D.C. Handgun Restriction May Be Deadly
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a handgun ban in the nation’s capital, but it doesn’t mean that Washington, D.C., residents can now protect themselves with the most common handguns used for personal defense. The recent Heller decision struck down the District of Columbia’s prohibition on handguns, but the Court’s decision may not directly affect a preexisting D.C. ban on “machine guns,” which are defined by the 1976 Washington, D.C., City Council as:
… any firearm which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily converted or restored to shoot: (A) Automatically, more than 1 shot by a single function of the trigger; (B) Semiautomatically, more than 12 shots without manual reloading.
The D.C. definition is self-contradictory; a “machine gun” is a fully automatic weapon that has the capability to fire a continuous string of bullets for as long as the trigger is depressed and the weapon has ammunition, and a semi-automatic is a firearm that fires one shot per trigger pull. Self-contradictory or not, this 1976 provision is still apparently the law, and may effectively outlaw semi-automatic handguns registered prior to 1976. For the time being, D.C. residents may be forced to rely on revolvers if they want a handgun.
Some gun control advocates suggest that a revolver-only D.C. is a partial victory for them, but the D.C. City Council may be creating a situation where the handguns legally available in Washington are more lethal than they would otherwise be.
Gun control groups have argued that the greater cartridge capacity of semi-automatic pistols and the ability to quickly reload them with a fresh magazine makes them more dangerous than revolvers. The assumption is that more bullets will be fired during shootings using a pistol than shootings using revolvers. Evidence from actual shootings, however, rarely bears this assertion out as fact. Most authorities have cited a rate of roughly three to four shots fired per incident, a statistic that has not varied greatly from year to year, regardless of the kind of handgun used.
While I certainly disagree with DC’s gun ban, my reading of the law indicates it allows sem-iautos with limited (less than 12 round) magazines. Many high quality larger caliber (9mm, .40) semi-autos exist with small magazine capacity, due to a now-terminated federal law that restricted magazine capacity to ten rounds.
Ironically, the federal law led to the development of smallert powerful handguns (such as a 40 caliber Glock) the became popular with women due to their size.
John, the law bans any firearm that can ACCEPT a magazine of over 12 rounds (” …any firearm which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily converted or restored to shoot…”; note the ‘readily converted or restored’ part). By their definition any handgun that uses any kind of detachible magazine is banned, because you can always pop in a magazine of illegal capacity. That limits semi-autos to those loaded with stripper clips… that’s the old Grendel .380 (which has been out of production for over a decade now, and was pretty useless in the first place) and a few European pistols of the turn of the last century.
it also bans some revolvers… but DC has long felt that they were exempt from the nations laws so i guess pissing off the supreme court is par for course
My antique .32 Colt “pocket pistol” automatic would pass that test–only holds 7 rounds in the magazine. Military issue general officers sidearm. However, according to the general officer who gave it to me, that caliber is really only useful for shooting oneself…
iconoclast, not if ANYONE, EVER, made a +12 round mag for it.
The venerable Government Model of 1911 Colt had 7 rounds in the mag. There are people who make 30 round mags for it. Sorry, no-go.
The question is, will the subjects(they’re not citizens until they can buy guns) ever be able to actually buy guns? Will they tie it up in the local courts until Jefferson is convicted for the $90K in his fridge?
An interesting theory. My S&W 686+ holds seven beans in the wheel, which is six more than I’ll need. Unless, of course, there’s more than one douchebag…
Power to the people. Only law abiding citizens will bother to check the specs on their weapons, so that puts the stopping power on their side.
This article is so arcane and pointless. It makes no sense.
Arcane to point out the hurdles still in place in DC? I think not Javelin.
Personally I prefer wheelguns for self defense due to their reliability and ease of use.
BTW online gun orders to DC have skyrocketed since the ruling. Way to go DC residents!
Apparently Congress is making up a bill that removes any authority of DC to make law about guns, Repaeals a bunch of other DC laws etc.
http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Federal/Read.aspx?id=4089
D.C. residents, if you’ll only be allowed to own revolvers, make them high caliber (.40 caliber and up), and make the loads hollow-tipped, for better stopping power.
Hmm…it seems if I go to DC, my CZ suddenly becomes a machine gun. Which city can I visit and it will transform into a Phaser, or a Ferrengi disruptor? What I’d really like is a place where my 1994 Escort station wagon becomes a Promelian Battle Cruiser.
I wonder what Mayor Fenty and the rest of DC’s Grand Council of Viziers and Wizards think of Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus’s decision to ignore the 1954 Supreme Court school desegration case, and Eisenhower’s sending of 1000 men from the 82nd Airborne to protect nine children. Men armed with .30 cal, bayonets mounted, gas operated, 8 round clip semi-automatic machine..er…rifles. Perhaps 1000 JAG officers armed with the Constitution, Bill of Rights and copies of “Hooked on Phonics” will “do some splainin” to the Mayor’s good ol’ boys.
Oops! Sorry, it was the 101st Airborne.
Broadsword, do you have a point? Is your alias some rpg character? By the way, every one of those gun laws exempted the military and police. Nothing brings out the love and faith of cons more than a chance to vent and brag about guns.
I’m confused. Doesn’t the main thesis of this article, “Remaining restrictions may actually cause more deaths among shooting victims”, presuppose that criminals will obey the law and possess only legal weapons. Have they ever? The idea that criminals will obey the law is absurd by definition. So how do DC’s “new” regulations change anything?
The odd thing is that any shotgun can project more than one shot with a single function of the trigger. For example, the common 12 gauge, with 3 inch long “magnum” shells and loaded with number 1 shot, launches 25 each .30 caliber shot with each cartridge. Number 1 shot is the load of choice by erudite police: they penetrate all the way to the back of human targets, giving 25 chances to cut a perpetrator’s spinal chord.
