DC and a Handgun

Shadi Khalil · April 19, 2009, 09:16 PM

OK, quick question. First, please forgive me for not understanding what the Heller ruling was all about, now I'm paying for my ignorance. Next week I have to stay DC, can I take my handgun with me and keep it in the condo?

vranasaurus · April 19, 2009, 09:30 PM

It's Heller not Keller.

And DC still has a licensiung and registration requirement. I don't think it is currently legal to possess an unregistered handgun in DC.

Prior to Heller DC had an outright ban on handguns. In an order to comply with the decision they changed the ban to a fairly strict registration requirement. Whether or not this complies with the decision is a debate for another thread.

ramp_tech · April 20, 2009, 12:34 AM

DC Carry Info

I would leave my gun at home if I am visiting DC, too much work.

Dewhitewolf · April 20, 2009, 12:56 PM

From what I read (a few months back, so this may be old/incorrect info), DC is standing by their law in banning semi-auto handguns (calling them machine guns), but revolvers will be allowed. Residents must select the revolver they want from a dealer outside DC, record the serial number, transfer it to a DC dealer, and from there it gets registered with the DC police. Bottom line, the gun has to be registered before the resident can possess it.

Again, this may be incorrect info, as I don't recall where I read it. I think it was in the newspaper. I remember there was something about renewing registration every three years, or something like that.

blume357 · April 21, 2009, 07:26 AM

you can stay in VA and be just as close to anything there.

ZeSpectre · April 21, 2009, 07:57 AM

teifmen1948,
It's just this simple. DC counsel considers themselves to be a law unto their own and the SCOTUS hasn't brought the hammer down (Maker only knows why) so regardless of "nicey-nicey" public statements to the contrary DC is still a NO GUNS ZONE and this goes double for non-residents.

The best advice you've been given so far is to stay in VA and leave your guns behind when you visit DC. I would recommend hotels in Rosslyn as that puts you conveniently on the red line Metro stop and using metro beats driving almost every time.

Deerhunter · April 21, 2009, 07:59 AM

DC is crazy. They changed their laws but not by much. I would leave it at home. I live in Northern VA but my girlfriend live in DC, I leave my guns at my place. Unless I have read something wrong you can own and register a semi-auto pistol in DC. The biggest thing, and I haven't looked into it is taking a pistol into DC before you register it. That is the catch to it all. You can have one in DC if it is registered, but you can't take a pistol into DC until it is registered. I go back to what I said before, leave it at home or as someone else mentioned, stay in VA. The metro is really easy to take any where in the city you need to go.

seldomseen · April 21, 2009, 01:29 PM

Visited DC last weekend. We stayed in Va, where my Ohio CHL is valid and I left my carry gun in Va when we rode the Metro into town. I was pleasantly suprised by the Metro. I thought it was clean, safe, and a very efficient way to get around DC. Much better than trying to drive into DC and find a parking spot. I was relieved of my pocket knife however, upon entering the halocaust museum. I suppose I should have known better. Supposedly, it was destroyed, however, I have my doubts about that. I highly recommend staying in Va and riding the metro into DC. I will do the same thing, on our next visit to DC. We stayed in Fairfax and visited the NRA firearms museum while we were there.

Kreyzhorse · April 21, 2009, 02:32 PM

Quote:

I was relieved of my pocket knife however, upon entering the halocaust museum.

Seriously? Were you carrying a K-Bar or just your run of the mill pocket knife?

seldomseen · April 21, 2009, 03:19 PM

I was carrying a case folding pocket knife. They have a 2 1/2 inch limit on blade length and mine was 3 inches long. Ironically, none of the other museums that we went into made me empty my pockets and put everything into a basket that was run through a metal detector. They freaked out when they saw my pocket knife. I had to go through a metal detector and then be wanded because my belt buckle made their walk through detector go off. I actually started to think I was going to be detained by security there. I was given the option of leaving or surrendering my pocket knife to them for destruction. I had waited so long to get to DC to see the halocaust museum that I didn't want to leave without seeing it, so I put the knife into their container. Funny thing is my wife had a small soft cooler with some fruit in it because I am a diabetic. She accidently left a pearing knife in the side pocket to peel the fruit with. They never caught it and let her right in.

Kreyzhorse · April 21, 2009, 06:53 PM

3" blade? Man that's just a pocket knife. I hope the tour was worth losing a good Case over.

blume357 · April 23, 2009, 06:54 AM

of those cheap chinese ' disposable ' knives.

April 19, 2009, 09:16 PM	#1
Shadi Khalil Senior Member Join Date: September 23, 2006 Location: Alexandria, VA Posts: 5,210	DC and a Handgun OK, quick question. First, please forgive me for not understanding what the Heller ruling was all about, now I'm paying for my ignorance. Next week I have to stay DC, can I take my handgun with me and keep it in the condo? Last edited by Shadi Khalil; April 19, 2009 at 09:32 PM. Reason: "It's Heller not Keller."

