What line you must not cross with guns ?

28 comments

1. Shooting into the air is quite possibly the absolute *worst* thing you can do in a DGU scenario next to “shooting them in the leg.” The only thing that makes the latter ***slightly*** less moronic is the fact that you actually have an infinitesimal chance of hitting your target, and a decent defense attorney would be able to argue that you weren’t intentionally shooting to wound and instead you’re just a lucky idiot.

   Its also extremely illegal because not only are you *not* trying to hit your target and therefore not in a situation where you can lawfully employ a firearm, you’re also endangering everybody in a few mile radius like a jackass.

   And no, brandishing is also illegal everywhere. Straight up aiming a gun at someone while brandish pretty much guarantees you’re catching a felony instead of a misdemeanor.

   If the police are around, your odds of catching a bullet yourself are extremely high and well deserved.

   None of this varies by state law either. Both ideas are so incredibly asinine that it’s two things we’ve all reached a consensus on.

2. If the police are around and you’re pointing a gun at people you’re not getting a fine, you’re getting a funeral.

3. you should not shoot your gun into the air, people get killed and injured by falling bullets every year

4. What’s the context?

   You don’t point a gun unless you are ready to pull the trigger and destroy whatever you are pointing at.

   Self-defense is a human right and if you are defending yourself with whatever is available to you, you should be able to do so.

   On the other hand, you can’t just walk around and just be trigger happy without consequences.

   If you are doing something that breaks out laws, you may be prosecuted. But if you are compliant with the laws,you shouldn’t be.

   >If the police is around, what is the risk ?

   We don’t live in a police state where the police are everywhere.

5. Yea. Don’t crank off rounds into the air, OR the ground. Rounds will skip and hit someone.

   Don’t point guns at ANYONE loaded or not. Don’t pull your gun from holster either unless you gotta use it

6. > but do you have the right to point it at someone

   Unless they’re attacking you, or threatening you, or threatening your property in a state where you’re privileged to threaten violence in defense of property, you do not have the right to point it at someone.

   > to shoot in the air

   Unless you are being attacked by ninjas you cannot do this.

   > If the police is around, what is the risk ? A fine, jail ?

   The police will come to where you are and shoot you many times, then also probably shoot your dog.

7. Do you have the right to point it at someone?
   Absolutely not.

   Shoot in the air?
   Absolutely not.

   If the police are around what is the risk?
   If you are very lucky, you catch a felony and go to jail. If you are not lucky, you catch a bullet.

   We take a real dim view of folks brandishing weapons at others and just randomly shooting without purpose.

8. “Flagging” a firearm is considered reckless and you will get in trouble for intentionally aiming the barrel at other souls indiscriminately. For quick context, if you flag someone that means the barrel of a gun you’re holding was pointed at them at any point in time.

   A gun is a form of self defense, therefore you should only be reaching for it if your intent is to defend something, be it yourself or others you feel are being put in danger by something around you.

   Also, just because this usually needs to be said in this sort of conversation, *please don’t fire into the air as a warning shot.*

   Bullets don’t escape earth’s orbit just because you fired it upwards, it does come back down, and it can cause damage to things and or to people. Same goes for firing into the ground. You don’t know for certain that it won’t fly off somewhere else.

9. You should only pull your gun out if you have no other choice than to kill the person you’re intending to shoot at. If that threshold isn’t crossed, you likely just got yourself a well-deserved felony charge. Shooting into the air is very illegal and dangerous.

   And if you do get into a firefight be prepared to be treated like a criminal when the police arrive. Meaning they will draw on you, yell at you, and be prepared to shoot if you don’t immediately comply. No secret handshake or nod. No special team of crime fighters will ask you to join. It will suck for you. And you will likely have PTSD.

10. I mean, we call it “concealed carry” for a reason.

    (I know, not everyone carries concealed, etc etc etc. Just trying to bring the OP back down to reality).

11. You keep your gun holstered (preferably concealed) unless you need it to stop a deadly threat. Period.

    Shoot it in the air? Felony. What goes up will eventually come down, and a falling bullet can and very well might kill someone.

