Through a long and expensive process, my family and I became Legal Aliens in the US. We have employer-sponsored greencards and are very proud to be given this privilege. We love this country and the people and would become citizens tomorrow, if that was possible (it's not, it will take another 5 years, after we already spent 6 years in the US (legally)).

Anyhow, considering the current situation, I thought about getting a rifle or something for self-defence as well as hunting. But not being a citizen, I was wondering if I can even (legally) buy a rifle here in Michigan.

I did read the Michigan gun law which seems to imply that only citizens can legally buy guns.

Any idea if a permanent resident can legally buy a gun in Michigan?

not sure about michigan, but in pa yes you can. my gf is a legal resident from the phillipines and just applied for her ccw a few days ago. i told her to call the courthouse first just to make sure and they said yes you can get one as long as your background check is fine- the same as a US citizen. and since i can carry using my pa. ccw in michigan because we have a reciprocal agreement with them i would assume they would be the same way. just be forewarned DO NOT LIE on the ffl form or you will go to jail when they catch you.. if you still have any doubt all it takes is a phone call to a gun store or the local sheriff.

Thanks for the quick response. I guess I was hoping for something like "Sure....just walk in to Cabelas and get your gun".....but I'll contact the local Sheriff and find out......

in pa we use instacheck- not sure if all states do- so yes i can walk into cabelas and just buy a gun and walk out. not sure but i think some states have waiting periods for what you want to buy, and states such as nj. you can't even buy a RIFLE without a permit. not sure if they don't do an fbi check on you but the state police will. being a legal resident i would assume since 9/11 it will go through the fbi- anyway good luck and make sure you know about guns and gun safety before you just decide you want one. it seems it is always the "i didn't know it was loaded" excuse that gets people shot.

Originally posted by bigfoot1212
make sure you know about guns and gun safety before you just decide you want one. it seems it is always the "i didn't know it was loaded" excuse that gets people shot.

No doubt! I was in the German service where I shot everything from a pistol to a grenade launcher

So maybe the community here can help me find the right weapon for me. I plan on going hunting for waterfowl in Michigan for sure, but I wouldn't mind going for the occasional deer either.

Do you have some links into rifles and ammo I should be looking at?

Remember, they use the metric system in Europe, so I really have a hard time understanding the weapons and ammo sizing over here.

I perfectly know what a 7.62mm ammo looks like

well for waterfowl you will want a shotgun(i prefer a 12 gauge)- i have a mossberg i use- it has screw in chokes so depending on what i am hunting i can change the spread pattern. it is also chambered for 2 3/4" 3" and 3 1/2" so once again depending on what i am hunting will also determine the ammo i use. you can also shoot slugs out of it for big game(never have- i prefer the 30/06) but you can get a slug barrel and i have heard they are pretty accurate. buckshot can be used for deer also. plus a 12 guage is a great defensive weapon altho a hunting type would be a little unwieldy in a home defense situation
and just soyou know 30 caliber is 7.62- so 30/06 is 7.62X63mm 308 winchester is 7.62X51mm(7.62 NATO) 223 remington is5.56NATO etc buy yourself a reloading book or look up online and you will find the conversions so you can understand
good luck and kill every goose you can

[edit on 13-3-2009 by bigfoot1212]

I've a Mossberg 835 and 3 barrels for all of those. A nice long barrel for the ducks, a shorter barrel for the toms and rifled barrel for throwing slugs into bambi.

About a $600 investment and I can hunt all year with one gun.

yeah mine is the ulti mag- i like it because i can use different size shells and i reload except unfortunately my reloader won't do 3 1/12" oh well
and how accurate is the slug barrel? only ever read that they are pretty accurate in magazines and such- never had the need to use one or anyone else i know

that's not bad for accuracy considering the gun.
in some places in pa you have to use buckshot and i live about 5 minutes from joysey and over there they have to use either buckshot or slugs(not even sure if that is legal). i hate joysey so don't keep up on them.
and wait until you go out with a rifle- you will see what you are missing lol
i've taken deer at 300 yds with my 30/06.
i can shoot a 2" 5 shot group at 200 yards

Jee thanks for all the great info - I am going to try to get one of these soon. But I guess waterfowl hunting season is already over, so it'd be for next year (or for just in case).

your best bet is with a shotgun that feels comfortable to you- ie.- shoulders easily, easy to site your target etc. only way to do that is go fondle some and when you go to shoot it you will find out if that is the gun for you.
i had a franchi semi 12 gauge and i loved that gun-it used a blowback ejection and was like shooting a 410- only problem was after about 2 boxes it needed to be cleaned or it would jam.
anyway find one comfortable for you buy alot of shells and go shoot skeet and trap or sporting clays- not as easy to hit a flying bird as most people think!!!!
remember a mallard duck can fly 35 mph, and grouse are just wickedly hard to kill.
also now is the time to buy one so you can get the practice in.
good luck and if you want any advice i'm sure us gun nuts on here will help you as we have been doing. and if you can afford it join a local gun club- they will not only show you the shooting tips but also good advice on how and where to hunt your quarry