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Mercer Island

Damiansar-15

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2009
Messages
199
Location
Mercer Island, WA
Anyone OC on Mercer Island? I often visit my in-laws there and want to get a sense of how local PD is with OC...

Thank you for any wisdom or experience on this topic...

D.
 

Tawnos

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2008
Messages
2,542
Location
Washington
Anyone OC on Mercer Island? I often visit my in-laws there and want to get a sense of how local PD is with OC...

Thank you for any wisdom or experience on this topic...

D.

I have, though it's usually while on a bicycle riding through to Seattle. Your best bet is to ask Washingtonian for Liberty, as he lives on Mercer.
 

sudden valley gunner

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2008
Messages
16,674
Location
Whatcom County
+1
It's legal. Know your rights, exercise them.
Be prepared. Print some of the pamphlets and carry them.
Know the 4th amendment.
Carry with confidence.
Be polite, be courteous, be professional, be kind.

+1

....and know the 5th too. You are not obligated to volunteer information..know matter how much arm twisting you receive.
 

Lante

Regular Member
Joined
May 27, 2009
Messages
122
Location
Kingston, Washington, USA
There was a negative encounter last year....on my phone so will not search for it now., but as I remember it OC.'r carried in park., MPD Sgt was way over the top and out of line., police chief was involved after the fact and did a good job dealing with the issue. I seem to remember a OC meet planned for Luther Burbank park on Mercer island afterwards but can't. Say for sure if it happened but don't remember any problems afterwards. A search of old threads may yield more info..

.
 
Last edited:

amlevin

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Messages
5,937
Location
North of Seattle, Washington, USA
There's a reason Mercer Island is an Island. Now if only they would just close the bridge.

I used to date a girl on MI. The joke back then was that anyone from "off the Island" was watched from the time they arrived to the time they left. Not just by the Cops, but by all the other Island residents as well.
 

Damiansar-15

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2009
Messages
199
Location
Mercer Island, WA
Moving to MI

Well it looks like I am going to be moving to MI in 2012 instead of just visiting... Are there any gun ranges or dealers on the island? I was thinking about getting a manufacturing FFL and perform transfers out of my house, but was not sure what kind of gun industry is on the island.
 

OrangeIsTrouble

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2009
Messages
1,398
Location
Tukwila, WA, ,
There's a reason Mercer Island is an Island. Now if only they would just close the bridge.

I used to date a girl on MI. The joke back then was that anyone from "off the Island" was watched from the time they arrived to the time they left. Not just by the Cops, but by all the other Island residents as well.


As a motorcycle rider, I can tell you this is no longer a "joke".
 

ApacheBunny

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2011
Messages
99
Location
Steptoe, WA (wtf is that!?)
so I take it the people on MI are xenophobic, amlevin I wonder if they were all huddled outside of the house while you were there lol. It's one less place for me to visit, my constant scowl would be a huge sign for them.
 

boatswain

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2010
Messages
36
Location
WA
There was an OCDO BBQ at Luther Burbank in 2009 after the incident in Mercerdale Park.

I don't think Mercer would be a great place for a gun store, and definitely not for a range. It's an expensive residential area with a very small business district. Leasing costs are very high due to the limited space and there aren't many small independent retailers here, mostly banks, realtors, doctors offices etc. Small businesses struggle to survive because of the cost and the limited market - most people shopping here live here. Also, you are competing with West Coast Armory which has an excellent range and well established store just across the bridge.

MI is similar to a lot of wealthy Eastside suburbs like Medina and Kirkland - low crime, there are a lot of people with money and you'd be surprised at the number with extensive firearm collections, but they don't advertise it. I go shooting with four of my close neighbors regularly and all are pro-2A, CCW, very well armed and have memberships at WCA. I'm not aware of anyone who open carries though.

I've been told that top crimes on MI are tax evasion and identity theft.
 

Damiansar-15

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2009
Messages
199
Location
Mercer Island, WA
Good Info

thanks for the info... I would be selling my own branded firearms, e.g. ARs, 1911s and would be doing transfers as a community service, since the number of FFLs seem to be dwindling over the last 5 years... I definitely would start out of my house and move off the island if volume out paces my residential space... I hope to be up and running by 2013...
 

amlevin

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Messages
5,937
Location
North of Seattle, Washington, USA
thanks for the info... I would be selling my own branded firearms, e.g. ARs, 1911s and would be doing transfers as a community service, since the number of FFLs seem to be dwindling over the last 5 years... I definitely would start out of my house and move off the island if volume out paces my residential space... I hope to be up and running by 2013...

Problem with Mercer Island and operating out of your house is you probably wouldn't get the necessary business license. Without one you wouldn't get the FFL, or be able to keep it due to the provision requiring compliance with all local law for businesses.

Mercer Island is very restrictive on business, especially any business that might bring traffic to a neighborhood.
 
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