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  • Greg Ellifritz
  • December 1, 2023
  • No Comments
  • Travel Weapons

Mexican Gun Laws

Mexican Gun Laws https://i0.wp.com/www.chooseadventurebook.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/guns-777x437-1.png?fit=777%2C437&ssl=1 777 437 Greg Ellifritz Greg Ellifritz https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e0796fbe64c5c54764b80b72b3148061?s=96&d=mm&r=g December 1, 2023 November 26, 2023

The gun laws in Mexico are not quite as restrictive as you imagine.  While in general, Latin American gun laws are more strict than those in the USA, fewer guns does not equal less crime.

 

Here is a great analysis of Mexican gun laws from an American ex-pat living in Mexico.  The author is a retired police officer from Florida.

 

Answers to Common Questions About Gun Laws in Mexico

 

 

  • Greg Ellifritz
  • October 20, 2023
  • No Comments
  • Travel Tips
  • Travel Weapons

How I Almost Got Arrested in Turkey

How I Almost Got Arrested in Turkey https://i0.wp.com/www.chooseadventurebook.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4018033830_fe84763027_b.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1 1024 768 Greg Ellifritz Greg Ellifritz https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e0796fbe64c5c54764b80b72b3148061?s=96&d=mm&r=g October 20, 2023 October 18, 2023

I got back a few days ago from a 10-day trip to Turkey.  I’ll have a full article about my trip posted next week, but until then I need to share some critical information for you shooters who travel by air.

 

On my flight home leaving Turkey, I had to go through Turkey’s dual airport security system.  Since the famous airport bombing and active killer attack in the ticketing area before security, Turkish airports have placed metal detectors and baggage x-ray systems just inside the each airport’s door.  In order to make it to the ticket counter, you must place your bags in an X-ray scanner and walk through a metal detector.

 

After getting your boarding passes and checking your luggage, you must again go through a traditional airport screening system.  On international flights, the Turkish equivalent of the TSA also hand searches each passengers carry-on bags and physically pats each passenger down before they get on the plane.  It’s quite a process.

 

The 2016 Istanbul attackers

 

I fly a lot.  I’ve taken a total of 53 flights already this calendar year.  I also flew two previous domestic flights in Turkey earlier in my trip, so I was familiar with their special  security procedures and had optimized my packing to get through smoothly.

 

I put my carry-on and checked bags on the screening machine’s conveyor belt.  I had no metal on my person, so I walked through the metal detector without an alarm.  I waited on the other side of the detector for my bags to come out the other side of the X-ray machine.  My carry-on came through with no problem, but my checked bag was flagged for extra screening.  Security asked me to open the suitcase.  When I did, the security guard removed my large medical kit and a bag of liquids, separating them from the rest of the suitcase contents.

 

That didn’t seem unusual and I patiently waited when they ran the med kit, the liquids, and the suitcase all through the X-ray machine separately.

 

The screener started yelling in Turkish and suddenly two Turkish National Police officers appeared and greeted me in a friendly manner.

 

The screeners seemed a bit excited but the cops seemed relaxed and were smiling.  The problem was that none of them spoke any English (maybe more accurately described as the problem was that I didn’t speak any Turkish).  They were all repeating a single word when talking to me.  I tried to explain that I didn’t understand what they were saying.

 

One of the cops removed the magazine from his pistol and pointed to a cartridge (Turkish cops carry ball ammo in their guns, by the way) and then pointed to my bag.  The other cop pulled up Google translate on his phone and typed a single word.  It was “bullet.”  Apparently they had seen a bullet in my checked bag on the X-ray image.

 

Shit.  That wasn’t good.

 

What the Turkish cop showed me.  He was pointing to the top round in the magazine and then at my bag.

 

I shook my head “no.”  I was absolutely certain that I didn’t have any ammunition in my bag.

 

As I wrote about in my book, I have a very specific procedure to ensure that I don’t take firearms or ammunition into other countries.  I use a separate set of luggage for traveling in foreign countries.  I NEVER use those bags for traveling domestically or for hauling guns/ammo to the range.  Additionally, before I pack for each trip, I start with completely empty bags so I know nothing could possibly be left over from any previous trips. I had followed my protocol meticulously when packing for this trip.

 

 

Besides, my luggage had already been screened on each of the three separate flights I took earlier in the trip and no one noticed anything alarming.  There was no way I had a bullet in my bag.

