Heller gets his gun

[News Shooter]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The man whose lawsuit overturned Washington's handgun ban has successfully registered his revolver, ending a more than 30-year wait to keep the weapon in his home.

Dick Heller walked out of D.C. police headquarters Monday, clutching a yellow firearms registration certificate stamped "approved." He gave the thumbs-up sign, grinned and said, "Victory!"

Heller was among the first people to seek a gun permit under new rules adopted after the Supreme Court struck down the city's 32-year-old handgun ban in June. Heller was the plaintiff in that case.

He won approval to keep a .22-caliber revolver at home after coming to police headquarters in July to be fingerprinted and take a firearms proficiency test. Police approved the weapon after completing a background check.

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[Fooped]

About Goddamn time. A HUGE +1 to Heller and all involved who fought (and still fight) for our right to keep and bear arms.

 

[vellnueve]

And a huge -1 to having to accept registration as a victory.

 

[Mr Weebles]

And a huge -1 to having to accept registration as a victory.

Agreed. This is a "victory" I suppose, but it also gives ammo to the antis who support registration.

 

[GrendelKhan]

I'm going home in a few hours, and raising one for him.

 

[mk70ss]

Heller, the new American Patriot.

 

[m44]

And a huge -1 to having to accept registration as a victory.

Agreed, but hell its better to have to register your gun then not have it.

 

[45collector]

They keep using the word "weapon".
The media will always opt to use that word instead of "firearm".
"weapon" makes it sound like it's inevitably going to be used to intentionally harm someone. I hate that.

 

[one-eyed Jack]

Any DC resident with brains should just get get the 03 FFL. Jack.

 

[mark056]

Agreed. This is a "victory" I suppose, but it also gives ammo to the antis who support registration.

There is nothing in Heller that refutes the right of the state to demand licensing or registration. In fact that the state has the perogative to license is supported in the decision.

Mark L.

 

[pdm]

It's a positive step, but a better one would be to allow him to have his 1911.

 

[WayneWong]

I think he'll get his 1911. I'll hoist one to Dick Heller tonight too.

 

[pdm]

I think he'll get his 1911. I'll hoist one to Dick Heller tonight too.

They'd have to find that it ain't a "machinegun".

 

[Scrivener]

Agreed, but hell its better to have to register your gun thAn not have it.

Indeed.

Still, having to register a piddling .22 revolver is a pathetic result after years of fighting in court and thousands in legal fees.

AND an unincorporated, 5-4 decision at that.

 

[Another_David]

A .22? Hey, how about at least a .38 after all that trouble.

 

[USMA-82]

He won approval to keep a .22-caliber revolver at home after coming to police headquarters in July to be fingerprinted and take a firearms proficiency test. Police approved the weapon after completing a background check.

If any paper targets try to break into his house now, they're finished!

 

[sig shooter]

Indeed.

Still, having to register a piddling .22 revolver is a pathetic result after years of fighting in court and thousands in legal fees.

AND an unincorporated, 5-4 decision at that.

+1

 

[theGringo]

If any paper targets try to break into his house now, they're finished!

If he should be confronted by an intruder wearing aluminum cans, he may be able to make enough noise to startle him to flight.

 

[USMA-82]

You haven't lost it, Geoff.....

 

[OnTheRoad]

The journey of a thousand miles has begun...let's see where the next step takes us.

 

[Palladin]

not to take the wind out of this.....I've got $10, the gun get stolen inside of 8 months. Waaaay too much publicity around this.

 

[Reptile]

All that work and he can't even keep a 1911 or a Glock???

There has got to be more to this story!

 

[Another_David]

All that work and he can't even keep a 1911 or a Glock???

There has got to be more to this story!

Actually, there is! He has a second lawsuit over the restrictions. Apparently Heller owned the .22 revolver but kept it "outside the District", which would partially explain why he brought that gun to the PD. Think about it--where else would he buy a new one? Also, it makes sense from a long, drawn out legal battle situation that he'd bring something completely benign and within full compliance to test the system.

But rest assured, Heller isn't done yet:

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/...files-new-gun-case-takes-aim-at-semiauto-ban/

Dick Anthony Heller, who successfully challenged the District’s handgun ban in a landmark Supreme Court decision, is again suing the District of Columbia, LL has learned.

According to a complaint obtained by LL, Heller, along with co-plaintiffs Absalom M. Jordan Jr., and Amy McVey, are taking particular aim at the effective ban of semiautomatic pistols by the District’s gun regulations, which in essence ban all semiautomatic weapons as “machine guns.”

The lawsuit also takes two other exceptions to the District’s new gun regs. One is that the District’s registration process is unduly “onerous,” citing specifically the legislatively unrestricted fees that can be levied on a gun registrant. The other count holds that the District’s doctrine that a gun can only be loaded in the presence of a “reasonably perceived threat of immediate harm” constitutes a unreasonable infringement of handgun owners’ rights under the Heller decision.

The suit asks the court to issue injunctions that would (a) allow semiautomatic weapons that hold fewer than 12 rounds, (b) order the District to register handguns without a ballistics test, and (c) order the District not to enforce the “reasonably perceived threat” part of the handgun law.

When the new gun regulations were announced earlier this month, acting attorney general Peter Nickles told reporters he was certain that new lawsuits would be filed in response.

More to come.