Gringos Arming Themselves

mkay wrote:Mexico has reason to resent Gringos with guns. I received an email yesterday from a resident who has lived here for some years who was stopped and searched thoroughly for the first time since moving here from Texas. The police were looking for a concealed weapon ( he did not have one, and there was certainly no probably cause.)
I am concerned about an eventual backlash from the local police as a result of the foreign community trying to take the running of things into our own hands. I suspect there is a limit as to how far we can be indulged before the implied disdain of their work creates ill feeling.

What are you talking about?
What reason does "Mexico" have to resent gringos with guns?
WHO in the foreign community is trying to take "the running of things into our own hands?"
HUH?

David wrote:Nothing bigger than .38 Spl. is legal. That rules out the Glock.

Yea it rules out the 40 and the 45 but 9mm model???

Z

mkay wrote: The talk of gun ownership isn't limited to this forum, it's reaching a tipping point.

I don't think you need to worry about the "talk" reaching a tipping point.
I doubt it will be acted upon by any other than a very few.

Zedinmexico wrote:I do not recommend a Glock unless you use it in a holster.
Z

I had to laugh out loud when I read this. Never in my life have I "used" a handgun in its holster.

Okay, I realize the meaning was "carry" instead of "use." But I found it hilarious, just the same.



(And the discussion revolves around home defense, not "carrying" which, I believe, is illegal in any event.)

Zedinmexico wrote:

David wrote:Nothing bigger than .38 Spl. is legal. That rules out the Glock.

Yea it rules out the 40 and the 45 but 9mm model???

Z

Read Rolly's post above. Revolver = .38, Auto = .380, no others, that would rule out the 9mm.

David wrote:

Zedinmexico wrote:

David wrote:Nothing bigger than .38 Spl. is legal. That rules out the Glock.

Yea it rules out the 40 and the 45 but 9mm model???

Z

Read Rolly's post above. Revolver = .38, Auto = .380, no others, that would rule out the 9mm.

Uhhh I see something else online.....
The diameter of a .38 special bullet is 0.358 inch, which is 9.09 mm.

Z

Zedinmexico wrote:

David wrote:

Zedinmexico wrote:

David wrote:Nothing bigger than .38 Spl. is legal. That rules out the Glock.

Yea it rules out the 40 and the 45 but 9mm model???

Z

Read Rolly's post above. Revolver = .38, Auto = .380, no others, that would rule out the 9mm.

Uhhh I see something else online.....
The diameter of a .38 special bullet is 0.358 inch, which is 9.09 mm.

Z

I think you're missing something: the allowed auto is .380, the allowed revolver is .38. The 9mm is not on the "allowed" list. It's not about caliber. Homeowners are not allowed to own the weapons that the Police and Army use. Period.

Thanks David now I get it.

Z

Okay, David, now I'm confused.

The descriptions given thusfar all mention caliber of the weapons, whose dimensions are measured in inches.

The 9mm round is .356 inches, less than .380; is the determining factor in this particular case the use by the police/military of the 9mm?

David wrote:

mkay wrote:Mexico has reason to resent Gringos with guns. I received an email yesterday from a resident who has lived here for some years who was stopped and searched thoroughly for the first time since moving here from Texas. The police were looking for a concealed weapon ( he did not have one, and there was certainly no probably cause.)
I am concerned about an eventual backlash from the local police as a result of the foreign community trying to take the running of things into our own hands. I suspect there is a limit as to how far we can be indulged before the implied disdain of their work creates ill feeling.

What are you talking about?
What reason does "Mexico" have to resent gringos with guns?
WHO in the foreign community is trying to take "the running of things into our own hands?"
HUH?

The reason Mexico has to resent gringos with guns is a couple of centuries of exploitation by every major power in Europe, whom America either sided with or replaced completely so they could do some exploiting of their own.
.
As far as us taking matters into our own hands, how else would you describe a movement called "Take Back Lakeside"? How is it not taking the running of things into our own hands to pull up a seat at the mayors weekly meeting?

Here we have a couple of pages of posts discussing what caliber weapon is okay, and I have a friend who was stopped and searched for guns for no reason in the middle of the day. Random coincidence? Could be. But as Intercasa pointed out, we don't have to own guns to be searched for them. And the local people whose jobs are law enforcement can't help but be aware that we think they´re terrible at what they do, because there's a big picture of 1500 people who got together to discuss just that on the front page of the Guad Reporter. I feel like that could create a backlash, which is an observation, not a prediction.

