Shoot First, Ask Questions Later (Discussions of Gun Control)

[Kerberoz]

afaik, that only applies at the federal level

[Ragnus]

From what I understand you can own and carry(if you have an unrestricted LTC) but can't sell in the greater Boston area.

[Nephlite]

I thought handgun bans were ruled unconstitutional after the DC case? Was that just for possession? You can't be prevented from owning one but you can be from selling one?

They're slowly getting the logistics worked out but basically the old DC ban prevented anyone from owning a handgun in the district. You could own a rifle or shotgun but it had to be registered, kept in a secure place and unloaded and you can't take it out of the house unless it's for lawful recreational purposes (which means you have to go to Maryland or Virginia). The law now allows you to possess a handgun but it can't be semi-automatic, must be single-action, unloaded, in the house, registered, etc. and you can't carry without a permit from the Chief of D.C. police. Obviously this doesn't apply to DC police officers, retired or otherwise, federal officers and the like. Now there are people who do sell guns in the district but as far as I know the only officially licensed one is right in the heart of the ghetto.

The whole protection thing is valid but they put tight restrictions on guns to help deter the gun violence. D.C. was STILL Murder Capitol for years even before the ban was lifted. 90% of homicides at that time were gun related. My unit pulls roughly 50-60 guns off the streets a week and it doesn't seem like it's slowing down.

The problem (and correct me if i'm wrong) is that you have Maryland and Virginia bordering D.C. In Maryland, you can purchase a gun and wait your 7 day waiting period from the State Police and it's yours. Obviously you can't be a felon or anything but there's currently no laws forbidding use or sale of automatic weapons in Maryland so a lot of those types of guns come from Maryland (9 times out of 10).

In Virginia you can buy a gun no problem. No waiting period, no registration and you can open carry anywhere where it's not specifically prohibited (DMV, Federal property, etc). But they have tight restrictions on the purchase and sale of automatic weapons and therefore, you can't get that type of hardware from there.

For me I have 5 guns and all have their purpose. I have my duty pistol (Glock 17), a backup (Glock 19 and my concealed weapon), my AR (fully equipped), my 870 (which I can take to work but it's better used in the utility closet in the laundry room which we made our safehouse in case of burglars, natural disasters, etc.), and my Glock 22 (Home defense). My wife knows where they all are, how they work, knows how to take them apart and how to clean them and has put hundreds of rounds down range on each. And both of us are anti-gun, non NRA members, and secretly wish I didn't have to carry one. Kinda hard to imagine a mindset like that for a police officer, eh? But it's true; I hate guns. But guns don't kill people, people kill people and I try to do something about the latter, therefore I need a gun as a tool to help me stop that kind of thing.

[Yugl]

The problem (and correct me if i'm wrong) is that you have Maryland and Virginia bordering D.C. In Maryland, you can purchase a gun and wait your 7 day waiting period from the State Police and it's yours. Obviously you can't be a felon or anything but there's currently no laws forbidding use or sale of automatic weapons in Maryland so a lot of those types of guns come from Maryland (9 times out of 10).

In Virginia you can buy a gun no problem. No waiting period, no registration and you can open carry anywhere where it's not specifically prohibited (DMV, Federal property, etc). But they have tight restrictions on the purchase and sale of automatic weapons and therefore, you can't get that type of hardware from there.

I'm quite surprised that the rule runs this way rather than the opposite.

[Churchill]

@Neph

I don't think most people want to live in a world where guns are required, I am glad I live in a country where they are allowed though.

Plus, it's always fun to go put some rounds downrange.

[Nephlite]

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I have them and I don't think I could do what I do without them but I still hate em. Every time I see a story on the news where some kid accidentally shoots himself or someone gets in the line of fire mistakenly, I get really upset (probably one reason I would never be able to work child services). There should be stricter legislation for gun control and one way my firearms instructor had mentioned before was to have everyone who owns or purchases a gun register themselves within a database, have them go through a mandatory safety course (40 hour minimum), and have them take annual proficiency courses and take their right to own a gun if they've been convicted of a crime of violence (not just felonies). Of course, there's so many guns in circulation now that it's too late to do something like that but at least the registry would be doable. Put them in a specific category within NCIC or have local jurisdictions be responsible for registration and have it accessible through NCIC.

[Day]

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I have them and I don't think I could do what I do without them but I still hate em. Every time I see a story on the news where some kid accidentally shoots himself or someone gets in the line of fire mistakenly, I get really upset (probably one reason I would never be able to work child services). There should be stricter legislation for gun control and one way my firearms instructor had mentioned before was to have everyone who owns or purchases a gun register themselves within a database, have them go through a mandatory safety course (40 hour minimum), and have them take annual proficiency courses and take their right to own a gun if they've been convicted of a crime of violence (not just felonies). Of course, there's so many guns in circulation now that it's too late to do something like that but at least the registry would be doable. Put them in a specific category within NCIC or have local jurisdictions be responsible for registration and have it accessible through NCIC.

Aye, I was listening to the Ben Ferguson show one night, (lol masochist I guess) and he had a caller suggested we treat them much like cars where you need to register yourself and your gun annually, of course Ben flipped out and called him an idiot so on and so forth, but I thought it was brilliant.

[Yugl]

"But omg, the government is precisely the reason why we buy arms!"

^ I've heard that response before.

[MF Perm tha Fineass]

Then the best thing to respond with that is "oh so you want to kill our troops? you don't support them? are you a terrorist?"

[Mazmaz]

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-col...h---gun-rights

[RKenshin]

"But omg, the government is precisely the reason why we buy arms!"

^ I've heard that response before.

As if a bunch of people with handguns would really deter our government if it ever sought to control us.

Hell, you could give every person in America an assault rifle and we still wouldn't stand a chance if they ever tried to oppress people.

[Niiro]

Naw, look how well the Civil War went!

Spoiler: show

Except add in tanks and stealth bombers and predator drones.

Spoiler: show

Nvm that it would never come to that, they'd just cut off people's power/water and wait a few weeks.