laws on guns?

Although the permit laws refer to a "concealed weapon", I suspect that if you go around carrying a handgun openly in your hand or an uzi slung over your shoulder, you will get some panicked responses... and a trip to the local jail.

Permits can be gotten, but the paperwork is laborious and designed to discourage people from following through. Most of the people who are successful in getting a permit to carry a concealed weapon are owners of businesses such as bars, gas stations, or jewelry stores, etc. and will be carrying lots of cash on a regular basis.

Sorry, perhaps my post was not clear. I am looking to simply bringing my current guns there. I would not be looking to do anything else than keep them rather than have to sell them before the move.

if they are on the manifest of what you ship, the customs officers will ask you if you have a permit for them. If you don't put them on the mainifest and they are found... it wouldn't be pretty.

Depending on what and how much you ship, they might or might not be found.

Some people who have brought firearms here have regretted it due to the very corrosive nature of the high salt content in the atmosphere here. The guns required frequent cleaning, even without any use. Owners of motorcycles have the same complaint.

I would only consider bringing them there if they could be brought in legally. They would be in a locked safe at all times, as they are mainly sentimental. I just didn't know if they would be able to be brought in legally.

I recently had a firearm shipped down from the states. The process is painful and involves getting 3 personal references from residents, which can be difficult for newcomers. The application has to be notarized. In addition, you need to bring your birth certificate, Social Security Card, and 2 passport sized photos with you when you apply. After you have completed all the items on the checklist they give you with the application, they will then tell you the things that are not on the checklist, such as you need a notarized affidavit to the Commissioner of Police stating why you want the gun permit so you can make another trip to the notary and police station. The initial fees are about $50.00, which you have to pay in cash. You will also need to be fingerprinted, which they only do on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, for the background check.

You will also have to take a gun safety class. I took mine with the St. Croix Gun Club (?), which offer them once a month on a Sunday as a public service. It takes about 2 hours and cost $25.00. They have a website but do not respond to e-mail or phone calls, so you will need to stop by on a Sunday morning to make the arrangements. Their range is next to the Boy Scout Camp by Great Pond. I also checked with D&J, which has an indoor shooting facility, and their price was $200.00.

It took 2 months for my permit to be processed. Once I had the permit I arranged for a gun shop in Virginia to ship my firearm to D&J Shooting Gallery. It cost $42 for the gun shop in Va to package and ship the gun and $50 for D&J to accept delivery. Once the gun arrived I took a form from D&J to the police station and completed the registration, which cost another $50. Although I was told earlier by the Firearms division that I would need proof of purchase of the gun,which I bought almost 20 years ago with the receipt long gone, the subject did not come up again. I then took my official permit back to D&J and picked up the gun.

Although it was an aggravating process, everyone that I had contact with was always friendly and helpful. The firearms division officer even waited past closing time for me to arrive at the station to complete the final process and pick up my permit.

Wow, the joys...anyway, thanks for the info!

Technially, unless they have changed the law, you have 24 hours to deposit the guns at an authorized firearms dealer (preferred) or the police department until you get your license(s).

RL

I just shipped my Glock from a licensed dealer in Illinois to a dealer on STX. The dealer in Illinois charged me $50. The dealer here will store the gun until I can get a license. Meanwhile I can use the Glock on their range for target practice.

I probably will take the required safety class from them so I can use the gun store staff as references for my license.

Jim

Where can one pick up the permit application and accompanying paperwork?

Thanks!

If you are on STX go to D&J Shooting Gallery and they will give you the paperwork.

This is a first class indoor range and the people are very friendly. You can take the gun safety class you will need for your permit from them.

Jim

We recently brought our firearms with us to STX. Two handguns in locked cases in our luggage when we flew here. You just tell them when you check in. They check the luggage to see if the guns are in a locked case. You fill out a form for the airlines. When you get to STX you have 24 hours to register the gun. They will come to your house to make sure you have a locked cabinet or safe to store them in. No big deal at all. Our rifles were shipped in our container. Just declare them on your manifest. If you have any other questions, just call customs. We had no problems.

I would contact The Gunsmithy at clayton@viperry.com. He is one of only 2 dealers on island (STT) and all of the police get their ammo and guns from him. He'll be able to give you a 100% answer.