 

The screeners and cops ran my bag through the machine several more times.  They tore everything apart and couldn’t find what they were looking for.  The process was taking a long time.  They had been tearing my bag apart for about 15 minutes when the cop with Google translate on his phone started typing.

 

He typed: “Bullets are prohibited.”

 

I replied: “I don’t have any bullets.”

 

Trying to personalize the interaction and ensure that the cop knew he wasn’t dealing with a criminal, I typed: “I am a police officer in the United States.”

 

His reply was: “This isn’t America.  Bullets are prohibited, even for USA police.”

 

Ouch.  This interaction wasn’t going well at all.

 

The screeners continued going through my bags until they found what they were looking for.  In the pocket of a pair of shorts I hadn’t worn on the trip, they found a speed strip loaded with six rounds of .22 magnum ammo.

 

Similar to what I had in the pocket of a pair of shorts

 

A couple weeks previously, I had gone hiking and had carried my Smith and Wesson 351C .22 magnum revolver.  I tossed a speed strip full of extra ammo in my pocket.  I had forgotten to remove the speed strip.  It had been through the washer and dryer.  The ammo was so light that I packed the pair of shorts without noticing that there was a loaded speed strip in the pocket.  I didn’t wear the shorts on my trip and didn’t have a chance to notice the pocket contained ammunition.

 

The cop was looking at the strip and appearing very confused.  He clearly didn’t know what it was.  There probably aren’t many folks carrying spare rounds for a .22 magnum in Turkey.  I quickly started typing on my phone.

 

 

The cop nodded his head, trashed the speed strip and walked away without saying anything more.

 

I have no idea if I had received some international “professional courtesy” or if that was their normal response to idiot Americans who bring ammo into their country.  Either way, I’m grateful the cop chose not to make an arrest for what was clearly a criminal violation in his country.

 

I never thought to check my clothing for contraband before packing for an international trip.  I will be sure to check every piece of clothing I throw in the suitcase before my next vacation.  If you are a shooter who regularly carries spare ammo in clothing pockets, you should too.

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the above links are affiliate links.  If you purchase these items, I get a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. 

 

 

 

  • Greg Ellifritz
  • October 12, 2023
  • No Comments
  • Travel Weapons

Transporting Guns Out of the Country

Transporting Guns Out of the Country https://i0.wp.com/www.chooseadventurebook.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Traveling-with-guns-6.jpg?fit=1021%2C660&ssl=1 1021 660 Greg Ellifritz Greg Ellifritz https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e0796fbe64c5c54764b80b72b3148061?s=96&d=mm&r=g October 12, 2023 October 12, 2023

I’ve spent most of my life dealing with people who hate guns.  I’ve spent significant time in the last two decades navigating third world bureaucracies.   Because I couldn’t imagine the hassle of combining the two, I’ve never traveled outside the USA with a firearm.

 

For those of you more adventurous than I am, here is a guide to taking your guns to other countries.

 

Tips for Transporting Firearms In And Out Of Country

 

 

 

  • Greg Ellifritz
  • September 29, 2023
  • No Comments
  • Travel Weapons

Swedish Gun Laws

Swedish Gun Laws https://i0.wp.com/www.chooseadventurebook.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/unnamed.jpg?fit=176%2C176&ssl=1 176 176 Greg Ellifritz Greg Ellifritz https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e0796fbe64c5c54764b80b72b3148061?s=96&d=mm&r=g September 29, 2023 September 29, 2023

I love to travel.  I also love guns.  This is a neat series that talks about the legalities of owning and carrying weapons in other countries.  In this case, the foreign country is Sweden.  While many people think that European countries have an outright ban on guns, that isn’t entirely true.  Watch the short video to see what kind of legal obstacles the Swedes have to hurdle in order to own a firearm.

 

 

Overview of Swedish Gun Laws

 

  • Greg Ellifritz
  • September 18, 2023
  • No Comments
  • Travel Weapons

Guns in Thailand

Guns in Thailand https://i0.wp.com/www.chooseadventurebook.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/FireShot-Webpage-Capture-040-The-Bangkok-Gun-District-in-Thailand-YouTube-www.youtube.com_.png?fit=1274%2C611&ssl=1 1274 611 Greg Ellifritz Greg Ellifritz https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e0796fbe64c5c54764b80b72b3148061?s=96&d=mm&r=g September 18, 2023 September 13, 2023

I really enjoy traveling.  I also really enjoy guns.  That means I really like learning about the gun laws and shooting cultures in different countries.  Here is a neat video about guns and shooting in Thailand.  I’m going to have to visit some of those markets when I go back to Bangkok next time.