Men between 17 and 45, and those less than 65 with prior military service as an officer or non-commissioned officer are members of the militia. Therefore the military exclusion should apply to this wide class of protected citizens.
The rest of you can decide to be subjects, or criminals.
I have to go along with TubbyHubby. I reach exactly the opposite conclusion as the writer (which seems to happen often with Post writers). The bad guys, who apparently buy the cheap stuff without regard to the law will continue to do so. The good guys, who merely want to defend themselves against the bad guys, will have the better weapons with which to do that. Hurrah!
No javelina, no point at all. Mere gibberish. And by the way, I am neither a rocket propelled grenade, “rpg character”, nor a convicted felon, “con”. Then die, stuck pig, die! (Hint here, vague Julius Ceasar reference. Um, Shakespeare’s Julius, not Orange’s Julius.) I will try to “splain it to you”. (Note, watch almost any episode of I Love Lucy for the ‘splainin’ reference.)
Full allowance for false assumptions. I presume Mayor Fenty of DC is black. If not, the allusion collapses, but not entirely. Ha! I just checked. He is. Think about the irony of a black mayor opposing the decision of the Supreme Court based on his own personal wishes and fantasies about firearms. (That DC believes their definition of a machine gun turns non-machine guns into machine guns.) Now imgaine asking Mayor Fenty what he thinks about the reasoning of those who opposed the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. Isn’t he likely to say, “Hey, the Supreme Court has decided. That’s it”? (Yes, yes, yes. I realize I am assuming his response. I think it is probable.) So on the one hand he agrees with the Supreme Court’s authority, and on another he does not. Well, which is it, Mr. Mayor? I think DC’s reasoning is a specious as any of those southern Jim Crow clingers. As an aside on the latter, 18 Senator species of Congress critter, and 81 Rep species of Congress critter signed a document, the Southern Manifesto, opposing school integration. Dem-97, Repub-2, in the name of public safety…?
As silence gives consent, I am please to presume you knew about Promelian Battle Cruisers, Hooked on Phonics and those other obscure document references.
The killing power of the 357 mag in revolvers is well known. The 9mm is not as effective.
I read about a man who worked for the police morturary, state that it took numerous rounds for a 9mm or 38 auto to kill a man from his experience. He said the 45 ACP or 357 magnum killed with less shots.
At the time of the original regulation the police used revolvers and there was a prejudice against semi auto pistols.
The semi auto is now the preferred weapon rather than a revolver. There are pro and cons for each one.
The fastest shot is with a revovler and the speed is incredible. Check you tube for videos.
This article is pure bunk.
Criminals and law abiding gun owners treat guns differently.
Criminals use guns as disposable tools. Their primary considerations are cheap, and concealable. Since they’re illegal, and they must not be spotted with an unregistered handgun, particularly if they already have a record. Thus the preference for small, cheap, disposable handguns. The Makarov is the gun of choice, cheap, reliable, accurate enough, and deadly enough at close range.
Law abiding citizens owning handguns want them for protection. The gun MUST work and be powerful enough and controllable enough to stop a deadly attack. Concealment IS important, but not as important for lawful concealed carry owners, and not an issue at all for those who use the gun only for home protection.
For home defense, a reliable .38 special or .357 loaded with .38 special (no overpenetration and shooting the neighbor) is desired, the gun is easy to use under extreme stress, reliable, and easy to make safe quickly.
For concealed carry, “midsize” autoloaders are both lighter and conceal more easily. Glock, Colt, Sig, Smith and Wesson, various 1911 companies like Kimber and Springfield, CZ etc all make outstanding semi-auto pistols that are relatively flat and light. Most people will not carry because it’s a pain in the ass, expensive to get certified/qualified/licensed, the holster alone will run in excess of $200 and is worth it. You will commit essentially to carrying around 5 lbs of metal and plastic on your hip every day. Some will only carry light/small 5-shot revolvers from Smith and Wesson or Ruger. Pocket revolvers. Hard to shoot, but reliable, definitely lighter and smaller. Expensive though, some will run into the $500 range.
For those at risk however, it can be worth it. Small pocket revolvers require expensive and painful practice, they are hard to shoot and often hurt (recoil being nasty in lightweight revolvers).
I would expect most people who would own guns legally in DC to own affordable .38/.357 revolvers, shoot them infrequently, and use them only in extreme home defense, for example an equalizer for elderly in the attempt of a home invasion.
“I would expect most people who would own guns legally in DC to… use them only in extreme home defense… in the attempt of a home invasion.”
Unlikely. Under DC restrictions, if I wake in the middle of the night to the sounds of instrusion, I still have to 1) remove my trigger lock and 2) load my weapon before I can engage. I wonder if I could even practice that, a few dry runs to speed up the process, without running afoul of the DC law.
Thank God I live in Maryland(?) I don’t care what stupid laws they pass – I’m keeping my weapon loaded, safe and ready at a moments notice, just like the Marine Corps taught me.
An important variable not addressed by Bob Owens is the barrel length of the revolver. Many revolvers with short barrels when loaded with factory ammo generate poor ballistics. Worse even than significantly smaller semi-auto cartridges due to the types of powders commonly used.
i worked in fairfax county back in 86 til 88, and the killings were in the hundreds every week in d.c. that was when the ban was in effect. now the law abiding denezens might be able to protect themselves. thank goodness for shootin irons and the second amendment. hopefully they won’t price the permits so high a person has to rob a likker store to afford it. as for home protection, i keep my old ford pickup in the bedroom closet, it can take out 4 or 5 at a time.