So, with the Supreme Court ruling making DC go shall issue, I was thinking about getting my DC CCW. When in NOVA it is very easy at times to cross into DC without even realizing it and I wanted a little legal cover. Well, I'm not sure it is worth the cost and hassle...
Am I reading things right? It appears that even non-resident CCW applicants must register their CCW gun(s) with the DC Metro Police. OK, annoying, but not necessarily a deal breaker (well, since at any given day, I may be carrying one of 6 autos, 7 if I ever carry the LCP again, and 4 revolvers, it is kind of a pain in and of itself). However, looking at the registration requirements it has to be on the MD handgun roster, the CA roster and the MA roster??!!! Am I reading that right?! That is insane and leaves very few guns that are OK in DC.
If I'm reading that right, I can't carry my Taurus PT140 (not that I ever would again, but still) because it isn't approved in MA or CA, I can't carry my Taurus 85CH because no Taurus is approved in MA and that particular model isn't approved in CA, I can't carry my CZ P01 because no CZ is MA compliant, I can't carry my SIG P290RS because it is not approved in either MA or CA, no Kel Tecs are approved in either state so no Pf-9 (not that I ever carry it, and I haven't even shot it in years)... Now that list can go on forever, so to limit to guns I actually carry: no CZ P01, no Taurus 85CH, no SIG P290RS, my 3" Rossi 461 (occasional CCW) is not on either list, and my S&W 1911SC is not on the CA roster. That makes one of my main primary CCWs (the 1911SC) and one occasional primary (the P01), two backups (the P290 and 85CH) and one specialty use CCW (Rossi 461) forbidden.
Please tell me I'm misreading that and the gun has to be on one of those states' lists and not all three lists. Or better, tell me that they don't make you register your carry guns if you are a non-resident applicant.
Even without that restriction (assuming I read it right), I'm not 100% sure it is worth doing for what little utility I'd get out of it. I try not to spend too much time in DC (I go for entertainment or recreation about once or twice a year) and it would mainly be for when I take a route around NOVA that takes me through DC for a few miles. From what I can tell, because of the ID requirement I'd have to go to DC in person (can't do it by mail like many jurisdictions) so I'd have to burn a personal day at work and waste most of my day, and I'd have to spend $200-300 on 16 hours of training. It may not even help that much for my main reason for it, to protect myself if I accidentally enter DC while in NOVA and carrying since DC's mag ban is for possession so if I'm carrying one of my guns with a larger than 10 round mag, I'm just as much a criminal as if I don't get the DC CCW permit. So, even without the registration restrictions it is already looking like it may not be worth it. Add in those registration gun restrictions, and I may just be better off continuing to be VERY careful about taking a route I don't know well when in parts of NOVA that are near the DC border.
So, are my assumptions about registration correct? Even if I am or am not correct there, the other limiting factors do seem to limit the utility of a DC CCW (especially for the cost/inconvenience of getting one). After looking at all the considerations, what have other MD or VA residents decided after considering a DC CCW? I'm leaning towards just continuing to be careful not to accidentally cross into DC when in NOVA, and to carry a pocket knife and pepper spray the couple times a year I'm in DC.
Am I reading things right? It appears that even non-resident CCW applicants must register their CCW gun(s) with the DC Metro Police. OK, annoying, but not necessarily a deal breaker (well, since at any given day, I may be carrying one of 6 autos, 7 if I ever carry the LCP again, and 4 revolvers, it is kind of a pain in and of itself). However, looking at the registration requirements it has to be on the MD handgun roster, the CA roster and the MA roster??!!! Am I reading that right?! That is insane and leaves very few guns that are OK in DC.
If I'm reading that right, I can't carry my Taurus PT140 (not that I ever would again, but still) because it isn't approved in MA or CA, I can't carry my Taurus 85CH because no Taurus is approved in MA and that particular model isn't approved in CA, I can't carry my CZ P01 because no CZ is MA compliant, I can't carry my SIG P290RS because it is not approved in either MA or CA, no Kel Tecs are approved in either state so no Pf-9 (not that I ever carry it, and I haven't even shot it in years)... Now that list can go on forever, so to limit to guns I actually carry: no CZ P01, no Taurus 85CH, no SIG P290RS, my 3" Rossi 461 (occasional CCW) is not on either list, and my S&W 1911SC is not on the CA roster. That makes one of my main primary CCWs (the 1911SC) and one occasional primary (the P01), two backups (the P290 and 85CH) and one specialty use CCW (Rossi 461) forbidden.
Please tell me I'm misreading that and the gun has to be on one of those states' lists and not all three lists. Or better, tell me that they don't make you register your carry guns if you are a non-resident applicant.
Even without that restriction (assuming I read it right), I'm not 100% sure it is worth doing for what little utility I'd get out of it. I try not to spend too much time in DC (I go for entertainment or recreation about once or twice a year) and it would mainly be for when I take a route around NOVA that takes me through DC for a few miles. From what I can tell, because of the ID requirement I'd have to go to DC in person (can't do it by mail like many jurisdictions) so I'd have to burn a personal day at work and waste most of my day, and I'd have to spend $200-300 on 16 hours of training. It may not even help that much for my main reason for it, to protect myself if I accidentally enter DC while in NOVA and carrying since DC's mag ban is for possession so if I'm carrying one of my guns with a larger than 10 round mag, I'm just as much a criminal as if I don't get the DC CCW permit. So, even without the registration restrictions it is already looking like it may not be worth it. Add in those registration gun restrictions, and I may just be better off continuing to be VERY careful about taking a route I don't know well when in parts of NOVA that are near the DC border.
So, are my assumptions about registration correct? Even if I am or am not correct there, the other limiting factors do seem to limit the utility of a DC CCW (especially for the cost/inconvenience of getting one). After looking at all the considerations, what have other MD or VA residents decided after considering a DC CCW? I'm leaning towards just continuing to be careful not to accidentally cross into DC when in NOVA, and to carry a pocket knife and pepper spray the couple times a year I'm in DC.