My Take on Handguns

Mention violence in the United States, you will never fail to hear the masses say ‘It is easy to get hold of guns in America!’ I cannot deny that there is some truth to what they perceive about obtaining handguns. At the same time I must say that this perception merely applies to criminals in the United States. For any decent residents in the United States who already possess a handgun and about to obtain one can agree with me that obtaining a permit to legally possess a handgun is easier said than done.

Allow me to say that the process is tedious and stringent. Adding to the process are handgun laws and regulations where the penalty of not adhering to them is hefty and could extend to incarceration and fines if not both. Since I reside in the United States, I had the opportunity to read the law pertaining to firearms by the Board of Firearms Permit Examiners. It was dry but insightful as I never knew that criminal possession of a handgun is considered a class D felony. Criminal possession means not carrying the permit when one has possession of a handgun. Furthermore, a permit is only valid in the state where the permit was issued. To carry and use the handgun in another state would require a permit from the respective state.

Acquainted although not yet familiar with these laws and a little apprehensive for fear of being incarcerated for having a slight tendency of being forgetful (I have the reputation of not carrying legal documents when I am suppose to), I called up a friend of mine to register me for the National Rifle Association (NRA) Safety and Use of Pistols and Revolvers course, a pre-requisite to obtaining a handgun permit.

The course consists of two three hours in-classroom and a one day on-range instruction. The two day in-classroom instruction was informal where experienced NRA Certified instructors taught students crucial safety rules when handling a handgun. By the end of the first day, I had the basic safety rules drummed into my head. They are:

1. ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
2. ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
3. ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.

It was easy remembering them as the instructors narrated mishaps as a result of being careless and not following these three fundamental gun handling rules. On top of that, range instructors will fail students who do not follow these safety rules.

On the second day, students were acquainted with the laws and regulations governing handguns and were stressed upon to adhere to them. Additionally, students had the opportunity to load and unload different models of pistols and revolvers using dummy bullets. While I followed the three rules religiously although the handguns were loaded with dummy bullets, I had a few fellow course mates pointing the handgun right at me (that’s right, keep that up and someone will surely get hurt).

The final day we had a chance to handle handguns with real bullets at the shooting range. I was fortunate enough to try out a range of pistols and revolvers and had my friend take me to the shooting range the day before to fire a few rounds to obtain more experience (He owns approximately 30 different guns…..phew).

Honestly, I am bad shot. Being a right handed person and left eye dominant shooter, it created problems for me. One possible solution is to train my right eye for aiming and shooting. The hurdle now is the 2 months wait for my appointment with the police officer to have my fingerprints taken and application submitted. The application includes the certificate for successfully completing and passing the course, a copy of my US driver’s license, letters of character reference, photo and bank cheques. Yes, I have to pay processing fees to three separate parties i.e. Commissioner of Public Safety, local police department and the Department of Public Safety.

This of course is not the end of the story.

What comes after the submission is a possible 6 to 8 weeks wait for the application results. At this juncture, the application can either be accepted or denied. Successful application will result in the issuance of a town handgun permit. With that permit, one can make their way to the Department of Public Safety to apply for the state handgun permit which will take another 2 to 4 weeks.

Such long wait but well worth it I must admit. Once having obtained the state permit, I will be on my way to buying my first handgun for target shooting. My second handgun that I intend to obtain will be primarily use for self protection. Two handguns for starters should be sufficient for beginners. After all, good handguns and the bullets do not come cheap. I could literally see my greenbacks flying out from my checking account even at this moment…..sigh.

Nevertheless, for those out there who still thinks that obtaining handguns are easy through legitimate means, you may want to reconsider this perception. Also, for those who are interested in seeing what a bad shot I am, feel free to access the URL below.

http://rhys31.multiply.com/photos/album/9/Target_Shooting