Is it really possible to own a rifle within the confines of NYC?

Brief background - I'm a gun aficionado(it sounds better than the concise "gun nut") who grew up in this beautiful yet disgusting city. Gun ownership has been verboten here, so I wanted to get as far away as possible.

Well, as luck has it, April comes and the best school I get accepted to...is Columbia!(I applied purely for financial and admissions considerations - I had some pull at this place)

So I'm stuck here for four years - good school, good education, horrible gun laws. Cripes!

Anyway, I've been going over the gun control provisions of the NYC administrative code - putting this law library to good use.

Online, it's summarized [url=http://www.nraila.org/GunLaws.asp?FormMode=Detail&ID=56]here[/url]
and part is available
[url=http://www.nysrpa.org/nyc-admincode.pdf]here[/url]

Now, it's common knowledge that it's impossible to get a carry license unless you have good connections or somebody is stalking you and sending you piles of death threats(and even then I suspect it's a crapshoot).
This is because the applicant must show "proper cause" for the issuance of the license.

Fine, I'm not even 21, and I hope to move out close to my 21st birthday, so I don't really give a hoot about the handgun provisions.

But the rifle permit does not require such "probable cause"!!!

Section 10-303


#6 has me worried.
This is really the part I question. Is this clause abused by the PD to deny any and all requests, or is it really possible to own a rifle?
I know there's a few NYPD on this board. Waverunner, can you guys help me out here?
Thanks in advance, it's really appreciated.

You should not have any problem with obtaining thr required shotgun/rifle licenses.  Columbia is a great school and they have a rifle team as well.  

Under NYS law you may also shoot a pistol at a range under the supervision of an instructor.  You might have to shoot at a range in Westchester or Long Island though. I'm sure the rifle team instructors have all the information you'll need to get started.

[url]http://www.columbia.edu/cu/rifle/[/url]

[:O][:D][^]

Whoa. I did not know that. Gotta make a beeline for them come september.

Much obliged, sir. These 4 years will be far better than I expected.
HoooooooRAH!

Drop the "sir"! [:D]

By the way, would you happen to know anybody currently on the team or affiliated with it? Their site is 7 years old and both individuals mentioned have since moved on - I'm beginning to fear that they may now be defunct - which would explain why I never saw a rifle team listed anywhere in student activities or the athletic website.