Hello,

will arrive in New York next week and will travel through the North Eastern region of the US. As far as I know are these states not that relaxed with gun laws (like Arizona for example). Do you think I will still be able to shoot a gun at a gun range as a tourist ? Any idea what states is the best for this adventure?

Thank you very much

42 comments

  1. > Do you think I will still be able to shoot a gun at a gun range as a tourist ?

    Definitely. Just not in New York City. Go up to Orange County and [there are ranges](http://www.ocshooters.com/B/storesranges.htm).

    Just do a search for “shooting range near {location}” and you’ll find places. They may not be as explicitly designed and marketed for tourists as the places in Las Vegas, but there are ranges everywhere. Call them, tell them you’re a tourist who’s interested in learning and would like to come to their range, any decent business will be happy to accommodate you.

  2. There are a few ranges right across the river from NYC in New Jersey that specifically cater to tourists. I can’t suggest one specifically from experience,
    but just Google Gun Range NYC and you will see quite a few that you can access via public transport with probably a short Uber for the final couple of miles

  3. Yeah there are a few indoor ranges in NH and MA (that I know of) that rent guns.

    Are you not from the US? I am not sure if they will be weird about accepting a passport as ID.

  4. There’s gun ranges in Bucks County PA which isn’t very far from NYC. Would need a rental car to get to most as that area is very suburban to rural and most won’t be near a train station.

  5. I’m sure there are gun ranges just outside of NYC or further upstate. That said its far easier to do something like this in Vegas than it would be in NYC.

  6. If you’re planning to visit the DC area during your trip, there is a cool place in Frederick, MD where you can rent all kinds of cool stuff and instructors will help you learn how to fire. Took some tourists there once and they had an absolute ball.

  7. If you go to the rural areas of New York State, which are about 2-3 hours north of New York City, you might be able to find gun ranges.

  10. When Americans say gun laws are relaxed, it pretty much just means how you carry and transport them. A state with relaxed gun laws basically means you can carry one openly on the street without permit. A state with tight gun laws means you cannot open carry and you can only concealed carry if you have a license.

    It won’t have any impact on your ability to target shoot at a range.

  11. To be frank, firearms regulations in your country probably aren’t as strict as you think they are, and you’re better off just doing that than you are to shoot here in the US. There’s just not a lot of good options here in the North East like there is in a place like Vegas.

  12. It’ll be a highlight of your trip. Shooting for the first time is a BLAST. (No pun intended)

  13. LOL forget about doing this in NY, NY is one of the most anti gun states in the country

  14. Hell yeah you can, a shooting range is a highly controlled environment so even places with stricter gun laws have them. If you came down to Florida, you would see plenty of billboards advertising “Machine Gun America” which is a large shooting range in Orlando where tourists can go shoot machine guns and usually a vast majority of the people at Machine Gun America are international tourists.

  15. > (like Arizona for example)

    I am *touched*, OP. Yes, we do love our guns in the copper state.

    You should have no problem renting a gun at a range as a tourist, provided the range offers that as a service and (sometimes, but just to be safe to make sure you get the experience) you’re with someone else. You’re not going to find any in NYC proper, but should have no problem finding a range that meets your needs in another state in the NE. Have fun!

  17. Pennsylvania has very lax gun laws, there are plenty of places to rent and shoot guns here.

  18. There are ranges that rent guns in pretty much every state, what guns they have might be limited in some states, and magazines (but that doesn’t really matter for just target shooting). I’m sure you could find indoor ranges near where you are visiting on Google and see if they offer rentals. Some ranges have you take a little written test, some don’t. Either way, it is easy you can shoot a lot of guns in the US pretty easily. A lot of times you can get someone who works there to show you how they work and walk you through it if you’re totally unfamiliar.

  19. It’s been a few years, but when I was a RI resident, I used to go to MA gun ranges with friends. They check your I.D., take down your info, no issues.

  21. Yes you can. When my brother visited me a while back, we went shooting in Mississippi. All you need is valid ID which in your case would be your passport.

  23. In some areas of the country, demand for range time exceeds time available. Call ahead (or check online) to see if you need a reservation.

  24. There are ranges in New Jersey that’ll cater to your desires.
    We also have excellent restaurants, legal recreational Cannabis that you can buy in a store, and some fairly nice beaches to enjoy while you’re here.

  25. As others have said, you can, just not in NYC. Although if you want to shoot a handgun, I don’t think as you can, as I believe you need license for that. You can shoot rifles and shotguns though.

  26. Yeah, you can totally shoot a gun at a gun range as a tourist, regardless of the state.

    The one issue you might run into if you’re traveling alone: a lot of gun ranges will not allow a person by themself to use the range with a rented gun. I.e., you either have to bring your own gun (in which case you can totally rent others), or be in a party of 2 or more.

    This isn’t a legal thing, but a range policy thing done for suicide prevention — so as an international tourist they *might* waive the policy for you.

  27. I know there is one in Yonkers and one in Mount Vernon NY just not far from the Bronx-Westchester border.

  28. Sure.

    I live in one of the most strict areas in terms of gun regulations. I took some foreign friends to a firearms introduction course, which included a 30 minute safety class and about 30 minutes of shooting with an instructor. Tried two different rifles and two different pistols.

    All they needed was a valid ID (passport).

  29. Everyone else has given some good guidance, but you should keep in mind that some ranges will not rent out a gun to a solo person because it’s an unfortunately common way to commit suicide. If you’re going with friends, this won’t be an issue.

  31. Yes, you won’t have any problems. Go to a commercial range, and confirm first that they have gun rentals and sell ammunition. Bring a passport or other official ID. You may need to have a safety briefing of some kind first.

    Most gun ranges are very strict about safety rules. Obey all rules to the letter. The most important is ensuring that the gun is always pointed downrange. They can and do kick people out for violating safety rules.

    Have fun!

  32. I’d be surprised if any state didn’t have a few gun ranges-you likely won’t find them in NYC but there are a few in driving distance.

    The states in the Northeast with the most relaxed gun laws are NH, VT, and PA, and the strictest are MA, NY, and CT. But even then, I live in Boston and there are probably half a dozen within a half hour drive of me that I know of

  34. You can please just make sure to follow the 4 rules of firearms safety and to delead yourself properly afterwards. There’s a reputation that Americans are cavalier about our guns and while that can be true serious shooters understand the precautions and respect needed to handle them

  35. NY has bad gun laws. You won’t be able to even touch a pistol as a foreigner in NY.

  36. I’m not sure about NY, but most states have pretty relaxed gun laws. A lot of southern states will let you open carry a firearm with virtually no restrictions.

  38. Yes, in South NJ, they didn’t even ask for my ID a few years ago. Only person I was with provided ID.

    Guy behind the counter asked if we had experience with guns. I said no, and he responded with what gun would you like and how many boxes of ammunition.

    Range master or whatever his name is was an old disabled vet who wasn’t physically or mentally capable of doing anything other than smiling at people and having small talk.

  39. There should be numerous gun ranges that let you rent guns to shoot, however you’ll have to pay for ammo and paper targets. Look on the Cabelas website for a rough estimate of ammo costs. I’d recommend buying 50-100 rounds for each gun you plan to shoot. For targets I recommend the Shoot-N-See kind, which stick on a paper target and show bright neon rings around every hole—this makes your shots much easier to see from a distance.

    You should also watch a few videos on basic gun safety beforehand. Never pointing the gun at anyone, even when unloaded, and never putting your finger on the trigger until you actually plan to fire. We gun folks take safety very seriously so just stay safe and have fun!

  42. Maine. But honestly, I think you will find that any state offers you this ability pretty easily.

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