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In May of 2009 we wrote about what we thought was an overly-burdensome process to legally obtain a firearm in DC. Our biggest complaint was the 4 hours of classroom instruction taught by a DC certified firearms instructor. We were subsequently lambasted for this position in the comments field, with many of our readers correctly noting the importance of gun safety. We ultimately agreed with that reasoning, and more than a year later finally took the 5 hours course (4 hours classroom, 1 hour range practice) earlier this summer.
Since our early 2009 article, both the Post and Examiner have had long pieces on the entire process of securing a gun legally in DC. In fact for anyone serious about owning a gun in DC, you can just print out that Examiner article and use it as a true step by step tutorial. As it happens we used the same firearms instructor that the author of the Examiner article used, as the Sirius Group advertised such a class on the web.
The 4 hours of classroom instruction wasn’t, we suspect, what our commenters thought it would be. Our $160 class, taught at the Gilbert Indoor Range in Rockville, involved watching hours worth of “I am not an attorney” spokesmen discussing some really awful reenactments. The class and videos are all geared towards handgun ownership for personal protection, and when it is ok to shoot someone. That’s not a knock on Sirius Group, they’re teaching the class that DC requires; but the 4 hours of classroom instruction are not about gun safety, instead they focus on your right to defend yourself.
The 1 hour of range time, however, is worth the price of admission. This was the piece we never complained about in our original article: Hands-on instruction on proper gun etiquette and technique. Where the four hours of videos were sleep inducing, the range time and training was exhilarating. If you’ve not handled a gun since that 20 gauge at summer camp, learning how to load, safety, and handle a 9mm is both nerve racking and confidence building. We’ve always wanted to feel respect, but not fear, when handling firearms. The range time can certainly help you achieve that goal.
We haven’t gone any farther in the process as there is no gun purchase in our immediate future. But if you’re serious about owning a gun in DC, be prepared for hours worth of boring videos on when shooting is acceptable (here’s a hint: you can’t shoot someone if they’re not a threat to you), and then a single hour of practical gun handling experience.
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Congrats Columbo. The Second Amendment is a wonderful thing, and I’m glad it is finally recognized in the District.