• We are now running on a new, and hopefully much-improved, server. In addition we are also on new forum software. Any move entails a lot of technical details and I suspect we will encounter a few issues as the new server goes live. Please be patient with us. It will be worth it! :) Please help by posting all issues here.
  • The forum will be down for about an hour this weekend for maintenance. I apologize for the inconvenience.
  • If you are having trouble seeing the forum then you may need to clear your browser's DNS cache. Click here for instructions on how to do that
  • Please review the Forum Rules frequently as we are constantly trying to improve the forum for our members and visitors.

Activists Struggle to Loosen Gun Control in Mexico

John Pierce

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 5, 2006
Messages
1,777
Luis Merino may be the loneliest gun rights activist in North America.

Like a kid in a pastry shop, he gazes longingly into the display cases of 9mm handguns and sleek semi*automatic rifles here at the Directorate of Arms and Munitions Sales, the only gun store in this entire country. Run by the Mexican military, it restricts purchases of such models to police departments.

“The ones we can buy are over there,” Merino said, pointing across the store to the deer rifles and small handguns, no larger than a .380 caliber.


Yet Merino has gotten little traction trying to marshal a campaign for looser gun laws through his Facebook group, Mexico Armado (Mexico Armed).


“I’ve tried to contact congressmen, senators. They never respond,” said Merino, a Mexican military veteran who works as a private security consultant. “At this moment there are few of us, but when we have built a movement and we have votes, they’re going to have to pay attention to us.”


Excerpt ... Read more at

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/activists-struggle-to-loosen-gun-laws-in-mexico/2014/07/03/d9e03b2c-fb9e-48a4-b752-5d3287dba0fd_story.html
 
Last edited:

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
Expect that this battle will be long and hard fought. I wish them the best of luck.
 

skidmark

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
10,444
Location
Valhalla
Expect that this battle will be long and hard fought. I wish them the best of luck.

The battle may be long, but there is little chance that it will be hard fought. Kinda hard to do that unless you are a drug cartel getting the same types (and numbers) of weapons as the government goons have. And yet there have been pockets of folks who, while limited to .38spl/.380/.22/30-30/12 guage were able to stand up to the cartels. I think their mistake was in failing to recognize the folks in uniform as just another cartel.

I'm not positive, but it seems to me that America is the only country started by a violent armed revolution where the government did not immediately move to disarm the potential competition.

stay safe.
 

Rusty Young Man

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2013
Messages
1,548
Location
Árida Zona
Armas para los Mexicanos!

Armas para los Mexicanos! Temor para los malhechores! Justicia para las víctimas! Y el poder para el pueblo Mexicano!:)


I can sympathize a bit with this man, seeing as I was the only "gun guy" in the family. Then again, I have a supportive community here with you guys, something Mr. Merino does not.:(

Will have to contact him. I have family that recently dealt with a cartel, and they grudgingly went to the police because they already know how corrupt the officers are. The only consolation is that nobody got hurt (the truck was stolen while the family members in question were inside their home), and they weren't implicated in drug smuggling since the truck had been reported as stolen.
 
Last edited:

Cowthief

Newbie
Joined
Nov 17, 2014
Messages
3
Location
United States
Guns in Mexico.

Armas para los Mexicanos! Temor para los malhechores! Justicia para las víctimas! Y el poder para el pueblo Mexicano!:)


I can sympathize a bit with this man, seeing as I was the only "gun guy" in the family. Then again, I have a supportive community here with you guys, something Mr. Merino does not.:(

Will have to contact him. I have family that recently dealt with a cartel, and they grudgingly went to the police because they already know how corrupt the officers are. The only consolation is that nobody got hurt (the truck was stolen while the family members in question were inside their home), and they weren't implicated in drug smuggling since the truck had been reported as stolen.

First off, a PERSON in Mexico may not own a pistol above a .380.
Want anything bigger? join the "reserves", a sort of police, sort of military force.
Texas had the same thing in place for years, you could not carry, except for the reserves.
For example, in Mexico they have this "industrial police", guards.
You form a company, or join the employ of one, get your permit, and get pretty much anything you want.
A non Mexican national simply gets a work permit.
My mother was a Mexican, the father, US citizen.
Thus, I am what is called a "dual citizen".
http://travel.state.gov/content/tra...ip-and-dual-nationality/dual-nationality.html
Remember, the rules WILL be different for a US (only) citizen.
By Mexican law, you MUST speak Spanish to meet the requirements.
You need to have done your 1 year in the Mexican military, easy, as it is like the US national guard, but no money.
The Mexican military will trot you around once a month, there is no money for anything else!
The Mexican government set up the "Zeta", an anti-drug task force, known by its radio callsign, (Z).
Except one tiny problem, a bunch of 18 year old kids, being paid the equal of 600 month (US)?
Did not take very long to decide to branch off into the business for themselves.
When I left, they were using the AN/PRC-77 and AN/PRC-68, or European equals.
What does this have to do with guns? MONEY!
Have enough money in Mexico, and you can buy anything!
Want that M4 machine gun? or anything for that matter, and all the permits to go with it.
Mexico does not tolerate corruption, they insist on it!
Think of a mixture of Communist and Capitalist.
It will be years before it all gets sorted out, and, as you can clearly see, it is complicated.
One gun store? Communist.
Free market? the black market, Capitalist.
Thank you.
 

ccwinstructor

Centurion
Joined
Jul 11, 2008
Messages
919
Location
Yuma, Arizona, USA
I suspect the problem in Mexico is that the Cartels have driven the Price Sky High!

First off, a PERSON in Mexico may not own a pistol above a .380.
Want anything bigger? join the "reserves", a sort of police, sort of military force.
Texas had the same thing in place for years, you could not carry, except for the reserves.
For example, in Mexico they have this "industrial police", guards.
You form a company, or join the employ of one, get your permit, and get pretty much anything you want.
A non Mexican national simply gets a work permit.
My mother was a Mexican, the father, US citizen.
Thus, I am what is called a "dual citizen".
http://travel.state.gov/content/tra...ip-and-dual-nationality/dual-nationality.html
Remember, the rules WILL be different for a US (only) citizen.
By Mexican law, you MUST speak Spanish to meet the requirements.
You need to have done your 1 year in the Mexican military, easy, as it is like the US national guard, but no money.
The Mexican military will trot you around once a month, there is no money for anything else!
The Mexican government set up the "Zeta", an anti-drug task force, known by its radio callsign, (Z).
Except one tiny problem, a bunch of 18 year old kids, being paid the equal of 600 month (US)?
Did not take very long to decide to branch off into the business for themselves.
When I left, they were using the AN/PRC-77 and AN/PRC-68, or European equals.
What does this have to do with guns? MONEY!
Have enough money in Mexico, and you can buy anything!
Want that M4 machine gun? or anything for that matter, and all the permits to go with it.
Mexico does not tolerate corruption, they insist on it!
Think of a mixture of Communist and Capitalist.
It will be years before it all gets sorted out, and, as you can clearly see, it is complicated.
One gun store? Communist.
Free market? the black market, Capitalist.
Thank you.

When I was in Panama, I got used to reliable corruption. If you have some money, reliable corruption can make everything easier. In Mexico, I suspect the cartels have driven the price of corruption far beyond what an ordinary person can afford!
 

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
When I was in Panama, I got used to reliable corruption. If you have some money, reliable corruption can make everything easier. In Mexico, I suspect the cartels have driven the price of corruption far beyond what an ordinary person can afford!
Your balboas would go further if you were not a turistico aaand much further if you broke their cost/price code :)
 
Last edited:
Top