perhaps a stupid question, but

[tooslow]

is it legal for me to discharge my firearm on my property?

i know it will differ from county to county but are you ever allowed to discharge your firearm on your property, outside of self defense?

if you are living in a condo in san francisco, of course not. the dangers are obvious and i believe in san francisco, if you own guns they arrest you and execute you for being a barbaric gun owner and general danger to society.

however, lets just say, if i owned a 10 acre lot out in say, merced county. can i set up some targets and shoot?

i ask because i would think the latter scenario has the potential to be just as dangerous for the same reasons as the prior scenario.

and if it is illegal to discharge your firearms on your property outside of self defense, well, at least i know now.

just a thought running through my mind at this moment.

[Gunaria]

Is this ten acre lot located outside of city limits? Is it in a fire prone area?

[Greg-Dawg]

Contact your local Sheriff since property dimensions vary by county.

But it would be nice to own a 1500 acre home and do what ever you want...but then again, the nearest Arby's would be 50 miles away.

[N6ATF]

but then again, the nearest Arby's would be 50 miles away.

I fail to see the problem with that!

[NeoWeird]

GENERALLY speaking, if I remember right, outside of local ordnances the rules were:

- outside city limits.
- 100 yards away from any road or dwelling.
- no shooting at or over roads or water ways.
- no shooting in fire protected areas.
- no shooting in National Forests.

So if you're property falls in all of those (and I think there were more but I can't recall them), then it should be legal for you to shoot between specific hours (generally those associated with noise pollution).

[SJgunguy24]

How far from other buildings and roads will be shooting from? What is your backstop?

Pound through some of the D.F.G. Regs. That may help answer some questions. I understand your not hunting but the same laws should apply (private property hunting ) as target shooting.

TALK TO THE NEIGHBORS!!!! They will be the people that call the police.

[movie zombie]

call your sheriff to verify. when i did, he actually referred me to a gunshop.

movie zombie

[Army]

I do not believe the building distance is required on your own property, nor across/from your private roads.

If you are in an unincorporated area, and shooting is allowed (no state or national PARK boundries), then go ahead and blast'em from your porch.

[Backcountry]

- no shooting in National Forests.

Wrong. The National Forests have NO prohibition on shooting.

[MudCamper]

The laws vary from county to county. Most forbid shooting within 150 yards of ANY structures.

Doesn't look like that is the case in Merced however.

Merced City Code:

9.20.020 Discharge--Firearms.

A. No person shall shoot, fire or discharge, or cause or permit to be shot, fired or discharged, in the city, any rifle, shotgun, revolver or firearm of any kind.

Merced County Code:

10.50.020 Property owner permission required.
No person shall carry and/or discharge any firearm on or upon any lands belonging to or occupied by another unless he has in his possession the written permission of the owner of said lands or his agent or person in lawful possession thereof. (Ord. 1336, 1990; Ord. 851, 1977; Ord. 365, 1957).

10.28.040 General rules of conduct.
A. Firearms Prohibited.

1. No person shall use, possess, transport, carry, fire, or discharge any firearm, weapon, air gun, slingshot, or explosives of any kind in a county park or recreation area.

2. No firearms shall be discharged into any county park or recreation area from the outside.

So not in the city, and not in parks, but you look OK on private property...

Better ask a local attorney though.

[Librarian]

And maybe ask your neighbors, too. Not for permission, exactly, but to let them know it's going to happen, and there's no need to call the Sheriff about gunfire from over your way. They might come over to help you use, or even build, your range!

[tooslow]

thanks everyone for the input. i have a much better direction to head to get the anwsers i wanted.

[Steve O]

I used to live on 30 acres on Sonoma mountain. And I called the sheriff one day because I had an army of raccoons digging under the house at night to nest. The previous person who lived there used to feed them. There was at least 13 raccoons each night. I asked the sheriff about shooting them and they said that they "don't want people shooting." I asked if it was illegal and they said "it bothers people, and we get calls." I asked again "is it illegal?" they said "we have to respond to all shots fired calls." I said "that sucks, but is it illegal?" they said something else, and I just hung up the phone.

Later that night, I blasted 5 raccoons! no cops came. The next night more, no caps came, the next night even more, no cops came. I figured if they did come, I would say "yea I thought I heard some shot over the hill!"

Lol. later that week I read the police calls in the local paper. There were a ton of calls about shots fired in my area. lol. the report said cops were searching the street for the source of the shooting. then the article ended by saying that it's not illegal to shoot, but it bothers people! lol. what a waist of time.

It may not be illegal, but if it bothers your neighbors, they will call the police.

[N6ATF]

Ah, the non-denial denial.