    Point it at someone? Felony, unless you are defending yourself against a deadly threat.

    Point it at the cops? Felony if you’re lucky, a trip to the morgue if you’re not.

12. There are a bunch of laws about this in various states. Suffice it to say it is never legal to point it at someone unless they are threatening or attacking you. It is never legal to fire it “in public” unless you are on land which that is allowed. Most states have rules about being a certain distance from a road, house, building, whatever that keep people from firing guns in problematic places.

    I am having trouble believing you actually thought it was legal to point guns at people in the US by the way.

13. >do you have the right to point it at someone

    This would almost always be considered assault. You’re clearly threatening the person if you do this, unless you can prove it’s self defense. If a cop saw you pointing a gun at someone, at best you’re probably getting detained if not arrested until they can figure out what happened. But more likely you’re either gonna get arrested and serve time or get shot by the police if you don’t immediately drop the gun.

    >or to shoot in the air ?

    generally no, but the extent to which you might get in trouble over this very much depends on the context of the situation and how likely it was that you might have hurt someone. Might be just a warning if you’re in the middle of a forest but then you probably wouldn’t run into a cop there. but if you’re in a crowded street in any kind of civilization and you fire a gun in the air, you’re probably getting arrested and potentially serving some time.

    Tl;Dr right to carry a gun does not equal right to use it indiscriminately however you see fit.

14. You carry the gun all you want. If you draw that mf in an argument you are acting violently and should expect retaliation.

15. If you do either of those and the police are around, you’re gonna end up in a lot of trouble and probably have a lot of bigger guns pointed at you. You don’t point a gun at someone unless you intend to use it in self-defense and you *definitely* don’t shoot up in the air.

16. If you could learn one lesson (or rule) about guns.
    Do not point a gun at anything you don’t want dead.

17. Michigan is an open carry state. The Police might question you if you’re walking around with a handgun, but it’s legal. It is extremely illegal to ‘brandish’ your weapon, meaning to point it at others or at objects, looking like you’re going to shoot. It’s also illegal to shoot in the air or at the ground unless you’re at a range, or on private property away from others.

18. 1. Don’t point the gun at anything you don’t intend to shoot.

    2. Shooting in the air is extremely dangerous. What goes up must come down. People have died because of this.

    3. Brandishing a firearm is illegal in most places, as far as I know. Do not draw your weapon unless you need to fire it. The penalty probably varies by state and municipality.

19. Outside the specific case of self defense using the weapon recklessly or in threatening manner isn’t legal. The punishments vary by state. Basically keep it holsters or pointed not a people and hand off the trigger.

20. >I know that in some states you are allowed to carry a gun, but do you have the right to point it at someone

    Pointing a gun at someone is threatening to shoot them. If you’re in fear or your life and safety, you can point a gun at someone legally, but if the prosecutor thinks you weren’t practicing self defense, you can find yourself in court.

    > or to shoot in the air ?

    You mean shooting randomly without having any clue what you’re shooting at? Most definitely illegal. If the bullet hits someone and they can trace it back to you, you’ll be prosecuted for injuring or killing them. Same for property damage.

    If you ever feel the need to recklessly discharge a gun, at least point it at the ground and not towards either people or the unknown. It’s still not safe (good chance it’ll skip back into the air and if it hit a rock, the direction is unpredictable), but it beats shooting into the air.

    > If the police is around, what is the risk ? A fine, jail ?

    For both of these, the police don’t even have to be around to witness. People can call them and they’ll respond. Threatening and endangering people’s lives is not OK. Worst case, you kill someone “by accident” and spend years in jail.

21. The answer to your question can be summed up with the four holy rules of firearm safety.

    If everyone followed these rules at all times while handling firearms, there would never be any unintentional death or injury.

    1. Always treat any firearm as if it were loaded, regardless whether you know for certain that it isn’t.

    2. Never point a firearm at anything you do not intend to destroy.

    3. Always keep your finger off and away from the trigger of the firearm until you’ve confirmed your target and are ready to fire.

