It is interesting to compare the process to buy a handgun today versus what it was 20 years ago.
In 1990, I bought my first handgun… a new Glock 17 from a dealer. At that time in St. Louis County, I had to drive to a local police station and request an application for a permit. I then had to fill out the application and mail it to police headquarters. It took four weeks for them to do a background check and approve me. They sent me a letter which stated I had been approved, and I had to drive down to police headquarters (40 miles away) and pick up my permit in person, between the hours of 8am and 4pm, Monday – Friday. I had to take time off from work to pick up the permit. This permit allowed me to buy a handgun sometime in the next 14 days… If I had not bought one in 14 days, the permit expired and I had to start over again. As far as carrying a handgun for protection? Virtually impossible.
In the past year, I bought two handguns, an FNH FNX-40, and a Ruger Vaquero. In both instances, it took about 15 minutes from the point where I said “Yes I will buy this” to the point where I walked out the door with a new plastic gun box under my arm. Phoning in the NICS background check, scanning the credit card, asking if I need any ammo or cleaning supplies, shaking my hand and saying “thankyou sir”… 15 minutes. As far as carrying a handgun for protection? Many in St. Louis county do, and the classes are always booked solid with new CCW-ers.
It is a huge improvement over 1990, and back in those grim days I did not think it would get better, only worse.
And to inform the argument between Jim243, Manta49, and Pond James Pond…. Although it was a difficult process to buy a handgun in 1990, and the local /state government used the process to discourage gun purchases, St Louis County was not an oppressive place governed by military rulers. As has been stated, gun restrictions are just one small part of political and economic oppression. Having spent time in London, I would hardly call the UK oppressive.
Jim