Locked and Un-Loaded

Despite the fact that they're now legal to own, getting a handgun in the District is going to be impossible -- at least for a while. But this reporter is going to try.

At 7 a.m. Thursday, the Metropolitan Police Department will open its doors at Headquarters and begin taking applications for permits. If you already own an illegal handgun, you're in luck. Because of the 90 day amnesty program, you can bring your gun (unloaded and wrapped up) to the police and apply for a permit. If, like most people, you don't have a gun, you can begin the permit process, but good luck getting a gun. Without a gun store, or someone to transfer the gun, it won't happen legally.

But I'm going to try.

It's important to note, I have no desire to own a gun. In fact, once I get the gun, I'll turn it over to police or sell it back to the gun store where I bought it. I simply want to walk through the entire process to see how it does - or doesn't - work.

So, join me on this journey. I'll update this blog on a daily, and sometimes hourly basis until I'm locked and un-loaded. Feel free to add your thoughts or experiences along the way.

To Buy A Gun

Friday, July 18 -- 2 p.m.:

Lt. Jon Shelton called me Thursday night to walk me through the process and clarify everything.

According to Shelton, the application has to be filled out by the licensed dealer in D.C. where the gun I bought in Maryland will be shipped. Since I had the application filled out by the dealer in Maryland, it was improper and the police were unable to process it. Since the only licensed dealer who will transfer guns in D.C. is still waiting on his permit, I can't get him to fill out the application.

Charles Sykes has been transferring handguns in D.C. since 1994, but he lost his lease and had to move his office. That meant the District had to issue him a new certificate of occupancy.

That came last week. Now Sykes has to change his address with the ATF. According to a spokesperson for the ATF, the change of address process can take at least 30 days. That means anyone who doesn't already own a handgun in D.C., can get one for a month. Although I hear the ATF may try to expedite the permit for Sykes.

Shelton says it's OK for me to take the written test and do the background check now rather than waiting until Sykes gets his permits. That should help to expedite things a bit.

I've been studying for the 20 question test. I will take the test on Monday. Dick Heller took his test Friday and passed, but has to wait about two weeks for his background check to be completed.

Thursday, July 17 -- 4:05 p.m.:

I just spoke with Chief Lanier, who says her officers were wrong and I can come back tomorrow morning and take the test. If I pass, I have my application approved. But as I write this, the officer from the registration office called and says Lanier is wrong. Arrrgh! I'm waiting on a call back from the head of the gun registration unit. Maybe he knows.

Thursday, July 17 -- 3:55 p.m.:

I just brought my application back to police headquarters and was told I could not take the test until the gun is shipped to D.C. dealer. But gun store won't ship gun until I take the test.

Thursday, July 17 -- 12:50 p.m.:

I hit my first road block. Most of the gun shops in Maryland and Virginia won't sell a handgun to out-of-state residents. Some say it's too much trouble, others say it's against the law. It's not against the law to sell the gun to an out-of-state resident, it's against the law to let them take a handgun out of the store. It must be transferred to a licensed dealer in your state, or in my case, in D.C.

Luckily for me, Carl Roy, the owner of Maryland Small Arms in Upper Malboro, heard one of my earlier reports on WTOP Radio and called me. Roy says many gun stores and even local police don't fully understand the laws.

After walking me through some of his handguns, I made my purchase. A Smith & Wesson 38 caliber pistol. I had the manager of the store fill out my application, paid $250, plus Maryland tax, and now I own a handgun. But not really. I had to leave the gun at the store.

Now I have to get two passport photos and take the pictures, my drivers license and the application forms back to police headquarters. Stay tuned.

Thursday, July 17 -- 7:45 a.m.:

I just spoke with Dick Heller. He tells me several gun manufacturers have offered to give him custom made guns with his name inscribed on them. He's off to work but hopes to be back later with one of his many pistols to register.

Thursday, July 17 -- 7:30 a.m.:

I'm in line with Dick Heller, the guy who brought the lawsuit. He has been told he can bring his revolver from Maryland and register it, but not his semi-automatic. "The city has rejected me again," Heller told reporters. I was the second person through the door and got some bad info from the officer at the desk. He said I could buy a gun in Maryland and drive it here to register. That's not true and the detective in charge of registering guns is correcting that problem. So now I have two forms to fill out: one by me and one by a gun shop.

So I'm off to a gun store.

Thursday July 17 -- 6:18 a.m.:

I just went to the MPD web site to see if I could download an application or somehow expedite the process. No luck. I did find that I'll need $60 for the permit, fingerprinting and ballistics testing. From what's on the MPD website, it seems like they're expecting mostly residents who already have illegal handguns and want to take advantage of the amnesty. I'm off to police headquarters.

Wednesday, July 16 -- 9:55 p.m.:

I've set my alarm clock for 6 a.m. and I'm going to sleep. I want to be the first in line when the gun registration office opens at 7 a.m.

As WTOP first reported, there are only six federally licensed firearm dealers in the District, and only one of them is willing to handle the transfer of handguns. Until gun shops open in the District, residents will have to buy their handguns out of state and have them shipped to a licensed dealer in the District. Charles Sykes is that licensed dealer, and he's told WTOP he's willing to handle the transfer of handguns for residents, just has he has for security companies since 1994. "On a low key basis," Sykes says. "By appointment."

But Sykes has a problem. He lost his lease and has had to relocate, and the District has refused to issue him the necessary permit to open his new office. Sykes told the Washington CityPaper he thinks the city is withholding his Certificate of Occupancy for "political" reasons. He may be right.

A spokesperson for the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, which issues the permit, could not say what the status of his application is, or why it was being withheld in time for this report.

Vince Gray (D-At-Large), chairman of the D.C. Council, says he wants to make it as hard as possible for gun stores to open. "First of all, I don't want them anywhere," Gray says, "but if we're going to have them, we'll look at things, like keeping them away from schools and churches."

When the District first learned of the Supreme Court decision overturning the ban on handguns, Acting Attorney General, Peter Nickles, told reporters gun stores would be allowed to open in the city. "You can't very well stop someone from selling something that is legal to own," Nickles said.

That opinion seems to have changed a bit. When Mayor Adrian Fenty announced the new gun regulations this week, he said stand-alone gun stores would not be allowed to open. "That's my understanding," Fenty said.

Nickles told reporters that the law would not permit such stores, and that gun dealers would have to be part of a larger operation, such as a chain store that sells more than just guns. D.C. Councilmember Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large) says District code does not allow for the "display of guns in public."

Nickles expects to be back in court over the new regulations, and he's giving lawyers plenty of options from the ban on semi-automatics, to the trigger lock requirements, and now an apparent prohibition on gun stores.

(Copyright 2008 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)