    4. Always be aware of what is behind the target you intend to shoot at.

22. > do you have the right to point it at someone or to shoot in the air ?

    NO. Do not ever do either of those.

    Anyone with any sense or training knows you NEVER point a gun at anybody or any*thing* alive — even if you THINK It is not loaded. Because you could be wrong, *and* it’s a horrible habit.

    Only excuse might be ‘in self defense’ or ‘for actual protection’ which should be self explanatory.

    NEVER shoot a weapon into the air. (Not even upward, or downward, or into a distance.) It will come down (or bounce) somewhere, and maybe through someone.

23. Following the basic rules of firearms safety would answer just about everything you asked.

    1. ALWAYS KEEP YOUR FIREARM POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION.

    2. TREAT ALL FIREARMS AS IF THEY WERE LOADED.

    3. KEEP YOUR TRIGGER FINGER OUTSIDE THE GUARD AND OFF OF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO FIRE.

    4. BE CERTAIN OF YOUR TARGET, YOUR LINE OF FIRE, AND WHAT LIES BEYOND YOUR TARGET.

    5. ALWAYS WEAR APPROPRIATE EYE AND EAR PROTECTION WHEN SHOOTING AND MAINTAINING YOUR FIREARM.

    If what you are asking seems like it might break a rule, then don’t do it.

    As for pointing a gun at someone, many states consider pointing a gun as assault with a deadly weapon regardless if the trigger is pulled. Basically, if you plan on doing that, you better have a really good reason to.

24. Pointing a gun at someone is, legally, assault.

    Firing a gun is deadly force, regardless of where you aim. “Warning shots” or aiming for the legs or arms is a really bad idea, legally speaking; it can be used as evidence that you used deadly force (shots to the leg can and have killed people) but weren’t in fear of your life. Shooting in the air specifically is really stupid and dangerous because the bullet will come down *somewhere* (having lost minimal energy).

25. **Carrying a Gun:**

    Open Carry (where it can clearly be seen) – Long guns (riffles and shot guns) can be openly carried in all state though a gun permit/license may be required. Hand guns can be open carried in 45/50 state though a gun permit/license may be required.

    Concealed Carry (hidden gun) – All states have a permitting process to carry a concealed hand gun, though the difficulty in obtaining it varies by jurisdiction.

    In School Zones, most state and federal buildings, and any private property where it is post that firearms are not allowed it is a felony to possess a firearm.

    **Shooting Up Into the Air:**

    Extremely Illegal in a populated area.

    Technically legal in some rural areas, but it is extremely dangerous, extremely stupid, and you are legally responsible if it hits anyone or anything.

    Idiots have done this in the past and gone to jail for assault with a deadly weapon or manslaughter when the bullet came down and hit someone.

    **Pointing a Gun at Someone:**

    Illegal except in some narrowly defined circumstances. 1) You are being threatened or in a situation where a reasonable person would feel threatened. 2) Someone is actively attacking you. 3) In certain jurisdictions where you can use force to defend property, especially livestock.

    **Pointing a Gun At the Police:**

    **NEVER, NEVER, NEVER POINT A GUN OR ANYTHING THAT LOOKS LIKE A GUN AT THE POLICE!!!** They might give you one chance to put it down and then they will kill you.

26. ” but do you have the right to point it at someone ”
    Only in self defense, and arguably only if you plan on using it.

    “to shoot in the air ?”
    Only if it’s skeet or bird hunting

    ” If the police is around, what is the risk ?”
    If I’m pointing at random people? Death.
    If I’m randomly shooting it into the air? Heavy penalty with increased chance of death.

27. You should never point a gun at a person unless you are going to shoot them. A gun is not a toy. Also, never shoot a gun into the air.

28. Pointing at someone is a threat of use. Depending on the circumstances it may or may not be legal. If you are threatened it will typically be legal. Proper gun handling dictates that you only point at something if you intend to kill it.

    Shooting into the air is reckless and illegal. It is not tolerated by properly trained gun owners here in the US. Neither is giving a “warning shot”.