Questions about gun laws in MD, Naval Medical Center & where to live
Hey folks I have a few questions and will try to make this brief. I'm in dental school and have applied for a specialty program at NNMC in Bethesda. I have no intention of living on base but have some questions regarding your gun laws in regards to ownership, transport etc. I mainly collect Marlin rifles but do have an AR, AK and an assortment of handguns so am wondering what the legalities are if I were to move there. I'm also wondering about places to go shoot or areas to hunt. Are there many public facilities or is it mostly private? Also, can anybody tell me where the Navy Medical Center is located in regards to state lines? I was just wondering if it were possible to live in Virginia and commute, and if this would be any better in regards to gun laws etc. Either way, I envision this will be temporary as I'll most likely be restationed or deployed after the 3 year program. Any and all knowledge or advice will be much appreciated so thanks in advance.
Originally Posted By Kingstrider:
Hey folks I have a few questions and will try to make this brief. I'm in dental school and have applied for a specialty program at NNMC in Bethesda. I have no intention of living on base but have some questions regarding your gun laws in regards to ownership, transport etc. I mainly collect Marlin rifles but do have an AR, AK and an assortment of handguns so am wondering what the legalities are if I were to move there.
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=8&f=29&t=445779
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=8&f=29&t=445259
I'm also wondering about places to go shoot or areas to hunt. Are there many public facilities or is it mostly private? Also, can anybody tell me where the Navy Medical Center is located in regards to state lines? I was just wondering if it were possible to live in Virginia and commute, and if this would be any better in regards to gun laws etc. Either way, I envision this will be temporary as I'll most likely be restationed or deployed after the 3 year program. Any and all knowledge or advice will be much appreciated so thanks in advance.
It's about 9 miles from Northern VA to the NNMC.
I'm not that familiar with ranges up there so I'll let someone else comment.
Indoor ranges aren't too bad. There are a few within maybe 30 minutes if you're lucky with traffic.
Rifle ranges, on the other hand, are harder to come by. I had been driving all the way up to Frederick to go to CRESAP, but it looks like it's more worth my time to join BRGC, which is only maybe 20 minutes away from me.
Commuting from VA is going to blow. The beltway is the only way to get there, and while it's only 9 miles, it's the 9 miles with the worst traffic. You will drive all 9 miles at 15MPH or less.
You could take the Metro, and NNMC is conveniently on the red line (which is the most crowded), but that comes with its own set of drawbacks.
I'm coming from the East and depending upon luck and traffic, it might take me anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes to get there.
Rule of thumb about DC - it doesn't matter whether you're going 1 mile or 10. If you get in the car, plan for the trip to take at least an hour.
I'd live in Virginia and commute via the Metro. Expect roughly an hour each way if you end up living in the Arlington area. Check with your new office to see if they provide any mass transit subsidy. A lot of .gov agencies pay a good portion of those costs for employees. I live within spitting distance of the Med Center Metro and commute via rail daily into VA. It's a good time to catch up on reading. Driving from VA is possible but traffic is terrible on the beltway and is really bad on Wisconsin Avenue. It's expected to be a lot worse around the Medical Center area with the Walter Reed move to Bethesda. Housing will run you about the same in either location. There aren't a lot of places to shoot in the immediate area. The NRA HQS range in VA and the Cresap range in Frederick. MD are probably the best options.
Not a Marylander... but I'll chime in as far as the commute to VA goes.
If you drive, depending on what TIME you leave, the commute from VA won't be too bad (for now). I've been commuting to a joint post just beyond NNMC for almost a decade now, first from Arlington VA and now from Falls Church. It takes me 35min in the morning, and 50min in the afternoon. If I were able to leave earlier, I could probably shave some time off. That may seem like a lengthy period of time, but trust me... anywhere around here, whether you stayed in MD or not, 35min isn't bad. You will not escape heavy traffic in this region.
However, as stated... traffic to and from NNMC will continue to get worse as more of WRAMC transitions to Bethesda. And aside from traffic... PARKING on post is a nightmare (already!). So it will likely be to your benefit if you find a place along the metro line, and take the rail to work. NNMC has a station across the street. Riding the rail from VA might take a smidge longer, when factoring whatever time it takes you to get from your residence to the VA-side station... but not having to park will be a plus, and if you're mil/fed you can apply for a voucher to cover a good chunk of the Metrofare cost.
As far as gun laws go... I don't believe anything you have is restricted in MD. The only noticable advantages I can think of as far as VA goes, is ability to carry (open without permit, or concealed with CHP) and no waiting period for purchases.
