How buying a gun in Hattiesburg works
Pick an FFL dealer near you that accepts shipped transfers and name it at checkout. We confirm their license and ship the firearm to them. Ammunition, optics and parts ship straight to your door where Mississippi law allows.
Mississippi has no purchase permit, no registration and no waiting period. The dealer runs the federal background check when you complete ATF Form 4473. Federal age limits apply: 21 for a handgun from a dealer, 18 for a long gun. The firearm ships to the Mississippi dealer you name at checkout.
Dealers in these communities all work for Hattiesburg-area buyers:
- Petal
- Purvis
- Oak Grove
- Sumrall
- Columbia
- Laurel
- Wiggins
- Lumberton
Carrying a gun in Forrest County
Mississippi allows concealed carry without a permit for adults who may lawfully possess a firearm, and open carry is lawful. Courthouses, schools, polling places and posted property remain off limits. The firearm permit and enhanced permit are issued by the Department of Public Safety and add reciprocity and access to some otherwise posted places.
Hunting near Hattiesburg
Mississippi runs separate deer calendars for its zones, with archery from October, gun with dogs from mid-November and primitive weapons in December and January. Wild hogs are a nuisance animal and may be taken year-round on private land. Centerfire rifles, shotguns, muzzleloaders and handguns are legal, and antler restrictions differ between the Delta and the hill zones.
Forrest County is pine flatwoods on the edge of the De Soto National Forest; deer, hogs and turkeys on the forest and the Leaf River bottoms, with the Southeast Zone's own dates.
The De Soto National Forest is the public hunting ground, and the hog population in the bottoms keeps semi-auto rifles moving here year-round.
Public shooting ranges near Hattiesburg
These ranges are run by or officially listed by a state wildlife agency, a state forest or a national forest. Most ask for a hunting licence, a range permit or a small day fee, and hours change with the season, so check the agency page before you go.
Source: State wildlife agency, state forest and U.S. Forest Service public range listings, September 2026. Distances are approximate; call or check the agency site before you drive out.