April 20, 2009, 12:34 AM	#3
ramp_tech Senior Member Join Date: April 15, 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 251	DC Carry Info I would leave my gun at home if I am visiting DC, too much work. __________________ National Rifle Association - Institute for Legislative Action YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE by making a contribution to NRA-ILA!

April 20, 2009, 12:56 PM	#4
Dewhitewolf Senior Member Join Date: March 4, 2007 Location: NJ, USA Posts: 229	From what I read (a few months back, so this may be old/incorrect info), DC is standing by their law in banning semi-auto handguns (calling them machine guns), but revolvers will be allowed. Residents must select the revolver they want from a dealer outside DC, record the serial number, transfer it to a DC dealer, and from there it gets registered with the DC police. Bottom line, the gun has to be registered before the resident can possess it. Again, this may be incorrect info, as I don't recall where I read it. I think it was in the newspaper. I remember there was something about renewing registration every three years, or something like that. __________________ I'm not afraid of the guy who wants many guns; I'm afraid of the guy who wants just one.

April 21, 2009, 07:26 AM	#5
blume357 Senior Member Join Date: August 2, 2005 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 3,943	No reason to stay in D.C. you can stay in VA and be just as close to anything there.

April 21, 2009, 06:53 PM	#11
Kreyzhorse Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2006 Location: NKY Posts: 12,463	3" blade? Man that's just a pocket knife. I hope the tour was worth losing a good Case over. __________________ "He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson

April 19, 2009, 09:30 PM	#2
vranasaurus Senior Member Join Date: November 16, 2008 Posts: 1,184	It's Heller not Keller. And DC still has a licensiung and registration requirement. I don't think it is currently legal to possess an unregistered handgun in DC. Prior to Heller DC had an outright ban on handguns. In an order to comply with the decision they changed the ban to a fairly strict registration requirement. Whether or not this complies with the decision is a debate for another thread.

April 21, 2009, 07:57 AM	#6
ZeSpectre Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Shenandoah Valley Posts: 3,276	teifmen1948, It's just this simple. DC counsel considers themselves to be a law unto their own and the SCOTUS hasn't brought the hammer down (Maker only knows why) so regardless of "nicey-nicey" public statements to the contrary DC is still a NO GUNS ZONE and this goes double for non-residents. The best advice you've been given so far is to stay in VA and leave your guns behind when you visit DC. I would recommend hotels in Rosslyn as that puts you conveniently on the red line Metro stop and using metro beats driving almost every time.

April 21, 2009, 07:59 AM	#7
Deerhunter Senior Member Join Date: April 15, 2009 Location: Northern VA Posts: 607	DC is crazy. They changed their laws but not by much. I would leave it at home. I live in Northern VA but my girlfriend live in DC, I leave my guns at my place. Unless I have read something wrong you can own and register a semi-auto pistol in DC. The biggest thing, and I haven't looked into it is taking a pistol into DC before you register it. That is the catch to it all. You can have one in DC if it is registered, but you can't take a pistol into DC until it is registered. I go back to what I said before, leave it at home or as someone else mentioned, stay in VA. The metro is really easy to take any where in the city you need to go.

April 21, 2009, 01:29 PM	#8
seldomseen Junior Member Join Date: October 7, 2004 Posts: 9	Visited DC last weekend. We stayed in Va, where my Ohio CHL is valid and I left my carry gun in Va when we rode the Metro into town. I was pleasantly suprised by the Metro. I thought it was clean, safe, and a very efficient way to get around DC. Much better than trying to drive into DC and find a parking spot. I was relieved of my pocket knife however, upon entering the halocaust museum. I suppose I should have known better. Supposedly, it was destroyed, however, I have my doubts about that. I highly recommend staying in Va and riding the metro into DC. I will do the same thing, on our next visit to DC. We stayed in Fairfax and visited the NRA firearms museum while we were there.

April 21, 2009, 03:19 PM	#10
seldomseen Junior Member Join Date: October 7, 2004 Posts: 9	I was carrying a case folding pocket knife. They have a 2 1/2 inch limit on blade length and mine was 3 inches long. Ironically, none of the other museums that we went into made me empty my pockets and put everything into a basket that was run through a metal detector. They freaked out when they saw my pocket knife. I had to go through a metal detector and then be wanded because my belt buckle made their walk through detector go off. I actually started to think I was going to be detained by security there. I was given the option of leaving or surrendering my pocket knife to them for destruction. I had waited so long to get to DC to see the halocaust museum that I didn't want to leave without seeing it, so I put the knife into their container. Funny thing is my wife had a small soft cooler with some fruit in it because I am a diabetic. She accidently left a pearing knife in the side pocket to peel the fruit with. They never caught it and let her right in.

April 23, 2009, 06:54 AM	#12
blume357 Senior Member Join Date: August 2, 2005 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 3,943	I hate to admit it but sounds like a good reason to carry one of those cheap chinese ' disposable ' knives.