avesjohn

For my story "The Fragile," a character (the villain) buys a handgun at a shop in L.A. on the way home from LAX airport. I need to know if it is possible to legally obtain a gun on the spot like that. Further, what kind of papers does one have to sign, and about how much would it all cost? I'm about to start the chapter that features this scene, so please try to give me this information quickly, if you can. Thank you.

Jocelyn

avesjohn, that depends on the state law, and according to this website, there is a 10-day waiting period in California. Hope this helps.

http://www.bradycampaign.org/legisla...tate.php?st=CA

Banzai

I haven't throroughly checked it out (you said you wanted it ASAP), but see if this is of any help:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_law...g_From_Dealers

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avesjohn

Thanks for the help so far. I probably won't write the scene for a few days, now that I think of it. But I forgot to ask this one question: what would be the 'typical" handguns purchased by the "average" person in the U.S.? Granted, the villain in "The Fragile" is a millionaire, owning a mansion and having a butler while working as a fashion photographer, but knowing the "typical" weapons as well as the slightly less accesible kind would be helpful. Thanks again.

Banzai

I don't know what kind of guns people would typically buy, but I think the beretta 92FS is the standard handgun of the US Army, so perhaps that?

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"Who is the third who walks always beside you?
When I count, there are only you and I together
But when I look ahead up the white road
There is always another one walking beside you"
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Hodge

http://google.com

Type "handguns" into the search bar and hit "enter" or "return" (depending on your choice of computer). Then a page will appear with big blue titles and a short desription underneath. These big blue titles are "hyperlinks," and when you click on them they'll take to you a "webpage." This "webpage" will have all sorts of useful information, and if it doesn't, hit the "back" button in the upper left hand area of your browser and click on a ner "hyperlink" (but not the purple one -- that means you've already clicked on it).

You can also use this website, which is called a "search engine" for other things as well! Including (but not limited to) pet rocks, iPods, Russian history, and animal porn.

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avesjohn

You know what? Maybe I'll just have the villain already own the gun. (How could I NOT have thought of that before???) It makes sense if he does, and it saves me from having to write scenes showing his obtaining of the weapon. But then that leaves us with an thread that now has no point. Whoops.

wmd

Sure he can already own the gun, but then you have to figure out how he gets it through LAX.

How about this.. since your guy is a "villain" he can stop on his way from the airport and buy the gun from a "back alley" gun shop. Sure there is no warranty on the gun, but he would not have to deal with that pesky 10 day waiting period.

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avesjohn

Actually, I meant he already has it at home for when he gets back. After all, the murder that follows he DOES commit in his own home, specifically in the basement/darkroom when his girlfriend discovers a certain collection of videos of an illegal nature that he made. Naturally, he doesn't want to be discovered, so he kills her whie she is fixated on the screen, in unspeakable shock at the acts he has committed. However...

...that's not too shabby either. I probably won't use that (for this character, anyway), though, because, well, our villain (Anthony) is a millionaire with his own (GOOD GUY) butler (James), and frankly, telling one's butler you wish to stop at an illegal gun shop on the way home isn't a good idea if you're trying to maintain a positive image for the public. So, it's settled: Anthony has the gun at home already. Thanks for your help though.

(Maybe the "back alley" gun shop can be where Anthony's "friend," Lance the hit man, purchased HIS weapon. It needn't be shown or explained, but that'll be how it is.)

Kimba

I take it the butler didn't do it then.

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mammamaia

the most 'typical' handgun 'normal' folks [that is, not gangbangers or hoods] buy is probably the one i bought for personal protection, in my old life... a .38 'undercover special' revolver... it's small, easier to use and more affordable than the 9mm automatics...

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Foxee

I have to laugh... Hodge certainly is busy on the internet.

I have to admit being a little impatient with the original poster. Ok, you've asked your question and it's been very adequately answered. Now, I have to wonder if you're really thinking about your character:

IS your millionaire going to waltz into a gun shop himself and patiently wait for background checks and the like? That depends what sort of guy he is and I get the distinct feeling that you don't really know. Don't arbitrarily decide that he already has a gun or how he will obtain one. Consider if you were that character what he would do. Once you know them there are only a few options for what is likely... just like with real people you know. If he is the kind of guy who is very hands on and has to buy the gun himself or perhaps he is cautious and doesn't want anyone - even people in his employ - to know he bought a gun... fine; do your research and write the scene.

OR is this the kind of guy who likes to make his underlings do things for him? Can't abide a wait? Doesn't mingle with the lower classes? In that case, have someone else buy the gun and place it in his white-gloved hand in the limo or leave it in the champagne cooler for him.

Whatever you decide, make sure you know the character and let him dictate what happens.

As for what is 'typical' in a handgun... there ain't no such thing. Guns are very personal in whether people like larger caliber (more power) smaller (more concealable), larger grips for big hands, revolver or semiauto, even whether the gun is blued or shiny or largely plastic. Long barrel or short? Did you know that some sights can catch on clothing when pulled from concealment? Grips can be anything from utilitarian texurized rubber to fancy polished rosewood. And make sure you know the laws of the area you're writing in if you include something like a laser sight...they are not always legal but they ARE always wickedly cool! My only point here is nothing is typical... just pick up a gun magazine or start a conversation with a group of gun enthusiasts. LOL

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wmd

hmmm... I am intrigued.


If he does not want his butler to know that he has a gun, or wants to uphold a positive public image... than how did he get a gun? Also, I am not sure but aren't the names of registered gun owners public record? (Assuming he got the gun legally of course)

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avesjohn

FYI, I HAVE thought about this character. He's one sick b*st*rd, too. Admittedly, though, I guess I wasn't thinking too much about who he was when posting this thread. Oh well. We all make mistakes, right?

Anyway, now that you mention it, this character (Anthony) would LIKE to have someone else do the killing for him--thereby removing himself from the suspect list, and making it seem like he was uninvolved in their murder--but his problem his, the hit man he has twice hired to do some killing for him (Lance) has just left his home (posing as a doctor for Anthony so his girlfriend Ingrid won't suspect anything). On top of that, when Ingrid discovers the videos (and because it's a darkroom, photographs as well) of an illegal nature, Anthony has to kill her right then and there to ensure that word of his activities will not get out. In other words, Anthony has to take the risk of being a suspect because he has no other choice.

Further, in order to hide the fact that he could be the murderer (he's murdered before) from both his butler (James) and the police, Anthony has to hide his gun from legal registration. So yeah, he probably bought it at one of those "back alley" gun shops in L.A. many years prior (and I would assume he buys bullets there to).

So I HAVE thought about my character, and this thread was just what I needed to clear this partcular little issue up.

By the way, if my story "The Fragile" (this one) interests you, let me know, and if you want and if you can, I can send you the first couple chapters or so to be critiqued. It's not a murder mystery: the reader knows right from the start who killed whom. The main story is about a 13-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl coming together to help each other through their problems. Anthony and his "illegal activities" are the girl's problems. Read more details in my *ahem* research topic and the 2nd page of my introductory topic "Hello, I'm new" from several days ago.

Thank you for your help, everyone!

wmd

whoa tex... relax.

I would be interested in reading it... illegal how? shows him murdering? child porn?

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