quote:

Originally posted by Veeper:
They better make sure they institute a wind-fall profits tax on the only FFL in the city.

Idiots.

quote:

Originally posted by bobcat239:
It appears that the new regs would prohibit semi autos because they are "weapons that shoot at least 12 rounds without reloading." In New York, our mags are prohibited from holding more than 10 rounds. So let me pose the following question: What if i bought a NY legal Sig, with a 10 round mag. Would that pass muster under the DC regs?

quote:

D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier, left, listens as Mayor Adrian Fenty announces new firearms regulations in the wake of the Supreme Court's overturning of the city's ban.

http://www.officer.com/online/articl...ion=1&id=42312


Story by nbc4.com

WASHINGTON --
D.C. officials unveiled new legislation Monday imposing strict controls on handguns and rules for registering firearms in the District.

The new regulations come after the Supreme Court struck down the city's 32-year-old ban on handguns last month, ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller that Americans can keep guns at home for self-defense.

Handguns will still be banned, except for self-defense in the home, city officials said at a noon news conference. Sawed-off shotguns, machine guns and short-barreled rifles are still prohibited.

Police will register one handgun per person for the first 90 days after the legislation becomes law, city officials said. A six-month amnesty period will be set up during which residents can register guns already in their possession.

Police will require ballistic testing on handguns before they are registered to see if the weapon was stolen or used in a crime, officials said.
The new legislation also modifies existing law to clarify that firearms must be stored unloaded and either disassembled or secured with a trigger lock, gun safe or similar device, officials said. The legislation includes an exception if a person reasonably perceives a threat of immediate harm to a person within a registered gun owner's home.

The D.C. Council is expected act on the emergency legislation called "Firearms Control Emergency Act of 2008" during the July 15 legislative session.

Police Chief Cathy Lanier also announced new rules for registering firearms and licensing firearms dealers.

D.C. residents who want to register handguns must complete an application from MPD's firearms registration section, pass a written firearms test and provide photos, proof of residency and proof of good vision. They will also be fingerprinted.

Residents can take approved applications to licensed firearms dealers within the District to pick up their weapon. Weapons purchased from dealers outside the District must be taken to dealers in the city to complete the transaction. Ballistics tests will be performed before the weapons can be taken home, police said.

Police will allow residents to register handguns they already own for the next six months. The Office of the Attorney General will not prosecute residents for unregistered possession during this amnesty period, but people who have committed crimes with firearms will remain subject to prosecution, police said. People who bring a firearm from another jurisdiction into D.C. must take it to the Firearms Registration Section or notify the section they will do so within 48 hours.

Police also clarified rules for becoming a licensed firearms dealer. Dealers must be licensed by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, among other provisions.

quote:

Originally posted by Tecumseh:
And from the original link just to preserve it:

[Quote]D.C. Approves New Gun Laws Prompted by Court Ruling
posted 10:33 pm Tue July 15, 2008 - WASHINGTON
from ABC 7 News - http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0708/535657.html

The District of Columbia Council approved new firearms legislation Tuesday that will allow residents to begin applying for handgun permits this week.

The council's unanimous vote comes as officials try to comply with last month's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down the city's 32-year-old ban on handguns.

The emergency legislation will allow handguns to be kept in the home if they are used only for self-defense and carry fewer than 12 rounds of ammunition.

Handguns, as well as other legal firearms such as rifles and shotguns, also must be kept unloaded and disassembled, or equipped with trigger locks - unless there is a "reasonably perceived threat of immediate harm" in the home.

"This is not perfect legislation," said D.C. Council member Phil Mendelson, who worked with the mayor's office on the bill. "The first step is what we have before us today so that we maintain important provisions in our gun registration law while we continue look at how we can further refine our gun registration law."

Gun rights groups, including the National Rifle Association, said at least some of the new regulations will likely be challenged.

The emergency legislation will remain in effect for 90 days, and the council expects to begin work in September on permanent legislation.

Though residents can begin applying for handgun permits this week, city officials have said the entire process could take weeks or months.

"It depends on what your situation is - whether you owned the gun before or purchased it outside the District of Columbia," police Chief Cathy Lanier said.

The process involves a written exam, proof of residency and good vision. Successful applicants must pay a registration fee and agree to fingerprinting and a criminal background check before obtaining a weapon.

Even with Tuesday's vote, Washington's gun regulations will remain among the strictest in the country, said Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

He said Chicago, where it is illegal to possess or sell handguns, now has the toughest ordinance, though the city is facing a legal challenge following the Supreme Court ruling.

It remains to be seen how much of the district's new regulations will withstand constitutional challenges, Helmke said, adding that it could take years for the courts to sort it all out.

The Supreme Court's 5-4 decision June 26 that affirmed the right to have guns for self-defense "raised more questions than it's probably answered," Helmke said. "They haven't explained where you draw the line.
© 2008 WJLA-TV
© 2008 The Associated Press