DC finally loosens firearms laws a bit

[swinokur]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/apr/17/dc-a-bit-more-gun-friendly/

 

[mscdex]

I have to say that I never saw that coming

 

[swinokur]

yeah. DC. Go figure

 

[Decoy]

Baby steps but they still have a VERY long way to go.

 

[EL1227]

Way to go Emily !!!

If it weren't for Emily Miller and the WashingtonTimes, this would have NEVER happended. DC would still be like Chicago, NYC, and Maryland to a lesser extent, fighting, kicking, and screaming like a 3yo because they were being forced into something they didn't want to do ... recognize a God-given right.

The Washington Times’ series “Emily Gets Her Gun” meticulously documented each of these barriers to gun ownership designed make it prohibitively expensive to bring legal firearms into the District. The series won’t end with merely allowing residents to keep arms locked up in their homes. The Second Amendment also recognizes the right of the people to bear arms.

 

[fscwi]

WOOHOO!

 

[randyho]

If it weren't for Emily Miller and the WashingtonTimes, this would have NEVER happended.

Agreed. She done good.

 

[Mooseman]

Baby steps but they still have a VERY long way to go.

This sounds like giant steps to me. Granted, they still have a long way to go.

 

[BlueHeeler]

This change is a bit of a scam from DC only to avoid another lawsuit. Replacing the training requirement with a video is the only real change. Emily definitely has done some good work.

The biggest hurdle, a five-hour training mandate, is gone.
Hooray! That was without a doubt the biggest obstruction

application documents be notarized
This was a onetime single form, but not a real obstacle

The 10-day waiting period will start from the date the gun is purchased,
This has been the case for over a year. Before 2009 (I think it was 2009) there was no waiting period.

ballistics testing,
That saves 30mins and $12. Yeah, I will not have to explain to them in excruciating detail why it is imperative to differentiate between a 9mm Luger and Makarov during ballistics testing my pistols. We also had the same exact conversation about .357 Sig and .357 Mag.

vision testing
There never was a vision test. They check to see if you have a driver’s license which verifies the applicant is not legally blind.

the three-year reregistration
This process has never been implemented so removing it is a lot about nothing.

 

[Bikebreath]

C'mon...it's an Onion article, right?

 

[revwood]

The article states:

"The mayor will become a gun dealer if the city’s only federal firearms licensee goes out of business."

Why not just give the job to "Mayor for Life" Marion Barry? Hell, he'd probably sell you one right now out of the trunk of his car!

I'm just saying...

 

[safecracker]

This change is a bit of a scam from DC only to avoid another lawsuit. Replacing the training requirement with a video is the only real change. Emily definitely has done some good work.

The biggest hurdle, a five-hour training mandate, is gone.
Hooray! That was without a doubt the biggest obstruction

application documents be notarized
This was a onetime single form, but not a real obstacle

The 10-day waiting period will start from the date the gun is purchased,
This has been the case for over a year. Before 2009 (I think it was 2009) there was no waiting period.

ballistics testing,
That saves 30mins and $12. Yeah, I will not have to explain to them in excruciating detail why it is imperative to differentiate between a 9mm Luger and Makarov during ballistics testing my pistols. We also had the same exact conversation about .357 Sig and .357 Mag.

vision testing
There never was a vision test. They check to see if you have a driver’s license which verifies the applicant is not legally blind.

the three-year reregistration
This process has never been implemented so removing it is a lot about nothing.

Quoted from the article:

"Registered gun owners will no longer be subject to arrest if they possess the wrong type of ordinary ammunition."

This is significant as well.

 

[A. Wayne]

Everything about this is significant, in that it seems someone is opening their eyes. Emily may not have done this single handed, but wow! she deserves a lot of credit here. Celebration is in order!

 

[oldsarge]

vision testing
There never was a vision test. They check to see if you have a driver’s license which verifies the applicant is not legally blind.

Why do you have to see to own firearms. As a collector, it should not make any difference if you can see or not. It is like saying you must be able to see to own a vehicle. I know a few individuals that are legally blind that own vehicles. They just can't have a license or drive. They are driven. Same thing should apply to firearms. You should be able to own and collect just not carry or shoot.

 

[Mark75H]

It is like saying you must be able to see to own a vehicle.

You do to own a motorcycle in MD. You can't have a motorcycle registered in your name in MD if you don't have a motorcycle license.

 

[safecracker]

You do to own a motorcycle in MD. You can't have a motorcycle registered in your name in MD if you don't have a motorcycle license.

Not true.

I owned bikes registered to me in MD for many years before getting my motorcycle endorsement. I know many others who did the same. Not that we ever actually rode them......

 

[Mark75H]

That's the reason why

 

[smokey]

this is like celebrating that the man stabbing you has begun to only punch you in the throat...while a step in the right direction...the govt is still involved in unconstitutional behavior and still needs it's ass handed to it to remove the hurdles it's placed in the way of it's citizens exercising their constitutional rights.

 

[gmhowell]

You do to own a motorcycle in MD. You can't have a motorcycle registered in your name in MD if you don't have a motorcycle license.

When did they pass that law? Last I checked, ~five years ago, it was perfectly legal. Spouse buys a bike for spouse. Teen buys a bike but it is registered in parent's name.

What they did do was send letters to owners who did not have an M endorsement making sure that they knew they needed the endorsement to operate on public roads.

 

[BlueHeeler]

vision testing
There never was a vision test. They check to see if you have a driver’s license which verifies the applicant is not legally blind.

Why do you have to see to own firearms. As a collector, it should not make any difference if you can see or not. It is like saying you must be able to see to own a vehicle. I know a few individuals that are legally blind that own vehicles. They just can't have a license or drive. They are driven. Same thing should apply to firearms. You should be able to own and collect just not carry or shoot.

I have no idea about rational behind the vision testing. Legally blind and total blindness are completely different. I had an ex that was legally blind without glasses. So per DC, I guess she could own a gun with her glasses on and she was illegal without them, but had a drivers license with them.

"Registered gun owners will no longer be subject to arrest if they possess the wrong type of ordinary ammunition."

This is significant as well.

It is cool we can own ammo calibers for firearms we do not have registered. As a collector, it was a PITA to follow that rule. However that was never a registration hurdle. It just made lawbreakers out of honest people.

Here is the real life benefit of the outcome. My neighbor (and I suspect many others like him) is a good guy has wanted to register his Mini-14 (at his parent's) for years. He also wants to buy a Garand and an M1A. Ages ago I explained the registration process, he gave up over the training requirement because it is exceedingly difficult and expensive to find an approved trainer willing to teach a DC resident.

I updated him last week what was in the pipeline and he was ecstatic that things will be more straight forward under the new system. He can finally stop shooting my guns.