How buying a gun in Great Falls 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 Montana law allows.
Montana adds no state permit, waiting period or registration to a dealer purchase, and dealers run the federal check. Federal ages apply, 21 for a handgun and 18 for a rifle or shotgun, and state law preempts most local firearm rules. Bring a current photo ID, complete ATF Form 4473 and the dealer transfers the firearm when the check clears. Online orders ship to the Montana FFL you name, and ammunition and gear ship to your door.
Dealers in these communities all work for Great Falls-area buyers:
- Black Eagle
- Belt
- Cascade
- Vaughn
- Fort Shaw
- Ulm
- Sun River
- Simms
- Fairfield
Carrying a gun in Cascade County
Montana has allowed carry without a permit, openly or concealed, since 2021 for people 18 and older who may lawfully possess a firearm. The concealed weapon permit is still issued by the sheriff of your county under state law, with a minimum age of 18, six months of residency and a familiarity requirement that hunter education or an approved firearms course satisfies. The permit runs five years and is worth holding for travel to other states, and an enhanced version exists for wider recognition.
Hunting near Great Falls
Montana's general rifle season for deer and elk runs October 24 to November 29, 2026, with archery from September 5 to October 18 and a youth deer weekend in mid-October. Antelope, sheep, moose and goat seasons run on their own calendars, and most special permits are applied for in the spring. Great Falls sits in hunting district 413 in the northwest Little Belt Mountains, whose boundary starts in town. District boundaries and elk rules are reviewed regularly, so check the current regulations before you hunt.
Hunting district 413 in the Little Belt Mountains starts at the edge of town; the general rifle season for deer and elk runs October 24 to November 29, 2026.
Montana has no purchase permit and permitless carry, and the 10mm Glock 20 is a common pack pistol in the Little Belts and Highwoods west of town.
Public shooting ranges near Great Falls
The public ranges below are run or officially listed by state wildlife agencies and state forests near the cities we cover. Most ask for a hunting or fishing license, an access permit or a small daily fee, and some close for the season, so check the agency page before you take a new pistol out.
Source: State wildlife agency public range lists (Alabama, Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington), September 2026. Distances are approximate; call or check the agency site before you drive out.