The .380 is also known as the 9mm short.

Actually I think that random gun searches are a good idea. After all very few people have a permit to carry. How else are they going to find the guns that are out there menacing the population? We can own them for protection, but can not take them out of the house.

The fact that we live here, and many do not understand the language or the culture, is a good reason to collaborate with the local authorities. I hope that they see it that way rather than as a criticism. After all they have had their hands full dealing with other problems over the last couple of months.

I'm sure they are frustrated by language difficulties as much as some of us are. That's just a fact of life. A good calm cooperative attitude goes a long way in this country. A bad attitude not work at all.

It seems that there has been some progress. The initiative was a cooperative venture between ex-pats and local business owners. Everyone wants a solution. I remain cautiously optimistic.

Lehrer wrote:Okay, David, now I'm confused.

The descriptions given thusfar all mention caliber of the weapons, whose dimensions are measured in inches.

The 9mm round is .356 inches, less than .380; is the determining factor in this particular case the use by the police/military of the 9mm?

It all has to do with power. e.g. the 9mm is a lot more powerful than the .380. That's why there's an "Allowed" and "Not Allowed" list.

Speculation Here: But I would be willing to guess that there may be a fair number of illegal guns in the hands of foreigners at the Lake? Some may have been smuggled in along with household goods, especially back in the days before the vehicle x ray machines? But a greater number are probably "street guns" purchased through "sources" by those unwilling to go through the legal process of buying through the Army?

Some of these owners may follow the rules about only in or on the property but there will always be the macho fools who conceal in their cars or on their person. All it will take is one or two of these fools getting caught and publicized to make relatively sure they stay at home well hidden. Personally, I see the vehicle searches as a good thing! They are not targeting foreigners but if they catch a few - great.

Better to have a "hunting grade" slingshot and a bag of 1/2" ball bearings. Nice and quiet, legal, fairly effective and probably more accurate than a hand gun in the hands of most inexperienced people......

If the need ever arose I'd go with a .38. First two rounds go high, the rest don't.

Having both is best!

CheenaGringo wrote:Speculation Here: But I would be willing to guess that there may be a fair number of illegal guns in the hands of foreigners at the Lake? Some may have been smuggled in along with household goods, especially back in the days before the vehicle x ray machines? But a greater number are probably "street guns" purchased through "sources" by those unwilling to go through the legal process of buying through the Army?

I have personally handled such illegal handguns ("smuggled in along with household goods"), one of which I would love to own (a .45 Colt revolver). But it's illegal and I don't want to take that chance.

As far as "the legal process of buying through the Army," I have a problem with that statement -- I've read elsewhere that the authorities don't really care where or how the weapon was obtained as long as the legalities are followed (read "proper documentation" or "registration")!

People in the know, such as Rolly and David, can correct me if I'm wrong.

oncesubtle wrote:If the need ever arose I'd go with a .38. First two rounds go high, the rest don't.

From my perspective, there's no need to waste the 1st two rounds -- make 'em all count!

It would be my hope the first two rounds would do the job.

oncesubtle wrote:It would be my hope the first two rounds would do the job.

So, do you mean with "go high" you'd aim for the head? I thought you meant "warning shots." Neither of these would fit in with my objective; I was always taught to aim for the body mass.

(Warning shots would be a waste of ammunition. A .38 has at most six rounds.)

Warning shots.

oncesubtle wrote:Warning shots.

Not a good option, based upon my training. Too much can happen while you're "warning" the perp. Unless, of course, he's 100 yards away.

I know of one expat, that has the hornet spray, shoots to approx. 20 ', this will blind an intruder, has 2 cans, one on each night stand.....used it once, policia came, blinded intruder removed, they moved as they feared he may return, with others......and his seeing eye dog.....now ya gonna need the 9mm.

With all of the "chest thumping", one of the most intelligent comments coming from Rolly:

"If you decide to get a gun for protection in your home, you better be prepared to take a human life and be able to live with the consequences. Among those are facing retaliation by the dead man’s family. This is no small threat. If you kill a man, or especially a boy, you can expect big trouble from the family. You also can expect a long and expensive legal battle to prove that your action was justified."

To say nothing about your conscience after killing someone!

Right on Neil.....once you kill anyone, justified or not, you will never be the same person....whether it be in self defense or in war....or a auto accident.