as you could throw them.

Being Air Force, we don't have to worry as much about our private belongings as much as a person in the Army; where they have an A.S.V.A.B. waiver for scores as low as 18.

LOL, owned, and yeah that kid is army.

What kind of armorers do YOU have working at your base? Evidently, a bunch of dirtbags, man.

If there were armorers like that at my base, I wouldn't trust them either.
I live off base, as well as have a lot of good friends who do, so I'd trust them with my weapons.

Dude, I just think you got the shaft where you're at.

Yes, service members are allowed to own weapons. I keep a loaded .38 Specialty next to my computer at home, since between there and the bedroom is where i spend the most time.

As for keeping a gun in the armory, everyone above who said fuck them is right. Do not trust the armory. They will shoot your gun for fun, clean it and make it look like nothing happened. If you are forced to, keep every known lock on the weapon you can on the weapon, to make it that much harder for them to operate it, and ensure you have every key available to the locks.

Otherwise, wait until you move off base.

What kind of armorers do YOU have working at your base? Evidently, a bunch of dirtbags, man.

If there were armorers like that at my base, I wouldn't trust them either.
I live off base, as well as have a lot of good friends who do, so I'd trust them with my weapons.

Dude, I just think you got the shaft where you're at.

Damn skippy! They are rather useless. Not to mention our "armorers" are just random dudes that are good at admin stuff, and dont know much of anything about Army weapons.