Even after Heller, the fight goes on.

Suppose the Heller case, which the Supreme Court will likely rule on today, comes down with a ruling favorable to gun rights -- upholding the lower court and striking down DC's gun ban. That's not going to be the end of the story. It will still be impossible to get a handgun in the District in practice, if not in law. Why?

Simple: There are no stores in DC selling handguns. Unlike rifles and shotguns, it's illegal to buy a handgun outside of your home state. DC, of course, is not a state at all. That's going to complicate things, especially since the City may seen a backhand way to prevent handgun sales to its citizens by preventing gun stores from opening within the District.

Consider the case of Charles Sykes, who operates a business transferring firearms to law enforcement customers within the city. Recently Sykes found himself in need of new space for his business:

When he applied for a permit in late February, a representative for Zoning Administrator Matthew Le Grant notified him his business could not operate in the District and that the agency would send him an official explanation shortly.

He visited Le Grant's office in April and has contacted Mayor Adrian Fenty's office and the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. So far, he's received no details in writing about the rejection.

"I think there is a political motivation to this," he says.

If the DC government can keep any gun stores from opening in the District, they can keep their handgun ban, at least until someone brings a lawsuit over it. I suppose one way around that would be to register a firearm already owned; it would have to have been purchased while living in a different jurisdiction. That would keep the numbers down, especially if the city can think up some creative legal roadblocks for that process too.

Hat tip for this one goes to a reader who knows who he is and is much appreciated.

Posted on 2008-06-23 02:39:31.0 by matthew@triggerfinger.org

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