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lots of good, valid recommendations. Having no idea of your charactrer's morals, know that a number of otherwise law abiding citizens of the metro area had a pistol of some kind, for emergencies, without a legal permit.

These guns were not carried, nor practiced with, they just lived in desk, dresser and nightstand drawers, often for decades, loaded, just in case. Never talked about, or shown off, just kept, usually with less than a full box of ammo in the house. Sometimes with only the rounds in the gun.

Cops finding you with an unlicensed pistol meant arrest and all the court hassles that went with it, even if you did escape jail time. But lots of people risked it then, and still do. And, of course, all these guns were bought on the black market. No gunshop, anywhere in NY state would sell you a handgun without a permit. And in 1970, permits were required just for ownership, everywhere in NY state. And, the permit was not valid in NYC, unless issued in NYC. A permit issued in Buffalo or Albany or Saratoga was valid anywhere in the state, EXCEPT NYC!

And in 1970, the state permit required 4 photographs, 5 sets of fingerprints, 3 character references, and was only valid after being signed by a judge (totally at their discretion), and the gun(s) were listed on the permit, by make, caliber, barrel length, and serial #. And only those guns listed on the permit were legal to own. While I didn't live in NYC in those days, I did live in NY state, and it was general knowledge that the NYC permits were more difficult to get than the state permit, due to the arbitrary decisions of the local authorities (judges).