Who's packing?

[Kai]

The other thing that bugs me is that I believe there are still states (perhaps many...?) where you can go into a gun store and walk out with a handgun in the same day. What's the big deal if you have to wait a few days so that a complete backround check can be done to determine if you (or someone who might someday confront you or a loved one) have a felonious past. To me this is illogical thinking and puts the public at unneccesary risk. I am NOT the NRA.

In every state you have to go through a criminal background check before buying a gun. It is done over the phone, through a federal database, and takes between 5 minutes or a couple of hours.

So, you get the background check, but still get to walk out with the handgun the same day.

 

[globetrotter]

you should have to go for a mandatory psych test and 400 hours of training, in my humble opinion. and you should be criminaly liable for any crimes or accidents that happen with the firearm from the time you purchase it until you either have it destroyed in a registered facility, sell it to a registered dealer (who then takes responsibility) or give it to the government (who would then take reponsibility). no more of this "did you pack the bags yourself" stuff, let a shrink ferret out why you really want a gun that can blow a round through 5 walls of sheetrock.

if you want a gun, you should know how to use it, and you should treat it with repect. (not that those present don't, mind you)

 

[dah328]

you should have to go for a mandatory psych test and 400 hours of training, in my humble opinion...

400 hours?  That's a little reactionary, isn't it?  One of my brothers is in the USMC and has top qualification marks on both the rifle and handgun.  Even they don't do 400 hours of weapons training unless you end up at scout/sniper school or something like that.

dan

 

[globetrotter]

I was thinking 40 hours a week for 10 weeks. seems about right to me. My basic training was 9 months, and I did specialist training for another 9 months or so; it was a hell of a lot more than 40 hours a week. And I think that my level of competency is about right.

also, it seems that that would weed out the people who wouldn't take their weapons seriously, if you have to take a summer off from work or school and devote it to learning how to operate firearms, you will take them seriously for the rest of your life. it gives your instructors time to really judge if you are a nutcase or not, as an added bonus.

 

[rsp1]

Going back to Tom's point #3: "if you shoot an unarmed burgular in your home at night you will still wind up in prison." This is (mostly) false. Thanks to a great business law teacher I had who went off on a useful diversion one afternoon, I learned there is more or less a "home is your castle" doctrine, where homeowners are given SIGNIFICANT benefits of the doubt over attacking intruders in their houses. Why? For the simply reason stated earlier. At 3am, no one is asking to borrow a cup of sugar and there is almost no valid reason someone would be in your house other than to commit a crime. As a side note, however, and again care of my biz law prof - try not to shoot intruder in the back - adds to the paperwork. Yell something, have him face you, then shoot. Also, not to suggest anything here, but dead people can't sue, injurred ones can... NOTE - i do not necessarily personally support any of the above, but am simply passing along nuggets of wisdom as told to me. NOTE 2 - apparently I was long beaten in making a "People's Republic of Berkley" joke, but I never get tired of it, so I'll repeat it.

 

[Steve B.]

"People's Republic of Berkley"

Actually those of us who've lived there are quite proud of this apellation.

 

[ken]

I was thinking 40 hours a week for 10 weeks. seems about right to me.

also, it seems that that would weed out the people who wouldn't take their weapons seriously, if you have to take a summer off from work or school and devote it to learning how to operate firearms, you will take them seriously for the rest of your life.

Only if you need sufficient training to kill something at >200 yards; say, oh i dunno, a person?

Most people can't take summers off from work.

 

[globetrotter]

"Most people can't take summers off from work"

bingo. as you might notice frommy earlier posts, I don"t think that it should be easy to own a firearm. and if owning a gun isn;t important enough to you that you are willing to take a few months off school or work, then great, don't get one. (in my, humble opinion).