 

The Bangkok Gun District in Thailand

 

 

  • Greg Ellifritz
  • August 10, 2023
  • No Comments
  • Travel Weapons

French Gun Laws

French Gun Laws https://i0.wp.com/www.chooseadventurebook.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Untitled.png?fit=275%2C183&ssl=1 275 183 Greg Ellifritz Greg Ellifritz https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e0796fbe64c5c54764b80b72b3148061?s=96&d=mm&r=g August 10, 2023 August 10, 2023

With my passion for foreign travel, I’m always curious about the gun laws in other countries.  Here is a lot of information about how things work in France.  Many Americans assume that it is impossible to own a gun in European, African, or South American countries.  It is not.  While there are usually far more hoops to jump through to get a gun than in the USA, gun ownership is certainly possible in most foreign countries.

 

 

Overview of French Gun Laws

 

  • Greg Ellifritz
  • November 29, 2022
  • No Comments
  • Travel Weapons

Guns in the Philippines

Guns in the Philippines https://i0.wp.com/www.chooseadventurebook.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/8P-1.jpg?fit=1500%2C844&ssl=1 1500 844 Greg Ellifritz Greg Ellifritz https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e0796fbe64c5c54764b80b72b3148061?s=96&d=mm&r=g November 29, 2022 November 28, 2022

In my travels around the world, I always enjoy visiting foreign gun stores and talking to shooters about their country’s gun laws.  Here is a quick look at gun availability/legality in the Philippines.

Gun Shops and Gun Laws of the Philippines

 

  • Greg Ellifritz
  • May 5, 2022
  • No Comments
  • Travel Weapons

The Ubiquitous AK-47

The Ubiquitous AK-47 https://i0.wp.com/www.chooseadventurebook.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/AK47.png?fit=640%2C234&ssl=1 640 234 Greg Ellifritz Greg Ellifritz https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e0796fbe64c5c54764b80b72b3148061?s=96&d=mm&r=g May 5, 2022 April 28, 2022

The most common rifle I see in all my travels is some version of the AK-47/AK-74.  They are so common that I really think that all travelers should have a basic familiarity with the weapon system.

 

I found the article linked below to be an informative dissertation on the AK family of rifles.

 

Survival Weapons: The AK Rifle

 

  • Greg Ellifritz
  • March 24, 2022
  • No Comments
  • Travel Weapons

Firearms in the Ukraine Conflict

Firearms in the Ukraine Conflict https://i0.wp.com/www.chooseadventurebook.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/GLV05441-compressor-compressor.png?fit=4256%2C2630&ssl=1 4256 2630 Greg Ellifritz Greg Ellifritz https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e0796fbe64c5c54764b80b72b3148061?s=96&d=mm&r=g March 24, 2022 March 24, 2022

My full time job is being a traveling firearms and tactics instructor.  A lot of folks follow this page because they know me from my tactical training.

 

I like to mix my love of firearms with my love of travel and seeing new places.  I’m endlessly curious about the different guns in use around the world.

 

The recent Ukrainian conflict is highlighting some of the unique weapons available there.  Check out the links below for some great photos and videos.

 

Small Arms of the War In Ukraine

 

 

The WEIRD Guns Being Used In Ukraine Right Now

 

 

Go “Baby” Go – Gun’s of the Ukraine War

  • Greg Ellifritz
  • February 17, 2022
  • No Comments
  • Travel Weapons

Strange Russian Pistols

Strange Russian Pistols https://i0.wp.com/www.chooseadventurebook.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/main-qimg-a9c080ef25aa79b11081b2f70bd12a0f-lq.jpg?fit=602%2C448&ssl=1 602 448 Greg Ellifritz Greg Ellifritz https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e0796fbe64c5c54764b80b72b3148061?s=96&d=mm&r=g February 17, 2022 February 15, 2022

I try to become familiar with all of the guns that are commonly used in the countries I visit.  As I’ve never been to Russia, I haven’t studied their handguns other than understanding the Makarov and Tokarev pistols that are common here in the USA.

 

I saw this well-written article on Quora.  I had no idea the Russians had so many pistols that I knew nothing about.  If you are interested in weird Russian guns, you’ll like this article.

It’s currently the first answer listed, but if it changes places before this article is published, it’s the answer written by Joseph Bilboa.

What handguns do Russians use?

 

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