Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska -- The 673d Security Forces Squadron would like to remind the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, community the rules and regulations for privately-owned weapons on the installation for the safety of everyone: these rules highlight prohibited weapons, correct storage and correct transportation.
“We want to keep the community safe and let people know that they can only fire weapons in specific recreating areas,” said Tech. Sgt. Samantha Padilla, 673d Security Forces Squadron reports and analysis noncommissioned officer in charge. “Our primary concern is firearms, which are anything with a projectile loaded with gunpowder.”
The other concerns are prohibited and non-standard firearms. Individuals cannot possess, conceal, carry, transport, store, transfer or sell prohibited and unregistered weapons on the installation.
Unless registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, these firearms are prohibited on the installation: shotguns with barrels of 18 inches or less, rifles with barrels of 16 inches or less, shotguns or rifles that are 26 inches or less in overall length, fully automatic firearms, mufflers or silencers for firearms, any other non-conventional, commercial or homemade firearm capable of firing a shot; and any destructive device to include explosives, incendiary or poison gas bombs, grenades, rockets, missiles, mines and similar devices.
Additional nonstandard types of guns which fire BBs, pellets, or paint balls; archery equipment and crossbows; sling shots; potato cannons and the like are prohibited within housing and cantonment areas, and must be fired only within recreational zones.
Other weapons which are prohibited on the installation include ballistic knives of any blade length; metal knuckles or any other hard-pointed device worn over the hand used for striking; cattle prods; blackjacks; slappers; slap jacks; saps; palm saps; nunchucks, and any similar homemade device or bludgeon.
Knives with a blade length exceeding six inches may not be carried concealed, but knives used for wild game and food preparation are excluded while engaged in their respective activities. The same rules are applied to clubs for fishing as well.
To properly store and transfer weapons, individuals must first register them at one of several locations on the installation. They can be registered at the 673d SFS report and analysis office at Bldg. 8517 room 100 from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, or any time at the Visitor Control Centers at the Fort Richardson or Boniface gates. The weapons aren’t needed for registration.
Weapons must be permanently stored in either the individual’s unit armsroom, Security Forces armory, an off-base location, or, if living in Aurora Military Housing, a secured and locked container like a gun safe. If the personal container has a glass face, the weapon must have a trigger lock. Weapons cannot be stored in the dormitories, barracks or privately owned vehicles.
The SF armory and unit armsrooms also allow temporary and transitional storage of firearms. If transported, weapons and ammunition must be secured in separate cases not readily available to the driver or passengers, in the trunk or equivalent.
“Typically, the instances we see are violations in transport,” Padilla said. “We are revising our transport guidance and making it more clearly defined … because the previously written copy left a lot up [to] interpretation and we’re trying to really [future-proof] it in black and white.”
Recreational shooting is allowed if the personnel logs on and registers with iSportsman, and only at open recreation areas, such as the JBER Skeet and Archery Range.
For more information about iSportsman and recreational areas, call 552-9543. For registering and storing firearms, call 552-5251.